ألاListen! أيهذاO you السائليwho asks me عَنْabout مَعاشرpeople
ألا أيهذا السائلي عَنْ مَعاشر
يَزيدُهُمُincreases them لؤمُbaseness الفَعَالِdeeds تعالياelevation
يَزيدُهُمُ لؤمُ الفَعَالِ تعاليا
Listen, you who ask me about people
O questioner, asking about people
whose base conduct raises them higher:
Whose wrongdoing increases their elevation
لعمرُكBy your life ماnot فيهمabout them صرفتُI directed عنايتيmy attention
لعمرُك ما فيهم صرفتُ عنايتي
إلىto القولspeech بلrather فيabout الدهرTime حُكتI wove القوافياthe rhymes
إلى القول بل في الدهر حُكت القوافيا
By your life, I did not devote my attention to them
By your life, I have not turned my attention to them
in verse; rather, I wove my rhymes about Time.
Except to compose poetry in this age
تنبّهtook heed للأرذالِof the vilest يرفعraises أمرهمtheir standing
تنبّه للأرذالِ يرفع أمرهم
فأصبحand so became عنof أهلِpeople of المروءةِnoble character ساهياheedless
فأصبح عن أهلِ المروءةِ ساهيا
It took heed of the vilest, raising their standing,
Beware of the vile, whose status rises
and became heedless of people of noble character,
Thus in the morning he is oblivious of the virtuous
كحيرانَlike one bewildered لاnot يدريknows الهدىguidance كيفhow وجهُهits direction
كحيرانَ لا يدري الهدى كيف وجهُه
ضلالاًastray وماand not يَلقىfinds إلىto الرشدِright guidance هادياa guide
ضلالاً وما يَلقى إلى الرشدِ هاديا
like one bewildered, who knows not which way guidance lies,
Like one perplexed, not knowing the path of guidance
astray, and finding no guide to the right path.
Straying, and not finding a guide to righteousness
ترىyou see كلevery ذيpossessor of لبٍّintelligence بأسفلِat the bottom of تَلعةٍa ravine
ترى كل ذي لبٍّ بأسفلِ تَلعةٍ
وكلَّand every جهولِutterly ignorant الرأيjudgment يعلوrises above الروابياthe hills
وكلَّ جهولِ الرأي يعلو الروابيا
You see every person of intelligence at the bottom of a ravine,
You see everyone with a mind like a tail feather
and every fool in judgment rising above the hills,
And every fool of opinion rising to the hilltops
كذيlike these جيفِcorpses الغرقيthe drowned إذاwhen هيthey أنْتَنتbecame putrid
كذي جيفِ الغرقي إذا هي أنْتَنت
وأجوتand fouled بطونthe depths of الماءِthe water تعلوrise طوافياafloat
وأجوت بطون الماءِ تعلو طوافيا
like these corpses of the drowned, once they have putrefied
Like a drowned corpse when it putrefies
and fouled the water's depths, they rise afloat.
And floats atop the water, rising to the surface
Sol 6.1