خُذِtake الناسَpeople أَوor دَعleave إِنَّماonly الناسُpeople بِالناسِthrough people
خُذِ الناسَ أَو دَع إِنَّما الناسُ بِالناسِ
وَلاand no بُدَّescape فيin الدُنياthe world مِنَfrom الناسِpeople لِلناسِfor people
وَلا بُدَّ في الدُنيا مِنَ الناسِ لِلناسِ
Take people or leave them: people depend upon people.
Take people or leave them: people depend on people.
In this world, people cannot do without people.
And in this world, people are indispensable to people.
وَلَستُand I am not بِناسٍforgetful ذِكرَmention of شَيءٍsomething تُريدُهُyou desire it
وَلَستُ بِناسٍ ذِكرَ شَيءٍ تُريدُهُ
وَماand as long as لَمnot تُرِدyou desire شَيئاًa thing فَأَنتَthen you لَهُof it ناسِforgetful
وَما لَم تُرِد شَيئاً فَأَنتَ لَهُ ناسِ
I am not one to forget mention of anything you desire,
And I do not forget the mention of something you desire.
but whatever you do not desire, you are forgetful of it.
And as long as you do not desire a thing, you forget it.
مِنَamong الظُلمِinjustice تَشغيبُstirring up strife امرِئٍa man غَيرِnot مُنصِفٍfair
مِنَ الظُلمِ تَشغيبُ امرِئٍ غَيرِ مُنصِفٍ
وَماand there is no بِامرِئٍwith a man لَمnot يَظلِمِwronged الناسَpeople مِنany باسِfault
وَما بِامرِئٍ لَم يَظلِمِ الناسَ مِن باسِ
It is an injustice when an unfair man stirs up strife;
An unfair man's stirring up strife is a form of injustice.
no fault lies in one who has not wronged people.
And there is nothing wrong with a man who has not wronged people.
أَلاindeed قَلَّseldom ماemphatic particle يَنجوescapes ضَميرٌan inner self مِنَfrom المُنىdesires
أَلا قَلَّ ما يَنجو ضَميرٌ مِنَ المُنى
وَفيهِand within it لَهُfor it مِنهُنَّfrom them شُعبَةُa branch وَسواسِobsessive whispering
وَفيهِ لَهُ مِنهُنَّ شُعبَةُ وَسواسِ
Ah, how seldom the inner self escapes its wishes,
Indeed, a heart seldom escapes desires,
when from them a branch of whispering obsession rises within it.
And within it is a branch of their obsessive whispering.
وَلَمand not يُنجِsave مَخلوقاًa creature مِنَfrom المَوتِdeath حيلَةٌa stratagem
وَلَم يُنجِ مَخلوقاً مِنَ المَوتِ حيلَةٌ
وَلوand even if كانَwas فيin حِصنٍa fortress وَثيقٍsecure وَأَحراسِand guards
وَلو كانَ في حِصنٍ وَثيقٍ وَأَحراسِ
No stratagem has ever saved a creature from death,
And no stratagem has saved a creature from death,
even within a strong fortress guarded by sentries.
Even if he were in a secure fortress, with guards.
وَماand not المَرءُman إِلّاexcept صُرَةٌa bundle مِنfrom سُلالَةٍseminal extract
وَما المَرءُ إِلّا صُرَةٌ مِن سُلالَةٍ
يَشيبُgrows gray وَيَفنىand perishes بَينَbetween لَمحٍa glance وَأَنفاسِand breaths
يَشيبُ وَيَفنى بَينَ لَمحٍ وَأَنفاسِ
A person is only a bundle sprung from a lineage,
And man is nothing but a bundle of seed,
growing gray and passing away between a glance and breaths.
He grows gray and perishes between a glance and a few breaths.
تُديرُpasses around يَدُthe hand of الدُنيَthe world الرَدىdeath بَينَamong أَهلِهاits people
تُديرُ يَدُ الدُنيَ الرَدى بَينَ أَهلِها
كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were شَربٌdrinkers قُعودٌseated عَلىaround كاسِa cup
كَأَنَّهُمُ شَربٌ قُعودٌ عَلى كاسِ
The hand of the world passes death around among its people,
The world's hand passes death around among its people,
as though they were a drinking circle seated around a cup.
As though they were drinkers seated around a cup.
كَفىsuffices بِدِفاعِby the protection of اللَهِGod عَنon behalf of كُلِّevery خائِفٍfearful person
كَفى بِدِفاعِ اللَهِ عَن كُلِّ خائِفٍ
وَإِنand even if كانَwas فيماin what lies بَينَbetween نابٍa fang وَأَضراسِand molars
وَإِن كانَ فيما بَينَ نابٍ وَأَضراسِ
God’s protection is enough for every frightened soul,
God's protection of every fearful person is enough,
even if caught between a fang and molars.
Even if he were between a fang and molars.
وَكَمand many a هالِكٍone who perishes بِالشَيءِthrough the thing مِمّاamong what يَلُذُّهُhe enjoys it
وَكَم هالِكٍ بِالشَيءِ مِمّا يَلُذُّهُ
وَكَمand many a مِنof مُعافاًone in good health خَرَّfell مِنfrom جَبَلٍa mountain راسِfirmly rooted
وَكَم مِن مُعافاً خَرَّ مِن جَبَلٍ راسِ
How many have perished by something that gave them pleasure,
And many a man perishes through something he enjoys,
and how many, hale and whole, have fallen from a mountain peak.
And many a healthy man has fallen from a firmly rooted mountain.
Sol 6.1