الحِرصُgreed لُؤمٌbaseness وَمِثلُهُand its like الطَمَعُcovetousness
الحِرصُ لُؤمٌ وَمِثلُهُ الطَمَعُ
ماnot اِجتَمَعَcame together الحِرصُgreed قَطُّever وَالوَرَعُand piety
ما اِجتَمَعَ الحِرصُ قَطُّ وَالوَرَعُ
Greed is baseness, and so is covetousness.
Greed is malice and so is covetousness
Greed and piety have never come together.
Greed and piety were never known to coexist
لَوif قَنِعَwere content الناسُpeople بِالكَفافِwith just enough إِذاًthen
لَو قَنِعَ الناسُ بِالكَفافِ إِذاً
لَاِتَّسَعواthey would surely have plenty فيin الَّذيthat which بِهِwith it قَنِعواthey were content
لَاِتَّسَعوا في الَّذي بِهِ قَنِعوا
If people were content with just enough, then
If people were satisfied with sufficiency
they would find plenty in what they were content with.
They would find space in that which suffices them
لِلمَرءِfor a man فيماin what يُقيمُهُsustains him سَعَةٌabundance
لِلمَرءِ فيما يُقيمُهُ سَعَةٌ
لَكِنَّهُbut he ماnot يُريدُwants ماwhat يَسَعُsuffices
لَكِنَّهُ ما يُريدُ ما يَسَعُ
A man has plenty in what sustains him,
To each person, there is latitude in what sustains him
but he does not want what suffices.
But he does not wish for what can accommodate him
ياO حالِبَmilker of الدَهرِtime دَرَّmilk yield أَشطُرِهِits teats
يا حالِبَ الدَهرِ دَرَّ أَشطُرِهِ
هَلis there? لَكَfor you فيin ماwhat حاسَبتَyou reckoned مُنتَفَعُbenefit
هَل لَكَ في ما حاسَبتَ مُنتَفَعُ
O you who draw milk from the teats of time,
O milker of fate, spare its choicest riches
is there any profit for you in what you have reckoned?
Have you gained anything from your accounting?
ياO عَجَباًwonder لِاِمرِئٍat a man تُخادِعُهُdeceive him الthe
يا عَجَباً لِاِمرِئٍ تُخادِعُهُ ال
ساعاتُhours عَنabout نَفسِهِhimself فَيَنخَدِعُso he is deceived
ساعاتُ عَن نَفسِهِ فَيَنخَدِعُ
How strange—a man whom the
How strange is one deceived by the hours
hours deceive about himself, and who is taken in!
About himself, thus deluded!
ياO عَجَباwonder لِلزَمانِat time يَأمَنُهُtrusts it
يا عَجَبا لِلزَمانِ يَأمَنُهُ
مَنone who قَدindeed يَرىsees الصَخرَrock عَنهُfrom it وَالوَجَعُand pain
مَن قَد يَرى الصَخرَ عَنهُ وَالوَجَعُ
How strange that time is trusted
How strange is time, trusted
by one who sees rock and pain come from it!
By one who sees even rocks can give pain
عَجِبتُI marvel مِنat آمِنٍone feeling safe بِمَنزِلَةٍin a place
عَجِبتُ مِن آمِنٍ بِمَنزِلَةٍ
تَكثُرُabound فيهاin it الهُمومُworries وَالوَجَعُand pain
تَكثُرُ فيها الهُمومُ وَالوَجَعُ
I marvel at one who feels safe in a place
I am surprised by one who feels secure in a station
where worries and pain abound.
Wherein worries and pain abound
عَجِبتُI marvel مِنat مَعشَرٍa group of people وَقَدand already عَرَفواthey knew الthe
عَجِبتُ مِن مَعشَرٍ وَقَد عَرَفوا ال
حَقَّtruth تَوَلَّواthey turned away عَنهُfrom it وَماand not رَجَعواthey returned
حَقَّ تَوَلَّوا عَنهُ وَما رَجَعوا
I marvel at people who, though they had known the
I am surprised by a group who recognized the truth
truth, turned away from it and did not return.
Yet shunned it and did not revert
الناسُpeople فيin زَرعِsowing نَسلِهِمtheir offspring وَيَدُand the hand الthe
الناسُ في زَرعِ نَسلِهِم وَيَدُ ال
مَوتِdeath بِهاwith it حَصدُreaping كُلَّall ماthat which زَرَعواthey sowed
مَوتِ بِها حَصدُ كُلَّ ما زَرَعوا
People sow their offspring, while the hand of
People sow descendants but the hand
death reaps all that they have sown.
Of death harvests all they sowed
ماno شَرَفُhonor المَرءِa man's كَالقَناعَةِlike contentment وَالand the
ما شَرَفُ المَرءِ كَالقَناعَةِ وَال
صَبرِpatience عَلىin the face of كُلِّevery حادِثٍevent يَقَعُbefalls
صَبرِ عَلى كُلِّ حادِثٍ يَقَعُ
No honor for a man equals contentment and
Nothing equals contentment and patience
patience in the face of every event that befalls.
In bearing every incident that befalls
لَمnot يَزَلِcease to be القانِعونَthe contented أَشرَفَناthe noblest among us
لَم يَزَلِ القانِعونَ أَشرَفَنا
ياO حَبَّذاhow excellent القانِعونَthe contented ماas long as قَنِعواthey are content
يا حَبَّذا القانِعونَ ما قَنِعوا
The contented have always been the noblest among us.
The contented among us have always been the noblest
How excellent the contented are, so long as they remain content!
How excellent are the contented with their contentment
لِلمَرءِfor a man فيin كُلِّevery طَرفَةٍblink حَدَثٌan event
لِلمَرءِ في كُلِّ طَرفَةٍ حَدَثٌ
يُذهِبُtakes away مِنهُfrom him ماwhat لَيسَis not يُرتَجَعُregained
يُذهِبُ مِنهُ ما لَيسَ يُرتَجَعُ
At every blink, a man meets an event
To each person, every instant brings an event
that takes from him what is never regained.
That takes from him what cannot be regained
مَنwhoever يَضِقِis too narrow الصَبرُpatience عَنfor مُصيبَتِهِhis affliction
مَن يَضِقِ الصَبرُ عَن مُصيبَتِهِ
ضاقَbecame narrow وَلَمand did not يَتَّسِعexpand بِهِfor him الجَزَعُanguish
ضاقَ وَلَم يَتَّسِع بِهِ الجَزَعُ
For one who finds patience too narrow for his affliction,
He whose patience falls short of his affliction
anguish too is narrow and gives him no room.
Is distraught and not consoled by distress
الشَمسُthe sun تَنعاكَannounces your death حينَwhen تَغرُبُsets لَوif only
الشَمسُ تَنعاكَ حينَ تَغرُبُ لَو
تَدريyou knew وَتَنعاكَand announces your death حينَwhen تَطَّلِعُrises
تَدري وَتَنعاكَ حينَ تَطَّلِعُ
The sun announces your death when it sets, if only
The sun bids you farewell at sunset if
you knew—and announces your death when it rises.
Only you knew; and bids hello at sunrise
حَتّىuntil مَتىwhen أَنتَyou لاعِبٌplayful إِشِرٌّwanton
حَتّى مَتى أَنتَ لاعِبٌ إِشِرٌّ
حَتّىuntil مَتىwhen أَنتَyou بِالصِباwith youth وَلِعُinfatuated
حَتّى مَتى أَنتَ بِالصِبا وَلِعُ
How long will you be playful and wanton?
How long will you be a frolicker, a wanton
How long will you be infatuated with youth?
How long will you indulge in youth?
إِنَّindeed المُلوكَthe kings الأُلىwho مَضَواpassed on سَلَفاًin former times
إِنَّ المُلوكَ الأُلى مَضَوا سَلَفاً
بادواthey perished جَميعاًall وَبادَand perished ماwhat جَمَعواthey amassed
بادوا جَميعاً وَبادَ ما جَمَعوا
Indeed, the kings who went before
Kings mightier than you passed away
all perished, and what they amassed perished too.
All perished along with what they amassed
ياO لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowledge عَنِconcerning الَّذينَthose who مَضَواpassed on
يا لَيتَ شِعري عَنِ الَّذينَ مَضَوا
قَبليbefore me إِلىto التُرابِthe dust ماwhat الَّذيthat which صَنَعواthey did
قَبلي إِلى التُرابِ ما الَّذي صَنَعوا
Oh, if only I knew, concerning those who went
I wonder about those who passed
before me into the dust, what they did!
Before me into dust – what did they accomplish?
بُؤساًwoe لَهُمto them أَيَّwhat مَنزِلٍdwelling نَزَلواthey settled
بُؤساً لَهُم أَيَّ مَنزِلٍ نَزَلوا
بُؤساًwoe لَهُمto them أَيَّwhat مَعقِعٍplace of falling (unclear form) وَقَعواthey fell
بُؤساً لَهُم أَيَّ مَعقِعٍ وَقَعوا
Woe to them—what a dwelling they settled in!
Woe to them! What destination did they attain?
Woe to them—what a place they fell into!
Woe to them! In what desolate place did they fall?
الحَمدُpraise لِلَّهِto God كُلُّeveryone مَنwho سَكَنَdwelt الthe
الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ كُلُّ مَن سَكَنَ ال
دُنياworld فَعَنهاso from it بِالمَوتِby death يَنقَطِعُis cut off
دُنيا فَعَنها بِالمَوتِ يَنقَطِعُ
Praise be to God! Everyone who dwells in the
Praise be to God – everyone who inhabited
world is cut off from it by death.
The world has been severed from it by death
Sol 6.1