ماwhat يُرتَجىis hoped for بِالشَيءِfrom a thing لَيسَis not بِنافِعِof use
ما يُرتَجى بِالشَيءِ لَيسَ بِنافِعِ
ماwhat لِلخُطوبِwith calamities وَلِلزَمانِand with time الفاجِعِgrief-bringing
ما لِلخُطوبِ وَلِلزَمانِ الفاجِعِ
What can be hoped for from a thing of no use?
What is hoped for is not made useful by the thing itself
What is it with calamities and grief-bringing time?
Nor by tribulations, nor by cruel time
وَلَقَلَّand rare indeed is يَومٌa day مَرَّpassed بيby me أَوor لَيلَةٌa night
وَلَقَلَّ يَومٌ مَرَّ بي أَو لَيلَةٌ
لَمdid not يَقرَعاthe two strike كَبِديmy liver بِخَطبٍwith a calamity رائِعِterrifying
لَم يَقرَعا كَبِدي بِخَطبٍ رائِعِ
And seldom indeed has a day passed me, or a night,
Rarely a day or night has passed me by
Without striking my liver with a terrifying calamity.
Without wringing my heart with great distress
كَمhow many مِنof أَسيرِcaptive العَقلِreason فيamid شَهَواتِهِhis desires
كَم مِن أَسيرِ العَقلِ في شَهَواتِهِ
ظَفِرَgained possession الهَوىpassion مِنهُfrom him بِعَقلٍof a mind ضائِعِlost
ظَفِرَ الهَوى مِنهُ بِعَقلٍ ضائِعِ
How many a man, his reason captive to his desires,
How many slaves of passion in their lusts
Has had his lost reason seized by passion!
Are conquered by desire, their reason lost
سُبحانَglory to مَنHim who قَهَرَsubdued المُلوكَthe kings بِقُدرَةٍwith a power
سُبحانَ مَن قَهَرَ المُلوكَ بِقُدرَةٍ
وَسِعَتencompassed جَميعَall الخَلقِcreation ذاتِpossessing بَدائِعِwonders
وَسِعَت جَميعَ الخَلقِ ذاتِ بَدائِعِ
Glory to Him who subdued kings with a power
Glory to Him who rules all kings by might
That encompasses all creation, abounding in wonders.
Whose wonders fill the breadth of all creation
أَيُّwhich الحَوادِثِevents لَيسَdoes not يَشهَدُtestify أَنَّهُthat it
أَيُّ الحَوادِثِ لَيسَ يَشهَدُ أَنَّهُ
صُنعٌa work of creation وَيَشهَدُand testifies بِاِقتِدارِto the power of الصانِعِthe Maker
صُنعٌ وَيَشهَدُ بِاِقتِدارِ الصانِعِ
Which event does not testify that it
What events fail to testify that they
Is a work of creation, and attest to the Maker's power?
Are made by One whose power is never wrong
ماnot الناسُpeople إِلّاexcept كَاِبنِlike a son أُمٍّa mother واحِدٍsingle
ما الناسُ إِلّا كَاِبنِ أُمٍّ واحِدٍ
لَولاwere it not for اِختِلافُdifferences مَذاهِبٍways وَطَبائِعِand temperaments
لَولا اِختِلافُ مَذاهِبٍ وَطَبائِعِ
People would be but like a mother's single son,
All people are but sons of a single mother
Were it not for differences in ways and temperaments.
Were it not for clashing creeds and natures torn
وَالحَقُّand truth فيon المَجرىthe racecourse أَغَرُّwhite-blazed on the forehead مُحَجَّلٌwhite-marked on the legs
وَالحَقُّ في المَجرى أَغَرُّ مُحَجَّلٌ
تَلقاكَmeets you غُرَّتُهُits white forehead blaze بِنورٍwith light ساطِعِradiant
تَلقاكَ غُرَّتُهُ بِنورٍ ساطِعِ
And truth on the racecourse is white-blazed and white-stockinged;
Truth in its channel glitters, pink pearls strewn
Its forehead-blaze greets you with radiant light.
Whose sparkling shells the riverbed adorn
ماwhat خَيرُgood مَنone who يُدعىis called لِيُحرِزَto secure حَظَّهُhis share
ما خَيرُ مَن يُدعى لِيُحرِزَ حَظَّهُ
مِنof دينِهِhis faith فَيَكونُand yet is غَيرَnot مُطاوِعِcompliant
مِن دينِهِ فَيَكونُ غَيرَ مُطاوِعِ
What good is one who is called to secure his share
No good in one who's called to save his soul
Of his faith, yet will not comply?
Yet pays no heed to faith's divine accord
ماno لِاِمرِئٍfor a man عَيشٌlife بِغَيرِwithout بَقائِهِhis continued existence
ما لِاِمرِئٍ عَيشٌ بِغَيرِ بَقائِهِ
ماذاwhat تُحِسُّfeels يَدٌa hand بَغَيرِwithout أَصابِعِfingers
ماذا تُحِسُّ يَدٌ بَغَيرِ أَصابِعِ
A man has no life without his continued existence;
Without man's permanence he has no life
What can a hand feel without fingers?
What can a hand sense lacking fingers for?
أَتُطالِعُdo you watch for الآمالَhopes مُنتَظِراًwaiting وَلاand do not
أَتُطالِعُ الآمالَ مُنتَظِراً وَلا
تَدريknow لَعَلَّperhaps المَوتَdeath أَوَّلُthe first طالِعِto appear
تَدري لَعَلَّ المَوتَ أَوَّلُ طالِعِ
Do you watch for hopes, waiting, yet do not
I gaze on hopes expecting them, not knowing
Know that death may be the first to appear?
Perhaps my death will be the first to rise
وَإِذاand when اِبنُa son of آدَمَAdam حَلَّsettles فيin أَكفانِهِhis shrouds
وَإِذا اِبنُ آدَمَ حَلَّ في أَكفانِهِ
حَلَّsettles اِبنُthe son of أُمِّكَyour mother فيin المَكانِthe place الشاسِعِfar-off
حَلَّ اِبنُ أُمِّكَ في المَكانِ الشاسِعِ
And when a son of Adam lies in his shrouds,
When man is shrouded in his winding sheets
Your mother's son lies in the far-off place.
Your mother's son in ample earth shall lie
وَإِذاand when الخَطوبُcalamities جَرَتswept عَلَيكَover you بِوَقعِهاwith their impact
وَإِذا الخَطوبُ جَرَت عَلَيكَ بِوَقعِها
تَرَكَتكَthey left you بَينَbetween مُفَجَّعِone bereaved أَوor فاجِعِone causing grief
تَرَكَتكَ بَينَ مُفَجَّعِ أَو فاجِعِ
And when calamities sweep over you with their blows,
And when disasters strike you with their weight
They leave you either bereaved or bringing grief.
Leave you distraught or struck by what you see
كَمhow many مِنof مُنىًwishes مَثُلَتappeared لِقَلبِكَbefore your heart لَمnot تَكُنwere
كَم مِن مُنىً مَثُلَت لِقَلبِكَ لَم تَكُن
إِلّاexcept بِمَنزِلَةِon a par with السَرابِthe mirage اللامِعِshimmering
إِلّا بِمَنزِلَةِ السَرابِ اللامِعِ
How many wishes appeared before your heart, yet were
How many wishes seemed to pierce your heart
Only like a shimmering mirage!
Yet were but mirages, vapors, fantasy
لُذseek refuge بِالإِلَهِin God مِنَfrom الرَدىdeath وَطُروقِهِand its coming by night
لُذ بِالإِلَهِ مِنَ الرَدى وَطُروقِهِ
فَتَحُلَّso that you may dwell مِنهُfrom Him فيin المَحَلِّthe abode الواسِعِspacious
فَتَحُلَّ مِنهُ في المَحَلِّ الواسِعِ
Seek refuge in God from death and its coming by night,
Take joy in God and spurn misguidance, friend
So that you may dwell with Him in the spacious abode.
And settle in the place serenely blessed
Sol 6.1