والعَصرby Time إنَّsurely عدَاكyour enemies فيin العَصرِdistress
والعَصر إنَّ عدَاك في العَصرِ
وقدand indeed انتَهَواthey arrived لِهدَايةat the guidance of الخسرِruin
وقد انتَهَوا لِهدَاية الخسرِ
By Time! Surely your enemies are hard pressed,
By the declining day, they were lost ere the decline,
And have reached guidance leading to ruin.
Having failed to walk the path of guidance,
ظلمواthey did wrong فماand so not أبقواthey left لهمfor themselves وَزَراًa refuge
ظلموا فما أبقوا لهم وَزَراً
يُنجىoffering deliverance ولاnor سَلمُواthey escaped unharmed منfrom الوِزرِthe burden of sin
يُنجى ولا سَلمُوا من الوِزرِ
They did wrong and left themselves no refuge
They wronged themselves, leaving no excuse,
To save them, nor did they escape the burden of sin.
Nor did they find safety from sin’s burden.
ظهرواthey appeared لنوركbefore your light وهوand it شَمسُa sun ضُحىًforenoon
ظهروا لنورك وهو شَمسُ ضُحىً
فتضاءلواso they dwindled كتَضَاؤلlike the dwindling of الذَّرِّtiny ants
فتضاءلوا كتَضَاؤل الذَّرِّ
They appeared before your light—a sun of forenoon—
They saw your light, the dawn’s radiance,
And dwindled to the smallness of tiny ants.
Yet they faded like the fading stars.
مكرواthey plotted وقدand indeed مكرَplotted الإلهُGod بهمagainst them
مكروا وقد مكرَ الإلهُ بهم
شَتَّانَvastly different بينbetween المَكرِthe plotting والمَكرِand the plotting
شَتَّانَ بين المَكرِ والمَكرِ
They plotted, and God plotted against them;
They schemed, though God schemed against them -
How far apart are their plotting and His!
Great is the difference between schemer and Schemer!
دَعهُمleave them فلاso may not بَرحcease التَّغَابُنmutual loss منfrom
دَعهُم فلا بَرح التَّغَابُن من
حَسَدenvy يُوَاصلهمkeep accompanying them إلىuntil الحشرِthe Gathering
حَسَد يُوَاصلهم إلى الحشرِ
Leave them; may mutual loss arising from
Leave them be, they persist in deceit,
Envy haunt them unceasingly until the Gathering.
Envy accompanies them to the grave.
وانشدand recite verse إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle زرتyou visit تُربَتَهُمtheir graves
وانشد إذا ما زرت تُربَتَهُم
مُتَهَكِّماًmockingly فيin السِّرِّsecrecy والجَهرِand openness
مُتَهَكِّماً في السِّرِّ والجَهرِ
And recite, whenever you visit their graves,
And recite, if you visit their tombs,
Mockingly, in private and in public:
Mockingly, in secret and aloud:
ماتواthey died بغيظهمُin their rage وماand not ظَفرُواthey succeeded
ماتوا بغيظهمُ وما ظَفرُوا
بمرادهمin their desired aim واضَيعَةَalas for the waste of العُمرِlife
بمرادهم واضَيعَةَ العُمرِ
They died of their rage and never attained
They died in rage, achieving nothing
Their desire—alas for a wasted lifetime!
Of their hopes, having wasted life away.
ومنand among العجائبthe wonders كَونُهُمthe fact that they جهلواdid not know
ومن العجائب كَونُهُم جهلوا
أنthat العلومknowledge وديعهُa trust الصَّدرِthe breast
أن العلوم وديعهُ الصَّدرِ
And among the wonders is that they did not know
And of wonders - their ignorance
That knowledge is a trust kept in the breast.
That knowledge is a trust of the breast.
لولاwere it not that أخافI fear اللَهGod قلتُI would say لمنto whoever
لولا أخاف اللَه قلتُ لمن
يَروىrecounts مديحكyour praise اتلُrecite ياO مُقرِيreciter
يَروى مديحك اتلُ يا مُقرِي
Were I not afraid of God, I would say to whoever
Were it not for fear of God, I would say
Recounts your praise: 'Recite, O reciter!'
To one who relates your praise: Recite!
حَجَّتmade pilgrimage لكto you العافونَthe seekers of bounty فازدحمواso they thronged
حَجَّت لك العافونَ فازدحموا
كتزاحمlike the crowding of الآمالhopes فيin الفكرِthought
كتزاحم الآمال في الفكرِ
Seekers of bounty made pilgrimage to you and thronged,
They pleaded to you, so they crowded around
Like hopes crowding in the mind.
Like hopes crowding the mind.
نالواthey attained المَنَىwishes جنابكyour presence فاخso they chose (first fragment)
نالوا المَنَى جنابك فاخ
تارواchose (continuing fragment) المُقَامَstaying بهاin it علىover النَّفرِdeparture
تاروا المُقَامَ بها على النَّفرِ
They gained their wishes in your presence, and chose
They attained wishes in your presence, so they chose
To remain there rather than depart.
To take this station over all people.
Sol 6.1