أعددprepare لضيفكfor your guest أهبةthe preparations الإِكرامِhonoring
أعدد لضيفك أهبة الإِكرامِ
وتحيةand a greeting موصولةjoined بسلامwith peace
وتحية موصولة بسلام
Prepare for your guest all the trappings of honor,
Prepare for your guest the means of honoring him,
And a greeting joined with peace.
And a greeting joined with peace.
وتلقَand welcome أياماًdays لهof it وليالياًand nights
وتلقَ أياماً له وليالياً
بصيامwith fasting راعيone who observes ذمّةa covenant وقيامand standing in prayer
بصيام راعي ذمّة وقيام
Meet his days and nights
And welcome its days and nights
With fasting that honors his claim, and with prayer.
With fasting, observing your covenant, and night prayer.
واعكفand devote yourself علىto الأذكارthe invocations فيduring آنائهits hours
واعكف على الأذكار في آنائه
ماwhat lies بينbetween مبتدإِa beginning لهof it وختامand an end
ما بين مبتدإِ له وختام
Devote yourself throughout his hours to remembrance,
And devote yourself to remembrance throughout its hours,
From his beginning to his end.
Between its beginning and its end.
رمضانRamadan شهرthe month الصَّومof fasting فاغنمso profit from قربَهُits nearness
رمضان شهر الصَّوم فاغنم قربَهُ
تغنمyou will gain أجلّthe noblest دعائمpillars الإِسلامof Islam
تغنم أجلّ دعائم الإِسلام
Ramadan is the month of fasting—seize the blessing of his nearness,
Ramadan is the month of fasting, so profit from its nearness;
And you will gain the noblest pillar of Islam.
You will gain the noblest of Islam's pillars.
إكليلُa wreath مفرقthe crown of the head دهرهof its age بلrather تاجُهُits crown
إكليلُ مفرق دهره بل تاجُهُ
والدَّرةُand the pearl الوسطىcentral لسلكof the strand العامof the year
والدَّرةُ الوسطى لسلك العام
He is the diadem upon the brow of time—indeed, its crown,
A wreath upon its age's head—nay, its crown,
And the central pearl upon the year’s necklace;
And the central pearl upon the year's strand.
ومُقامُand a place بذلfor bestowing رغائبchoice gifts ومواهبand favors
ومُقامُ بذل رغائب ومواهب
لوif only أنهthat it يحتلwould dwell in دارan abode مقامof permanence
لو أنه يحتل دار مقام
A season for bestowing precious gifts and favors—
And a place for bestowing choice gifts and favors,
If only he could dwell forever in our abode!
If only it would dwell in an enduring abode.
فاشددso tighten لهfor it عقدthe knot الوفاءِof fidelity فإنماfor indeed
فاشدد له عقد الوفاءِ فإنما
أيامُهُits days غُرَرٌradiant distinctions منamong الأيامthe days
أيامُهُ غُرَرٌ من الأيام
Bind fast with him the covenant of fidelity, for
So tighten the knot of fidelity to it, for
His days are the radiant choice of all days.
Its days are the brightest among days.
وإذاand when ظفرتyou gained بظلمةٍsome darkness منfrom ليلهِits night
وإذا ظفرت بظلمةٍ من ليلهِ
فالنّورthen the light باطنlies within ذلكthat الأظلامdarkness
فالنّور باطن ذلك الأظلام
And when you attain a dark hour of his night,
And when you come upon darkness in its night,
Light lies within that darkness.
Then light lies within that darkness.
لوif أنthat مقدمهits arrival يباعwere sold ويشتريand bought
لو أن مقدمه يباع ويشتري
بُذلتwould be offered لهfor it الأرواحsouls فيin الأسوامthe bidding
بُذلت له الأرواح في الأسوام
If his coming could be bought and sold,
If its arrival could be bought and sold,
Souls would be offered as its price.
Souls would be offered for it in the bidding.
إنindeed الرّجالmen علىin لاحقيقةtruth زمرةٌa band
إن الرّجال على لاحقيقة زمرةٌ
قطعتهspent it نائمةasleep علىon الأقدامthe feet
قطعته نائمة على الأقدام
Truly, men are but a company
Indeed, men in the truest sense are a band
That traversed it asleep upon their feet.
Who spent it asleep upon their feet.
علمتthey knew وشيكthe imminence of زوالهits passing فسمتso they rose لهُtoward it
علمت وشيك زواله فسمت لهُ
منقادةًobediently led منهby it بخيرwith the best زمامrein
منقادةً منه بخير زمام
I knew how swiftly he would depart, so I aspired to him,
They knew its passing was near, so they rose toward it,
Docile beneath the finest rein he gave.
Obediently led by it with the finest rein.
والجسمُand the body لاdoes not يأويseek refuge للذةin the pleasure of راحةٍrest
والجسمُ لا يأوي للذة راحةٍ
والجفنُand the eyelid ليسdoes not يذوقtaste طيبthe sweetness of منامsleep
والجفنُ ليس يذوق طيب منام
The body takes no refuge in pleasurable rest,
And the body takes no refuge in the pleasure of rest,
Nor does the eyelid taste the sweetness of sleep.
And the eyelid does not taste the sweetness of sleep.
طوبىblessedness لمنfor whoever وافاهrendered to it واجبthe obligation of حقهits due
طوبى لمن وافاه واجب حقه
منof حرمةٍreverence فُرضتwas prescribed لهfor it وذمامand covenantal duty
من حرمةٍ فُرضت له وذمام
Blessed is the one who renders him his rightful due—
Blessed is whoever renders it its rightful due,
The inviolable honor and protection ordained for him.
Of reverence prescribed for it and covenantal duty.
طوبىblessedness لمنfor whoever غضَّlowered الجفونthe eyelids بشهرهduring its month
طوبى لمن غضَّ الجفون بشهره
عنfrom لحظgazing at مكروهwhat is disapproved لهfor him وحرامand forbidden
عن لحظ مكروه له وحرام
Blessed is the one who, during his month, lowers his eyes
Blessed is whoever lowers his eyelids during its month,
From every hateful and forbidden glance.
From gazing at what is disapproved or forbidden to him.
طوبىblessedness لمنfor whoever خطمbridled اللسانthe tongue عنagainst الخناobscenity
طوبى لمن خطم اللسان عن الخنا
واللّغوand idle talk والتّقوىand piety أكفَّthe most restraining خطامbridle
واللّغو والتّقوى أكفَّ خطام
Blessed is the one who bridles his tongue against obscenity
Blessed is whoever bridles his tongue against obscenity
And idle talk—for piety is the surest bridle.
And idle talk—and piety is the surest bridle.
ياO صائمينyou who fast وقائمينand stand in prayer بشارةglad tidings
يا صائمين وقائمين بشارة
بسلامةof safety فيهwithin it ودارand an abode سلامof peace
بسلامة فيه ودار سلام
O you who fast and stand in prayer, glad tidings
O you who fast and stand in prayer: glad tidings
Of safety within it and an abode of peace!
Of safety within it and an abode of peace.
فيin شهركمyour month هذاthis مواسمseasons رحمةٍof mercy
في شهركم هذا مواسم رحمةٍ
كُتبتwere decreed لصائمهfor the one fasting in it علىas الإِلزامa binding obligation
كُتبت لصائمه على الإِلزام
In this month of yours are seasons of mercy,
In this month of yours are seasons of mercy,
Assured by decree to the one who fasts it.
Decreed for those who fast in it as a binding obligation.
شتَّانhow far apart بينbetween لاقائمينthose standing in prayer بليلهduring its night
شتَّان بين لاقائمين بليله
للخوفout of fear أوor للشوقout of longing والنّوامand the sleepers
للخوف أو للشوق والنّوام
How vast the difference between those who stand through its night
How far apart are those who stand in prayer during its night
In fear or longing, and those who sleep!
Out of fear or longing, and those who sleep!
صبرواthey were patient قليلاًa little while فاستعاضواso they gained in exchange راحةًrest
صبروا قليلاً فاستعاضوا راحةً
فيin دارan abode خلدof eternity ناعمblissful ودوامand permanence
في دار خلد ناعم ودوام
They endured a little, and received in exchange repose
They were patient a little while, and gained rest in return,
In an abode of blissful, everlasting life.
In an abode of blissful eternity and permanence.
عجباًhow astonishing لمنat one who وجدfound الشّفاءthe cure لذنبهfor his sin
عجباً لمن وجد الشّفاء لذنبه
وأقامand remained مرتبكاًentangled معwith الآثامsins
وأقام مرتبكاً مع الآثام
How strange that one should find the cure for his sin
How strange that one should find the cure for his sin,
Yet remain entangled among transgressions!
Yet remain entangled in sins!
طبعُa nature بهيميbestial وأكثرand most of منthose whom ترىyou see
طبعُ بهيمي وأكثر من ترى
يعتددهreckon him العقلاءthe wise فيamong الأنعامlivestock
يعتدده العقلاء في الأنعام
His nature is beastly; and most whom you see
A bestial nature! And most of those you see
The wise would number among the cattle.
Are counted by the wise among livestock.
منwhoever لمnot يعظهُadmonishes him الموتُdeath وهوwhile it معاينis witnessed
من لم يعظهُ الموتُ وهو معاين
لمnot ينتفعbenefit أبداًever بنقلfrom conveying كلامspeech
لم ينتفع أبداً بنقل كلام
Whoever is not admonished by death, though seeing it before him,
Whoever is not admonished by death, though it is before his eyes,
Will never profit from words passed down.
Will never benefit from words conveyed.
وإذاand if انقضىends شهرُthe month الصّيامof fasting ولمand not تَتُبyou repent
وإذا انقضى شهرُ الصّيام ولم تَتُب
فمنthen among البعيدthe unlikely متابrepentance باقيthe rest of العامthe year
فمن البعيد متاب باقي العام
If the month of fasting ends and you have not repented,
And if the month of fasting ends and you have not repented,
How remote is repentance during the rest of the year!
Then repentance during the rest of the year is unlikely.
وإذاand if تعدّيتyou bypass الطبيبthe physician لغيرهfor someone other than him
وإذا تعدّيت الطبيب لغيره
فاتis lost to you الطبيبُthe physician وفزتand you win بالآلامwith pains
فات الطبيبُ وفزت بالآلام
If you pass the physician by for someone else,
And if you bypass the physician for someone else,
The physician is lost to you, and pain is all you win.
The physician is lost to you, and you win pain.
خذهاtake it نصيحةas counsel قائلof one speaking بحقيقةٍtruthfully
خذها نصيحة قائل بحقيقةٍ
لوif only وافقتit found عوناًhelp منfrom الإفهامimparting understanding
لو وافقت عوناً من الإفهام
Take this as the counsel of one who speaks a truth—
Take it as counsel from one who speaks the truth,
If only it should find support from understanding.
If only it found help in making itself understood.
Sol 6.1