هِيَthey are الدَراريthe shining stars فَأَينَso where المَطمَحُthe aspiration العاليlofty
هِيَ الدَراري فَأَينَ المَطمَحُ العالي
أَينَwhere البُراقُal-Buraq وَعَزمٌand resolve غَيرُnot مِكسالِslothful
أَينَ البُراقُ وَعَزمٌ غَيرُ مِكسالِ
They are the shining stars—where, then, is lofty aspiration?
Where are the high aspirations?
Where is al-Buraq, and a resolve that knows no sloth?
Where is the lightning strike and unyielding resolve?
ماليwhat ails me أَرىI see هِمماًaspirations تُمسيbecome مُصَرَّعَةًstruck down
مالي أَرى هِمماً تُمسي مُصَرَّعَةً
كَأَنَّas though أَنضاءَهاtheir exhausted mounts شُدَّتwere bound بِأَغلالِwith shackles
كَأَنَّ أَنضاءَها شُدَّت بِأَغلالِ
Why do I see aspirations brought low,
Why do I see ambitions that end in ruins,
As though their exhausted mounts were bound in shackles?
As if their glory was bound in shackles?
يَغتالُهاslays them العَجزُhelplessness إِلّاexcept حينَwhen يَبعَثُهاrouses them
يَغتالُها العَجزُ إِلّا حينَ يَبعَثُها
يَومٌa day مِنَof الشَرِّevil يُغريtempts كُلَّevery مُغتالِassassin
يَومٌ مِنَ الشَرِّ يُغري كُلَّ مُغتالِ
Helplessness slays them, except when they are roused
Weakness ambushes them, unless a day
By a day of evil that tempts every assassin.
Of evil rouses each attacker.
كَأَنَّas though آثارَهاtheir effects فيupon كُلِّevery صالِحَةٍgood deed
كَأَنَّ آثارَها في كُلِّ صالِحَةٍ
تَدميرُdevastation صاعِقَةٍa thunderbolt أَوor خَسفُcollapse زِلزالِan earthquake
تَدميرُ صاعِقَةٍ أَو خَسفُ زِلزالِ
As though their effects upon every good deed
Their traces in any good cause
Were a thunderbolt's devastation or an earthquake's collapse.
Are like the destruction of lightning or an earthquake's devastation.
وَالناسُand people شَتّىdiverse فَمِنso among them is بانٍa builder لِأُمَّتِهِfor his nation
وَالناسُ شَتّى فَمِن بانٍ لِأُمَّتِهِ
وَهادِمٍand a destroyer of ماwhat بَنَتit built فيin عَصرِهاits age الخاليbygone
وَهادِمٍ ما بَنَت في عَصرِها الخالي
And people are of many kinds: some build for their nation,
People vary - some loyal to their nation
And some destroy what it built in its bygone age.
While others demolish what it built in its prime.
وَيحَalas for الكِنانَةِal-Kinanah جَدَّworked in earnest الهادِمونَthe destroyers بِهاwithin her
وَيحَ الكِنانَةِ جَدَّ الهادِمونَ بِها
فَماso does not تَرىsee العَينُthe eye فيهاwithin her غَيرَother than أَطلالِruins
فَما تَرى العَينُ فيها غَيرَ أَطلالِ
Alas for al-Kinanah! The destroyers have worked in earnest within her,
Destroyers made destruction their delight
So the eye sees nothing within her but ruins.
So you see in it nothing but ruins.
داءُthe malady of المَمالِكِkingdoms أَنthat تُقضىis assigned زَعامَتُهاtheir leadership
داءُ المَمالِكِ أَن تُقضى زَعامَتُها
لِمَعشَرٍto a group مِنof صِغارِpetty members of الناسِthe people جُهّالِignorant
لِمَعشَرٍ مِن صِغارِ الناسِ جُهّالِ
The malady of kingdoms is that their leadership is assigned
The ill of kingdoms is when their leadership
To a band of petty, ignorant men.
Goes to insignificant, ignorant people.
هُمُthey النَذيرُthe warning فَإِنso if أَدرَكتَyou witness دَولَتَهُمtheir rule
هُمُ النَذيرُ فَإِن أَدرَكتَ دَولَتَهُم
أَدرَكتَyou witness أَنكَرَmost dreadful ماwhat يُؤذيكَafflicts you مِنof حالِa condition
أَدرَكتَ أَنكَرَ ما يُؤذيكَ مِن حالِ
They are the warning; if you witness their rule,
They are the warning - if their state befalls you
You witness the most dreadful of conditions that afflict you.
You'll suffer the most disliked of conditions.
جاءَcame الرُواةُthe narrators بِدَجّالٍwith a Dajjal (deceiver) وَماand not عَلِمواthey knew
جاءَ الرُواةُ بِدَجّالٍ وَما عَلِموا
أَنّاthat we نَرىsee كُلَّevery يَومٍday أَلفَa thousand دَجّالِDajjals (deceivers)
أَنّا نَرى كُلَّ يَومٍ أَلفَ دَجّالِ
The narrators told of a Dajjal, not knowing
Preachers spoke of Antichrist but did not know
That every day we see a thousand Dajjals.
We see every day a thousand Antichrists.
بُشرىglad tidings for التَماثيلِthe statues إِنَّindeed القَومَthe people ماnot اِجتَمَعواthey gathered
بُشرى التَماثيلِ إِنَّ القَومَ ما اِجتَمَعوا
إِلّاexcept عَلىin allegiance to صَنَمٍan idol أَوor حَولَaround تِمثالِa statue
إِلّا عَلى صَنَمٍ أَو حَولَ تِمثالِ
Glad tidings for the statues! The people never gather
Good tidings to idols - people only gathered
Except in allegiance to an idol or around a statue.
Around an idol or a statue.
دينٌreligion خَبالٌderangement وَدُنياand worldly life غَيرُnot صالِحَةٍsound
دينٌ خَبالٌ وَدُنيا غَيرُ صالِحَةٍ
وَأُمَّةٌand a nation شُغِلَتwas preoccupied بِالقيلِwith hearsay وَالقالِand gossip
وَأُمَّةٌ شُغِلَت بِالقيلِ وَالقالِ
A deranged religion, and a worldly life unsound,
A faulty religion, a world gone wrong
And a nation preoccupied with hearsay and gossip.
And a nation busy with gossip and rumours.
تُلقيhands over إِلىto زُعَماءِthe leaders of السوءِevil مِقوَدَهاits reins
تُلقي إِلى زُعَماءِ السوءِ مِقوَدَها
وَتَصدُقُand sincerely gives الوُدَّaffection مِنهُمamong them كُلَّevery خَتّالِdeceiver
وَتَصدُقُ الوُدَّ مِنهُم كُلَّ خَتّالِ
It hands its reins to the leaders of evil,
It hands its reins to wicked leaders
And gives sincere affection to every deceiver among them.
And believes the lies of every scam artist.
كَأَنَّas though أَيدِيَهُمtheir hands فيهاwithin it إِذاwhen اِنطَلَقَتrun free
كَأَنَّ أَيدِيَهُم فيها إِذا اِنطَلَقَت
أَيديhands of شَياطينَdevils أَوor أَنيابُfangs of أَغوالِghouls
أَيدي شَياطينَ أَو أَنيابُ أَغوالِ
As though their hands, when let loose within it,
Their hands in it, when given free rein
Were the hands of devils or the fangs of ghouls.
Are like the claws of demons or the jaws of beasts.
نِعمَhow excellent الزَعيمُthe leader مَضىwent on فيin غَيرِabsence of مَندَمَةٍremorse
نِعمَ الزَعيمُ مَضى في غَيرِ مَندَمَةٍ
يَبتاعُbuys كُلَّevery خَسيسٍworthless thing بِالدَمِwith blood الغاليprecious
يَبتاعُ كُلَّ خَسيسٍ بِالدَمِ الغالي
What a fine leader! He went on without remorse,
What a great leader - he left without regret
Buying all that is worthless with precious blood.
Buying every lowlife with precious blood.
خانَbetrayed الضَحاياthe victims فَهَزَّso shook الإِنسَhumankind صارِخُهاtheir crier
خانَ الضَحايا فَهَزَّ الإِنسَ صارِخُها
وَاِستَجفَلَand sent fleeing الجِنَّthe jinn مِنهاfrom them طولُthe length of إِعوالِwailing
وَاِستَجفَلَ الجِنَّ مِنها طولُ إِعوالِ
He betrayed the victims, so their outcry shook humankind,
He betrayed the victims - their screaming shook mankind
And their prolonged wailing sent the jinn fleeing.
And jinn recoiled at their long wailing.
لَمdid not يَجعَلِplace اللَهُGod فيin أَشلائِهاtheir torn remains أَرَباًan object of desire
لَم يَجعَلِ اللَهُ في أَشلائِها أَرَباً
لِكُلِّfor every حُرٍّfree man أَبِيِّunbowed in النَفسِspirit مِفضالِgenerous
لِكُلِّ حُرٍّ أَبِيِّ النَفسِ مِفضالِ
God has placed no object of desire in their torn remains
God did not make its carrion lawful
For any free man, unbowed in spirit and generous.
To every free soul of noble temperament.
ياO سوءَthe foulness of ماwhat شَرِبَdrank الأَقوامُthe peoples مِنof دَمِهاtheir blood
يا سوءَ ما شَرِبَ الأَقوامُ مِن دَمِها
وَبِئسَand how vile ماwhat طَعِمواthey ate مِنof عَظمِهاtheir bones الباليdecayed
وَبِئسَ ما طَعِموا مِن عَظمِها البالي
How foul is what the peoples have drunk of their blood,
Oh what evil the people drank of its blood
And how vile is what they have eaten of their decayed bones!
And what rotten bone marrow they tasted!
Sol 6.1