نَاجِspeak privately to الممالكَthe kingdoms وَهيwhile they are حَيْرَىbewildered تَنظُرُgazing
نَاجِ الممالكَ وَهي حَيْرَى تَنظُرُ
أُيراعُis it alarmed? سِربُكِyour flock للسلامby peace ويُذْعَرُand is terrified
أُيراعُ سِربُكِ للسلام ويُذْعَرُ
Confer with the kingdoms as they gaze bewildered:
Is your flock alarmed and terrified by peace?
لكِyou have فيin المخافةِfear عُذرُthe excuse of كُلِّevery مُجرّبٍexperienced person
لكِ في المخافةِ عُذرُ كُلِّ مُجرّبٍ
عَرفَhas known السياسةَpolitics والمُجرِّبُand the experienced person يُعْذَرُis excused
عَرفَ السياسةَ والمُجرِّبُ يُعْذَرُ
In your fear, you have the excuse of every seasoned person
who has known politics; the experienced are excused.
أَعَلَىwas it upon القواضبِkeen swords قَامَrose مِحرابُthe sanctuary of الهُدَىguidance
أَعَلَى القواضبِ قَامَ مِحرابُ الهُدَى
لِبَنِيfor the sons of الحضارةِcivilization واسْتقرَّand stood firm المِنْبَرُthe pulpit
لِبَنِي الحضارةِ واسْتقرَّ المِنْبَرُ
Was it upon keen swords that the sanctuary of guidance rose
for civilization's sons, and the pulpit stood firm?
إنif يخطبواthey preach باسْمِin the name of الإِخاءِbrotherhood ويكتبواand write
إن يخطبوا باسْمِ الإِخاءِ ويكتبوا
فالقولُthen the speech لَغْوٌidle talk والكتابُand the writing مُزوَّرُforged
فالقولُ لَغْوٌ والكتابُ مُزوَّرُ
If they preach in the name of brotherhood and write,
then their speech is idle talk, their writing forged.
الكاتبُthe writer الأعلىsupreme يُدمِّرُdestroys ماwhat بَنَوْاthey built
الكاتبُ الأعلى يُدمِّرُ ما بَنَوْا
فَوقَupon الصَّحائفِthe pages والخطيبُand the orator الأكبرُgreatest
فَوقَ الصَّحائفِ والخطيبُ الأكبرُ
The supreme writer destroys what they built
upon the pages—and so does the greatest orator.
نَادَىcalled out بميثاقِfor a covenant of السّلامِpeace دُعاتُهits advocates
نَادَى بميثاقِ السّلامِ دُعاتُه
صَدَقَspoke truth الدُّعاةُthe advocates هوit is السَّلامُthe peace الأحمرُred
صَدَقَ الدُّعاةُ هو السَّلامُ الأحمرُ
Its advocates called for a covenant of peace;
the advocates spoke truly: it is a blood-red peace.
وَضعوهthey fashioned it كالبُركانِlike a volcano يَهدأُgrows calm تارةًsometimes
وَضعوه كالبُركانِ يَهدأُ تارةً
يبغيseeking السّبيلَan outlet وتارةًand sometimes يتفجّرُerupts
يبغي السّبيلَ وتارةً يتفجّرُ
They fashioned it like a volcano: sometimes it grows calm,
seeking an outlet, and sometimes it erupts.
نارُthe fire of القتالِbattle تشبُّblazes بينbetween سُطورِهits lines
نارُ القتالِ تشبُّ بين سُطورِه
ودَمُand the blood of الضّعيفِthe weak يَسيلُflows منهfrom it ويقطرُand drips
ودَمُ الضّعيفِ يَسيلُ منه ويقطرُ
The fire of battle blazes between its lines,
and the blood of the weak flows and drips from it.
كيلوجُKellogg مُؤْتَمِرٌin conference يُشاوِرُconsulting صَحْبَهُhis companions
كيلوجُ مُؤْتَمِرٌ يُشاوِرُ صَحْبَهُ
والسّيفُand the sword يضحكُlaughs والمدافِعُand the cannons تسخرُscoff
والسّيفُ يضحكُ والمدافِعُ تسخرُ
Kellogg is in conference, consulting his companions,
while the sword laughs and the cannons scoff.
يَقضيhe judges ويَحكمُand rules فيover الشُّعوبِthe peoples وخلفهand behind him
يَقضي ويَحكمُ في الشُّعوبِ وخلفه
قاضٍa judge يَجورُacts unjustly وحاكمٌand a ruler يَتَجبَّرُtyrannizes
قاضٍ يَجورُ وحاكمٌ يَتَجبَّرُ
He judges and rules over peoples, and behind him
are a judge who acts unjustly and a ruler who tyrannizes.
يَجريflows الأَذَىharm فيthrough مُستَبدِّdespotic قَضائِهhis judgments
يَجري الأَذَى في مُستَبدِّ قَضائِه
مِلءَfilling all of الزّمانِtime ويستفيضand spreads widely المُنْكَرُwrongdoing
مِلءَ الزّمانِ ويستفيض المُنْكَرُ
Harm flows through his despotic judgments,
filling all time, while wrongdoing spreads far and wide.
رَكبhe mounted العَمَىblindness فإذاand behold الضَّلالُerror سبيلُهhis path
رَكب العَمَى فإذا الضَّلالُ سبيلُه
وإذاand behold الهَوَىcaprice إنجيلُهhis gospel المُتخيَّرُchosen
وإذا الهَوَى إنجيلُه المُتخيَّرُ
He mounted blindness: behold, error is his path,
and behold, caprice is his chosen gospel.
زُلْفَىthe offering for favor المُقرّبِof the favored one فيin أثيمِsinful كِتابِهhis book
زُلْفَى المُقرّبِ في أثيمِ كِتابِه
أُمَمٌnations تُقَتَّلُare massacred أوor شعوبٌpeoples تُنْحَرُare slaughtered
أُمَمٌ تُقَتَّلُ أو شعوبٌ تُنْحَرُ
The favored one's offering, in his sinful book,
is nations massacred or peoples slaughtered.
انظُرْlook إلىat القتلىthe slain تَضِجُّcries out دِماؤُهاtheir blood
انظُرْ إلى القتلى تَضِجُّ دِماؤُها
وَإلىand at المَصارعِthe killing grounds تقشعِرُّshudder وتَجْأَرُand roar
وَإلى المَصارعِ تقشعِرُّ وتَجْأَرُ
Look at the slain: their blood cries out,
and at the killing grounds, which shudder and roar.
فيin كُلّevery يَومٍday للسياسةِfor politics حُجَّةٌa pretext
في كُلّ يَومٍ للسياسةِ حُجَّةٌ
يَمْضِيadvances الحُسامُthe keen sword بهاby it وتَقْضِيand pass judgment العسكرُthe troops
يَمْضِي الحُسامُ بها وتَقْضِي العسكرُ
Every day, politics has a pretext
by which the sword advances and the troops pass judgment.
وِيلسُونُWilson يعرفهاknows it ويَشهدُand testifies أنّهاthat it is
وِيلسُونُ يعرفها ويَشهدُ أنّها
فصلُthe decisive resolution الخطابِof discourse وإنeven if أَبَىrefuses المُتذَمِّرُthe malcontent
فصلُ الخطابِ وإن أَبَى المُتذَمِّرُ
Wilson knows it and testifies that it is
the final word, though the malcontent rejects it.
وضعhe laid down الشرّائعَlaws لِلشُّعوبِfor the peoples كثيرةًmany
وضع الشرّائعَ لِلشُّعوبِ كثيرةً
فإذاyet behold الذيwhat وضعَlaid down الأئمةُthe leaders أكثرُis more numerous
فإذا الذي وضعَ الأئمةُ أكثرُ
He laid down many laws for the peoples,
yet behold, those laid down by the leaders are more numerous.
الأرضُthe earth ميراثُthe inheritance of القَويِّthe strong فإنْso if مَضَىhe goes forth
الأرضُ ميراثُ القَويِّ فإنْ مَضَى
يبغيseeking الزيادةَmore فالسّماءُthen the sky المظهرُthe arena
يبغي الزيادةَ فالسّماءُ المظهرُ
The earth is the strong man's inheritance; if he goes forth
seeking more, then the sky is the arena.
Sol 6.1