أَميرَO Commander المُؤمِنينَof the Faithful رَأَيتُI saw جِسراًa bridge
أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ رَأَيتُ جِسراً
أَمُرُّI pass عَلىover الصِراطِthe Sirat (bridge over Hell) وَلاand not عَلَيهِover it
أَمُرُّ عَلى الصِراطِ وَلا عَلَيهِ
Commander of the Faithful, I have seen a bridge:
I would cross the Sirat rather than this bridge.
لَهُit has خَشَبٌtimber يَجوعُstarves السوسُthe woodworm فيهِin it
لَهُ خَشَبٌ يَجوعُ السوسُ فيهِ
وَتَمضيand pass on الفَأرُthe mice لاnot تَأويtake shelter إِلَيهِto it
وَتَمضي الفَأرُ لا تَأوي إِلَيهِ
It has timber in which the woodworm starves,
And mice pass on, taking no shelter in it.
وَلاand not يَتَكَلَّفُtakes pains المِنشارُthe saw فيهِon it
وَلا يَتَكَلَّفُ المِنشارُ فيهِ
سِوىbeyond مَرِّa sweep الفَطيمِthe weaned child بِساعِدَيهِwith his two forearms
سِوى مَرِّ الفَطيمِ بِساعِدَيهِ
And the saw need exert no effort on it
Beyond a weaned child's sweep of his two forearms.
وَكَمand how many قَدindeed جاهَدَstruggled الحَيوانُthe beast فيهِon it
وَكَم قَد جاهَدَ الحَيوانُ فيهِ
وَخَلَّفَand left behind فيin الهَزيمَةِdefeat حافِرَيهِits two hooves
وَخَلَّفَ في الهَزيمَةِ حافِرَيهِ
And many a beast has struggled upon it,
And left both hooves behind in defeat.
وَأَسمَجُand more repulsive مِنهُthan it فيin عَينيmy eye جُباةٌtoll collectors
وَأَسمَجُ مِنهُ في عَيني جُباةٌ
تَراهُمyou see them وَسطَهُin its middle وَبِجانِبَيهِand at its two sides
تَراهُم وَسطَهُ وَبِجانِبَيهِ
And more repulsive than it, to my eyes, are toll collectors;
You see them in its middle and on either side.
إِذاwhen لاقَيتَyou meet واحِدَهُمone of them تَصَدّىhe confronts you
إِذا لاقَيتَ واحِدَهُم تَصَدّى
كَعِفريتٍlike an ifrit يُشيرُgestures بِراحَتَيهِwith his two palms
كَعِفريتٍ يُشيرُ بِراحَتَيهِ
When you meet one of them, he confronts you
Like an ifrit, gesturing with both palms.
وَيَمشيand walks الصَدرُthe Grand Vizier فيهِon it كُلَّevery يَومٍday
وَيَمشي الصَدرُ فيهِ كُلَّ يَومٍ
بِمَوكِبِهِwith his procession السَنِيِّsplendid وَحارِسَيهِand his two guards
بِمَوكِبِهِ السَنِيِّ وَحارِسَيهِ
And the Grand Vizier walks across it every day,
With his splendid procession and his two guards.
وَلَكِنand yet لاnot يَمُرُّhe passes عَلَيهِover it إِلّاexcept
وَلَكِن لا يَمُرُّ عَلَيهِ إِلّا
كَماjust as مَرَّتpassed يَداهُhis two hands بِعارِضَيهِover his two cheeks
كَما مَرَّت يَداهُ بِعارِضَيهِ
And yet he passes over it only
As his hands pass over his cheeks.
وَمِنand of عَجَبٍwonder هُوَit is الجِسرُthe bridge المُعَلّىlofty
وَمِن عَجَبٍ هُوَ الجِسرُ المُعَلّى
عَلىover البُسفورِthe Bosphorus يَجمَعُjoins شاطِئَيهِits two shores
عَلى البُسفورِ يَجمَعُ شاطِئَيهِ
And a marvel it is—the lofty bridge
Over the Bosphorus, joining its two shores.
يُفيدُbrings حُكومَةَthe government السُلطانِof the Sultan مالاًmoney
يُفيدُ حُكومَةَ السُلطانِ مالاً
وَيُعطيهاand gives it الغِنىwealth مِنfrom مَعدِنَيهِits two mines
وَيُعطيها الغِنى مِن مَعدِنَيهِ
It brings the Sultan's government money,
And gives it riches from its two mines.
يَجودُgive generously العالَمونَthe world's people عَلَيهِto it هَذاthis one
يَجودُ العالَمونَ عَلَيهِ هَذا
بِعَشرَتِهِwith his ten وَذاكَand that one بِعَشرَتَيهِwith his two tens
بِعَشرَتِهِ وَذاكَ بِعَشرَتَيهِ
The world's people give generously to it—this one
With his ten, and that one with his twenty.
وَغايَةُand the upshot أَمرِهِof its affair أَنّاthat we سَمِعناheard
وَغايَةُ أَمرِهِ أَنّا سَمِعنا
لِسانَthe tongue الحالِof circumstance يُنشِدُناrecites to us لَدَيهِbeside it
لِسانَ الحالِ يُنشِدُنا لَدَيهِ
And the sum of its story is that we heard
The voice of its plight reciting to us beside it:
أَلَيسَis it not مِنَamong العَجائِبِwonders أَنَّthat مِثليone like me
أَلَيسَ مِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّ مِثلي
يَرىsees ماwhat قَلَّis little مُمتَنِعاًunattainable عَلَيهِto him
يَرى ما قَلَّ مُمتَنِعاً عَلَيهِ
“Is it not a wonder that one like me
Finds even the smallest sum beyond his reach,
وَتُؤخَذُand is taken بِاِسمِهِin his name الدُنياthe world جَميعاًentirely
وَتُؤخَذُ بِاِسمِهِ الدُنيا جَميعاً
وَماand not مِنof ذاكَthat شَيءٌa thing فيin يَدَيهِhis two hands
وَما مِن ذاكَ شَيءٌ في يَدَيهِ
While the whole world is taken in his name,
And not a thing of it is in his hands?”
Sol 6.1