تركabandoned الأنامhumankind الموجباthe obligations (word continues)
ترك الأنام الموجبا
تcompletion of 'the obligations' منof المكارمnoble virtues والنوافلand voluntary good deeds
ت من المكارم والنوافل
People abandoned the obligations
of noble conduct, and voluntary good deeds.
وتغافلواand they feigned heedlessness فاستعملواso they practiced
وتغافلوا فاستعملوا
فعلdoing القبيحwhat is vile معalong with التغافلfeigned heedlessness
فعل القبيح مع التغافل
They feigned heedlessness, then took to
doing vile deeds with that same pretense.
وتقاطعواand they severed ties فتساترواso they concealed themselves
وتقاطعوا فتساتروا
بالذمwith disparagement عنaway from ذكرmentioning الفضائلthe virtues
بالذم عن ذكر الفضائل
They severed ties and cloaked themselves
in disparagement, avoiding mention of virtues.
وتناذلواand they vied in baseness فاستعملواso they employed الردthe rebuff القبيugly (word continues)
وتناذلوا فاستعملوا الرد القبي
حcompletion of 'ugly' لكلfor every سائلpetitioner
ح لكل سائل
They vied in baseness and dealt out ugly refusals
to everyone who asked.
شحواthey were miserly بميسورwith what was affordable النواbounty (word continues)
شحوا بميسور النوا
لcompletion of 'bounty' علىtoward القرابةkinsfolk والمعاملand those they dealt with
ل على القرابة والمعامل
They begrudged the bounty they could afford
to relatives and those they dealt with.
وتذاءبواand they acted like wolves فيin كسبهمtheir pursuit of gain
وتذاءبوا في كسبهم
وتكالبواand they competed like dogs عندat المآكلmeals
وتكالبوا عند المآكل
They acted like wolves in seeking gain,
and like ravenous dogs at meals.
إلاexcept بقيّةa remnant معشرa company of people
إلا بقيّة معشر
منof فاضلa person of merit فيin حالa condition خاملobscure
من فاضل في حال خامل
Except for a remnant of people,
men of worth living in obscurity,
لمdid not يظفرواthey gain فيin دهرهمtheir lifetime
لم يظفروا في دهرهم
منfrom ريبvicissitudes دنياهمtheir worldly life بباطلso much as a trifle
من ريب دنياهم بباطل
who in all their days have gained
not even a trifle from their fickle world.
لماwhen تقاطعsevered ties أهلthe people هthis (word continues)
لما تقاطع أهل ه
ذاcompletion of 'this' العصرage منfrom بعدafter التواصلmutual fellowship
ذا العصر من بعد التواصل
When the people of this
age severed ties after former fellowship,
نكسواthey were overturned فصارso became الرأسthe head بعafter (word continues)
نكسوا فصار الرأس بع
دcompletion of 'after' العزhonor منهمamong them فin (apparently for في) الأسافلthe lowest ranks
د العز منهم ف الأسافل
they were turned upside down: the head, after
its honor among them, sank to the lowest depths.
نسبواthey attributed إلىto الدهرtime الغياthe change (word continues)
نسبوا إلى الدهر الغيا
رcompletion of 'the change' وليسand is not دهرهمtheir time بحائلchanging
ر وليس دهرهم بحائل
They ascribed the change to time,
yet their time was unchanged.
حالتchanged خلائقهمtheir characters فزلso slipped بهwith them (word continues)
حالت خلائقهم فزل به
مcompletion of 'with them' زمانtime غيرnot زائلshifting
م زمان غير زائل
Their characters changed; they were made to stumble
by time, itself unchanging.
أينwhere الكفاةthose capable of meeting needs لكلfor every ماwhatever
أين الكفاة لكل ما
نابbefell الأنامhumankind منof النوازلcalamities
ناب الأنام من النوازل
Where are those able to face all
the calamities that befall mankind?
لاno أينwhere بلrather ذهبواthey went إلىto
لا أين بل ذهبوا إلى
ظلمdarkness الحفائرgrave-pits والجنادلand stones
ظلم الحفائر والجنادل
No 'where'! Rather, they have gone into
the darkness of grave-pits and stones.
كناwe used to نعدّcount علىdespite التموّهdeceptive appearances
كنا نعدّ على التموّه
جاهلاan ignorant person بإزاءopposite عاقلa wise person
جاهلا بإزاء عاقل
We once counted, despite deceptive appearances,
one ignorant man for every wise man.
صرناwe have come to نعدّدwe count عاقلاa wise person
صرنا نعدّد عاقلا
فرداone alone ونحسبand we reckon ألفa thousand جاهلan ignorant person
فردا ونحسب ألف جاهل
Now we count a wise man—
one alone—and reckon a thousand ignorant men.
Sol 6.1