ماwhat بالُthe matter هذاthis الفلكِthe celestial sphere الجانيthe wrongdoer
ما بالُ هذا الفلكِ الجاني
نأىgrew distant ولكنْand yet جَورُهُits injustice دانِnear
نأى ولكنْ جَورُهُ دانِ
What ails this guilty sphere of heaven?
What is with this unjust fate
It is far away, yet its injustice is near.
That withdrew, yet its tyranny remained near
وليستِand is not الدُّنياthe world سوىanything but قَحبةٍa whore
وليستِ الدُّنيا سوى قَحبةٍ
تَبرُزُcomes forth فيin الزينةِfinery للزانيfor the fornicator
تَبرُزُ في الزينةِ للزاني
And the world is nothing but a whore,
And the world is but a whore
who comes forth in finery for the fornicator.
Who shows off her decorations to the adulterer
حتىuntil إذاwhen اغْترَّhe was beguiled بإقبالِهاby her advances
حتى إذا اغْترَّ بإقبالِها
مالتْshe turned لإعراضٍtoward rejection وهجرانِand abandonment
مالتْ لإعراضٍ وهجرانِ
Until, when he is beguiled by her advances,
Until when he is fooled by her prosperity
she turns to rejection and abandonment.
She inclines to rejection and estrangement
هذاthis عميدُchief الملكِof the realm وهوand he الذيwho
هذا عميدُ الملكِ وهو الذي
لمdid not يَخلُstand empty منهُof him صدرُthe foremost seat ديوانِa council
لم يَخلُ منهُ صدرُ ديوانِ
This is Amid al-Mulk, who
This is the pillar of the kingdom, he who
was never absent from the foremost seat of any council.
No page of history lacked mention of him
ولاand no نَضاcast off طاعتًهُobedience to him مارِدٌa rebel
ولا نَضا طاعتًهُ مارِدٌ
إلاّexcept that اكتَسىclothed himself فروةَa fur cloak خِذلانِof defeat
إلاّ اكتَسى فروةَ خِذلانِ
And no rebel cast off obedience to him
No rebel disobeyed his rule
without donning a fur cloak of defeat.
Except he donned the coat of humiliation
ولاand no اعْتراهُassailed him القِرنthe adversary إلاّexcept that رأىhe saw
ولا اعْتراهُ القِرن إلاّ رأى
غَضَنفراًa lion فيin زيِّthe guise إنسانِof a human
غَضَنفراً في زيِّ إنسانِ
And no adversary assailed him without seeing
No era afflicted him except he saw
a lion in the guise of a man.
Himself in the attire of a human
كأنَّas though فيin خاتَمِهِhis ring حيثُwhere ماever
كأنَّ في خاتَمِهِ حيثُ ما
أَومىhe gestured بهِwith it فصُّthe ring-stone سُليمانِof Solomon
أَومى بهِ فصُّ سُليمانِ
As though within his ring, wherever
As if in his ring wherever he gestured with it
he gestured with it, lay Solomon's gem.
Was the seal ring of Solomon
شادتْraised يدُthe hand الدَّولةِof the state أركانَهُhis pillars
شادتْ يدُ الدَّولةِ أركانَهُ
ثمَthen هوىhe fell أعظمَthe mightiest بُنيانِedifice
ثمَ هوى أعظمَ بُنيانِ
The hand of the state raised his pillars;
The pillars of the state were erected by his hand
then he fell, the mightiest of edifices,
Then the greatest edifice collapsed
مفرَّقاًscattered فيacross الأرضِthe earth أجزاؤُهُhis parts
مفرَّقاً في الأرضِ أجزاؤُهُ
رهنَheld captive قُرىًvillages شتّىvarious وبُلدانِand towns
رهنَ قُرىً شتّى وبُلدانِ
with his parts scattered across the earth,
Its parts scattered across the land
held captive in various villages and towns.
Held hostage in various towns and countries
جَبّcut off بخوارزمٍin Khwarazm مذاكيرَهُhis genitals
جَبّ بخوارزمٍ مذاكيرَهُ
طُغرِلُTughril ذاكthat الملكُthe king الفانيmortal
طُغرِلُ ذاك الملكُ الفاني
His genitals were cut off in Khwarazm
Jibb seized his treasures in Khorasan
by Tughril, that mortal king.
That mortal king Toghril
وجادَand rained upon مروَMarw الرُّوذَal-Rudh منfrom جيدِهِhis neck
وجادَ مروَ الرُّوذَ من جيدِهِ
معصفرٌsafflower-dyed مخضبُهُits stain قانِdeep crimson
معصفرٌ مخضبُهُ قانِ
And from his neck there rained on Marw al-Rudh
And the silk of Merv flowed from his neck
a safflower-red flow, its stain deep crimson.
Saffron-dyed soaked in his blood
والشخصُand the body فيin كُنْدُرَKundur مُستبطَنٌburied
والشخصُ في كُنْدُرَ مُستبطَنٌ
وراءَbehind أرماسٍgraves وأكفانٍand shrouds
وراءَ أرماسٍ وأكفانٍ
And his body lies buried in Kundur,
While his figure lies in a coffin
behind graves and shrouds.
Behind screens and shrouds
ورأسُهand his head طارflew away فلهْفيso, my grief علىfor
ورأسُه طار فلهْفي على
مَجْثمهِits perch فيon خَيرِthe finest جُثمانِbody
مَجْثمهِ في خَيرِ جُثمانِ
And his head flew away—alas for
And his head flew because of him
its perch on the finest of bodies!
Falling on his perfect corpse
خَلّواthey left بنيسابورَin Nishapur مَضمونَهُits contents
خَلّوا بنيسابورَ مَضمونَهُ
وقحفَهand its skull الخاليempty بكَرمانِin Kirman
وقحفَه الخالي بكَرمانِ
They left its contents in Nishapur,
They left Nishapur deprived of him
and its empty skull in Kirman.
And his bare skulls in Kerman
والحكمُand judgment للجبّارِto the Almighty فيماin what قَضىHe decreed
والحكمُ للجبّارِ فيما قَضى
وكلَّand every يومٍday هوHe فيin شانan affair
وكلَّ يومٍ هو في شان
And judgment belongs to the Almighty in what He has decreed;
Judgment belongs to the Almighty in what He decreed
and every day He is engaged in an affair.
And every day He is doing something
فلاso do not تُلَجِّجْplunge فيinto غمارِthe deep waters المُنَىof wishes
فلا تُلَجِّجْ في غمارِ المُنَى
وارضَand be content بماwith what يُمنيordains لكfor you المانيthe Ordainer
وارضَ بما يُمني لك الماني
So do not plunge into the deep waters of wishes,
So do not struggle in the haze of demise
and be content with what the Ordainer ordains for you.
And be content with what the days hand you
Sol 6.1