ياO لِلرِجالmen, to the rescue لِقَومagainst a people قَدalready مِللتُهُمُI have grown weary of them
يا لِلرِجال لِقَوم قَد مِللتُهُمُ
أَرىI consider جوارهُمliving beside them إِحدىone of البليّاتِthe calamities
أَرى جوارهُم إِحدى البليّاتِ
O men, help me against a people I have grown weary of!
O men, I have wearied of a people
Oh men, hear my plea regarding a people of whom I have grown weary,
I count living beside them among the calamities.
Whose neighborhood I see as one of life's calamities,
I deem living in their midst to be one of life's great calamities.
ذِئبa wolf رَضيعsuckling وَخَنزيرand a pig تعارضهاconfront them
ذِئب رَضيع وَخَنزير تعارضها
عَقارِبscorpions وُجِنَتwere pounded وَجناa pounding بِحَيّاتwith snakes
عَقارِب وُجِنَت وَجنا بِحَيّات
A suckling wolf and a pig, confronted by
A suckling wolf-cub along with a contending swine,
A suckling wolf, and a swine that stands in opposition,
Scorpions pounded thoroughly together with snakes.
Scorpions, demons, and snakes lively with evil.
Scorpions kneaded into a mass with vipers.
ماwhat ظَنُّكُمyour opinion بأناسof people خَيرُthe best of كسبهمtheir earnings
ما ظَنُّكُم بأناس خَيرُ كسبهم
مُصرّحُblatant السُحتill-gotten gain سَمَّوهthey called it الأَماناتtrusts (entrusted funds)
مُصرّحُ السُحت سَمَّوه الأَمانات
What do you think of people whose best earnings
What do you think of people whose best livelihood
What is your opinion of people whose best earning
Are blatant ill-gotten gains, which they have called 'trusts'?
Is revealing defects - they called them trusts?
Is blatant illicit gain which they have named "trusts"?
قَدindeed كُنتُI was أَحسبُنيI thought myself رأساًa head فَقَدso indeed جَعلتmade (apparently 'I was made')
قَد كُنتُ أَحسبُني رأساً فَقَد جَعلت
أَذنابهمtheir tails بالولاياتِthrough appointments to office
أَذنابهم بالولاياتِ
I had thought myself a head, but now have been made
Once I thought myself a head but they made me
I used to consider myself a head, yet circumstances have placed
[One of] their tails through appointments to office.
Their tails in office.
Their tails in the seats of power.
وَالحَمدُand praise لِلَّهِto God كَمhow many فيin الدَهرtime مِنof عَجَبwonder
وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ كَم في الدَهر مِن عَجَب
وَمِنand of تصرّفchanges in أَحوالcircumstances وَحالاتand conditions
وَمِن تصرّف أَحوال وَحالات
And praise be to God—how many wonders time holds,
Thanks be to God - how many wonders time brings
Praise be to God, how much wonder lies in the turning of time,
And how many shifts in conditions and circumstances!
And how affairs and states shift and change!
And in the shifting of conditions and states.
بَيناwhile تَرىyou see المَرءthe man فيon عَيطاءَa lofty height مشرفَةٍtowering
بَينا تَرى المَرء في عَيطاءَ مشرفَةٍ
إِذwhen suddenly زالَhe departed عَنهاfrom it إِلىto دَحضslippery ground وَموماتand wastelands
إِذ زالَ عَنها إِلى دَحض وَمومات
While you see a man upon a lofty, towering height,
While you see a man on a lofty, splendid dune,
Just as you see a man upon a lofty, overlooking peak,
Suddenly he leaves it for slippery ground and wastelands.
Suddenly he's gone from it, to a ditch and ruin.
He slips from it into a treacherous slide and a barren wasteland.
لاdo not تَنظُرَنَّever look إِلىto عَقلٍintellect وَلاnor أَدَبِrefinement
لا تَنظُرَنَّ إِلى عَقلٍ وَلا أَدَبِ
إِنَّindeed الجدودgood fortunes قَريناتُcompanions of الحَماقاتِfollies
إِنَّ الجدود قَريناتُ الحَماقاتِ
Never look to intellect or refinement:
Look neither at a mind nor manners -
Do not look for intellect, nor for culture,
Indeed, good fortune is the companion of folly.
Ancestors are twins to foolish acts.
For good fortunes are the intimate companions of folly.
Sol 6.1