ألاLo! تباa curse لدنياupon a world نرتجيهاwe hope in it
ألا تبا لدنيا نرتجيها
لقدindeed خابتit failed وخابand failed المجتديهاthe one seeking its bounty
لقد خابت وخاب المجتديها
Alas, a curse upon the world in which we place our hopes!
Alas for this world we desire,
It has failed, and so has the one who seeks its bounty.
It has failed and failed those who aspired to it.
متىwhen انتبهتit awakened وقدand indeed رقدتit slept خداعاdeceitfully
متى انتبهت وقد رقدت خداعا
فلمso did not تحملsustain بيقظتهاin its wakefulness نبيهاa discerning man
فلم تحمل بيقظتها نبيها
When has it ever awakened, having slept in deceit?
When have I become aware after being deceived by its slumber,
So in its wakefulness it never sustained a discerning man.
That my awareness did not lead to any wisdom.
سلask الأيامthe days ماwhat فعلتthey did بكسرىto Khosrow
سل الأيام ما فعلت بكسرى
وقيصرand Caesar والصورthe ramparts (reading uncertain) وساكنيهاand their inhabitants
وقيصر والصور وساكنيها
Ask the days what they did to Khosrow,
Ask the days what they did to Chosroes,
and Caesar, and the ramparts and their inhabitants.
Caesar and statues and their inhabitants.
أماdid it not امتدعتهمit summoned them (uncertain form) للموتto death طرّاall together
أما امتدعتهم للموت طرّا
فلمso did not تدعleave الحليمthe wise man ولاnor السفيهاthe fool
فلم تدع الحليم ولا السفيها
Did it not summon them, every one, to death,
Did it not invite them to death smoothly?
leaving neither the wise man nor the fool?
It did not spare the wise or the foolish.
دنتit approached نحوtoward الدنيthe lowly man بسهمwith an arrow خطبof calamity
دنت نحو الدني بسهم خطب
فأصمتهso it killed him outright ووادهتand confronted الوجيهاthe man of rank
فأصمته ووادهت الوجيها
It approached the lowly man with an arrow of calamity,
It approached the lords with misfortunes,
struck him dead, and confronted the man of rank.
Silencing them and humiliating the honorable.
أماindeed لوif بيعتwere sold الدنياthe world بفلسfor a copper coin
أما لو بيعت الدنيا بفلس
أنفتI would disdain لعالfor a noble man أنthat يشتريهاhe should buy it
أنفت لعال أن يشتريها
Indeed, were the world sold for a copper coin,
If this world was sold for a penny,
I would deem it beneath a noble man to buy it.
The exalted would refuse to buy it.
لقدindeed وأدتit buried alive بنيهاits sons واستباحتand violated
لقد وأدت بنيها واستباحت
حمىthe sanctuary البانيthe builder لهاfor it والمبتنيهاand the one who builds it
حمى الباني لها والمبتنيها
It has buried its sons alive and violated
It killed its own children and violated
the sanctuary of those who build for it and those who build it.
The sanctuary of its builder and inhabitants.
يقيناwith certainty قلتI said ماwhat فيهاis in it كأنيas though I
يقينا قلت ما فيها كأني
حكيتI repeated مقالهاits words عنهاon its behalf بفيهاwith its own mouth
حكيت مقالها عنها بفيها
With certainty I told what it holds, as though I
Surely I said, there is nothing in it, as if
repeated its words on its behalf, with its own mouth.
I spoke of it directly from its mouth.
ومماand among what هالناappalled us شمسa sun أهالتheaped
ومما هالنا شمس أهالت
عليهاupon her التربthe earth أيديthe hands دافنيهاof those who buried her
عليها الترب أيدي دافنيها
Among the things that appalled us was a sun, upon whom was heaped
And what shocked us is a sun that shone upon it
earth by the hands of those who buried her.
With the dust of hands burying it.
قضتshe died فتجلتso unveiled themselves الحورthe houris ابتهاجاin delight
قضت فتجلت الحور ابتهاجا
وزينتand were adorned الجنانthe gardens of Paradise لتجتليهاto behold her
وزينت الجنان لتجتليها
She died, and the houris unveiled themselves in delight,
It passed away and the maids rejoiced
and the gardens of Paradise were adorned to behold her.
And adorned the gardens to shine in it.
ولاand no واللهby God لمdid not تكتبwrite عليهاto her account
ولا والله لم تكتب عليها
سوىexcept الحسنىgoodness أناملthe fingertips كاتبيهاof her scribes
سوى الحسنى أنامل كاتبيها
And no, by God, nothing was written to her account
By God, nothing was written for it
but goodness, by the fingertips of her scribes.
Except good deeds by the hands of its writers.
أحالتchanged حالهاher condition غيرthe vicissitudes اللياليof the nights
أحالت حالها غير الليالي
وآيتستand made despair (uncertain form) الأواسيthe healers عائديهاher sickbed visitors
وآيتست الأواسي عائديها
The vicissitudes of the nights changed her condition,
It changed its conditions other than the nights
and the healers made her visitors despair.
And the pillows returned their users.
فياso, O أرضearth افخريboast ماas much as شئتyou wish عجباproudly
فيا أرض افخري ما شئت عجبا
بهاof her وتخايليand strut proudly عجباin pride وتيهاand conceit
بها وتخايلي عجبا وتيها
Then, O earth, boast as proudly as you wish
So O earth, boast as much as you wish of wonder
of her, and strut in pride and conceit.
About it, and imagine wonder and stray.
فقدfor indeed سكنتكshe has dwelt in you أعرفmost skilled ذاتa woman of خدرa curtained chamber
فقد سكنتك أعرف ذات خدر
بإسداءin bestowing العوارفfavors فاعرفيهاso recognize her
بإسداء العوارف فاعرفيها
For within you dwells the secluded lady most skilled
For the best of creatures of veils has inhabited you
in bestowing favors—so recognize her.
Bestow the gnostics so recognize it.
فلوso, if قدرتwere able تسيرto travel بناتthe Daughters نعشof the Bier (stars)
فلو قدرت تسير بنات نعش
بنعشwith a bier كنthey would have been بعضamong الحامليهاthose bearing her
بنعش كن بعض الحامليها
Had the Daughters of the Bier been able to travel
If biers could walk in procession with biers
with a bier, they would have been among her bearers.
Some would be carrying them.
لقدindeed أودىperished العفافchastity غداةon the morning أودتshe perished
لقد أودى العفاف غداة أودت
وصارand became اليأسdespair آيةthe mark معتفيهاof those seeking her bounty
وصار اليأس آية معتفيها
Indeed, chastity perished on the morning she perished,
Chastity died when she died
and despair became the mark of those who sought her bounty.
And despair became a sign of her devotees.
سقىmay ... water جدثاa grave أقامتshe dwelt فيهin it خودa young maiden
سقى جدثا أقامت فيه خود
مة[unclear fragment] مثلlike جودthe bounty يديof the two hands أبيهاof her father
مة مثل جود يدي أبيها
May the grave where a maiden dwells be watered,
It quenched the thirst of a grave she stayed in
[Unclear fragment] like the bounty of her father's hands.
Like the generosity of her father's hand.
Sol 6.1