أَقُولُI say لِنَفْسيto my soul وَهِيwhile it تُطْوَىare folded ضُلوعُهاits ribs
أَقُولُ لِنَفْسي وَهِي تُطْوَى ضُلوعُها
عَلىaround كَمَدٍanguish يَمْتَارُdraws sustenance وَقْدَتَهُits burning heat الجَمْرُthe embers
عَلى كَمَدٍ يَمْتَارُ وَقْدَتَهُ الجَمْرُ
I say to my soul, as its ribs are folded
I say to myself as her ribs fold
Around anguish on whose fire the embers feed:
Over embers whose coals have turned to ash:
أَبَىrefused اللهُGod إِلَّاexcept أَنْthat تَلوذِيyou seek refuge بِمَعْشَرٍamong a people
أَبَى اللهُ إِلَّا أَنْ تَلوذِي بِمَعْشَرٍ
علىupon لُؤْمِهِمْtheir baseness أَلْقَىcast مَراسِيَهُits anchors الوَفْرُwealth
على لُؤْمِهِمْ أَلْقَى مَراسِيَهُ الوَفْرُ
God has willed only that you seek refuge among a people
God has decreed that you take refuge with a people
Upon whose baseness wealth has cast its anchors.
Upon whose vileness fate has cast its favors.
لَئِنْeven if رَمَّmended فيin أَحْوالِهِمْtheir circumstances حَادِثُnew arrival of الغِنىwealth
لَئِنْ رَمَّ في أَحْوالِهِمْ حَادِثُ الغِنى
فَقَدْyet indeed كادَalmost مِنْfrom أَفْعالِهِمtheir deeds يَقْطُرُdrips الفَقرُpoverty
فَقَدْ كادَ مِنْ أَفْعالِهِم يَقْطُرُ الفَقرُ
Though newfound wealth has mended their fortunes,
If good fortune ever smiles on their affairs,
Yet poverty all but drips from their deeds.
Their deeds drip poverty from every pore.
وَمَنْand whoever زارَهُمْvisits them شَدَّgirds الحَيازيمَthe chests فِيهِمُamong them
وَمَنْ زارَهُمْ شَدَّ الحَيازيمَ فِيهِمُ
علىagainst ماwhat يعانِيهِhe endures it وَإِنْand even if غَلَبَprevails الصَّبْرُpatience
على ما يعانِيهِ وَإِنْ غَلَبَ الصَّبْرُ
And whoever visits them girds his breast among them
Whoever visits them pulls his reins in fast,
Against what he endures, even if patience prevails.
Though composure overcome the bitterness he suffers.
فَإِنَّfor indeed مُقاساةَenduring اللِّئامِthe ignoble علىfor الفَّتىthe young man
فَإِنَّ مُقاساةَ اللِّئامِ على الفَّتى
بَلاءٌan affliction وَلَمْand has not يَرْعفْbleed forth بِأَمْثالِهاwith things like it الدَّهْرُTime
بَلاءٌ وَلَمْ يَرْعفْ بِأَمْثالِها الدَّهْرُ
For a young man, enduring the ignoble
Yet to bear the company of wretches is for the noble soul
Is an affliction—and Time has never bled forth its like.
An affliction, unmatched in all time past.
Sol 6.1