أَكُلُّis every وَميضٍgleam بارِقَةٍa lightning flash كَذوبُdeceptive
أَكُلُّ وَميضٍ بارِقَةٍ كَذوبُ
أَماis there not فيin الدَهرِthis age شَيءٌsomething لاnot يَريبُarouses doubt
أَما في الدَهرِ شَيءٌ لا يَريبُ
Is every gleam of lightning deceptive?
Is every gleam of lightning deceptive?
Is there nothing in Time that gives no cause for doubt?
Is there not something in this age that arouses no doubt?
أَبىrefused to allow ليfor me أَنto أَقولَI utter الهَجرَfoul speech قَدرٌdignity
أَبى لي أَن أَقولَ الهَجرَ قَدرٌ
بَعيدٌfar removed أَنthat تُجاوِرَهُdwell beside it العُيوبُfaults
بَعيدٌ أَن تُجاوِرَهُ العُيوبُ
A dignity forbids me to utter abusive words—
Dignity forbade me to utter foul speech,
too lofty for faults to dwell beside it.
too far removed for faults to dwell beside it.
تَشابَهَتgrew alike الطِباعُtemperaments فَلاso no دَنىءٌa base man
تَشابَهَت الطِباعُ فَلا دَنىءٌ
يَحِنُّyearns إِلىfor الثَناءِpraise وَلاnor حَسيبُa man of noble lineage
يَحِنُّ إِلى الثَناءِ وَلا حَسيبُ
All natures have grown alike: no lowly man
Temperaments have grown alike: no base man
yearns for praise, nor any man of noble birth.
yearns for praise, nor any man of noble lineage.
وَشاعَand spread البُخلُstinginess فيin الأَشياءِthings حَتّىuntil
وَشاعَ البُخلُ في الأَشياءِ حَتّى
يَكادَalmost يَشُحُّis stingy بِالريحِwith the wind الهبوبُthe blowing
يَكادَ يَشُحُّ بِالريحِ الهبوبُ
Miserliness has spread through all things, until
And stinginess has spread through all things, until
even the blowing wind all but begrudges its breath.
even the act of blowing almost begrudges the wind.
فَكَيفَso how أَخُصُّI single out بِاِسمِwith the name of العَيبِfault شَيئاًanything
فَكَيفَ أَخُصُّ بِاِسمِ العَيبِ شَيئاً
وَأَكثَرُand most of ماwhat تُشاهِدُهُyou see it معيبُflawed
وَأَكثَرُ ما تُشاهِدُهُ معيبُ
How, then, can I single out anything as “flawed,”
So how can I single anything out as flawed,
when most of what you behold is itself flawed?
when most of what you see is flawed?
Sol 6.1