أتُعَزّيdo you console? فيin المُصابthe affliction
أتُعَزّي في المُصاب
أمor تُهَنّيyou congratulate بالثّوابِon the reward
أم تُهَنّي بالثّوابِ
Do you offer consolation in affliction,
Shall I console myself for this affliction,
or congratulations on the reward?
Or congratulate you on the reward?
وأرىand I see ثانيهماthe second of the two أَدنىcloser
وأرى ثانيهما أَدنى
إلىto نهجthe path الصَّوابwhat is right
إلى نهج الصَّواب
And I find the latter closer
And I see the latter as closer
to the path of what is right.
To the path of righteousness.
فاحتسِبْso reckon for divine reward بالقادمfor the newcomer الرّاحلthe departed one
فاحتسِبْ بالقادم الرّاحل
ذخراًa treasure فيat الحسابِthe reckoning
ذخراً في الحسابِ
So count the one who came and departed
So reckon the departing visitor
as a treasure at the reckoning.
As provision in the account.
وتلقّand face الخطبthe calamity إنif جلَّit is great
وتلقّ الخطب إن جلَّ
بصبرٍwith patience واحتسابِand seeking divine reward
بصبرٍ واحتسابِ
And meet calamity, however great,
And accept events, however grave,
with patience and hope of divine reward.
With patience and reckoning.
واغنمِand gain الزّلفَةnearness ممَّنْfrom the One who
واغنمِ الزّلفَة ممَّنْ
عندهُwith Him حسنُthe goodness of المآبَthe return
عندهُ حسنُ المآبَ
And gain nearness to the One
And take advantage of the favor
with whom lies the blessed return.
Of the one whose outcome is good.
ليسnot غيرother than اللهGod يخلُوis free
ليس غير الله يخلُو
منfrom نَفادٍcoming to an end وذهابِand passing away
من نَفادٍ وذهابِ
None but God is free
None but God is without
from coming to an end and passing away.
Decline and passing away.
والّلياليand the nights لمnot تزلcease فاعلَمso know
والّليالي لم تزل فاعلَم
بِناwith us نَفادٍcoming to an end وذهابِand passing away
بِنا نَفادٍ وذهابِ
And the nights have never ceased—know this—
And the nights - know that
to bring us to an end and make us pass away.
We have decline and passing away.
ويحهاwoe to them كمhow often خَدَعَتناthey deceived us
ويحها كم خَدَعَتنا
بسرابٍwith a mirage كالشرابlike a drink
بسرابٍ كالشراب
Woe to them! How often they have deceived us
Oh how often it has deceived us
with a mirage resembling a drink.
With a mirage like drink!
لَمnot تزلcease فيamong الخلقcreation تأتيvisit
لَم تزل في الخلق تأتي
كلّevery خلقٍcreature بعجابwith marvels
كلّ خلقٍ بعجاب
They have never ceased, among creation, to visit
It never ceases to bring wonders
every creature with marvels.
To every period.
لَمْnot تَدعْspare ذَاthis one لِمَشِيبٍbecause of gray hair
لَمْ تَدعْ ذَا لِمَشِيبٍ
لاَno ولاnor ذاthis one لِشبابbecause of youth
لاَ ولا ذا لِشباب
They have not spared this one for gray hair,
It left none for old age - no! -
no, nor that one for youth.
Nor for youth.
لاno ولاnor تردعهاrestrains them سَطوةthe might
لا ولا تردعها سَطوة
ذيthe possessor of البأسvalor المهابِthe feared one
ذي البأس المهابِ
No, nor are they checked by the might
Nor does its tyranny deter it,
of the dreaded man of valor.
However terrible and fearsome.
هلdo ترىyou see فيهاin them نعيماًbliss
هل ترى فيها نعيماً
صفوهُits purity غيرnot مُشابtainted
صفوهُ غير مُشاب
Do you see in them any bliss
Do you see in it any pure bliss
whose purity is untainted?
Unmixed with trials?
أمor سُروراًjoy لمnot تَكَدِّرهthey cloud it
أم سُروراً لم تَكَدِّره
بحزنٍwith sorrow واكتِئابِand dejection
بحزنٍ واكتِئابِ
Or joy that they have not clouded
Or joy not marred
with sorrow and dejection?
By sorrow and depression?
كمhow often غَدتْthey began تضربُstriking فيamong
كم غَدتْ تضربُ في
الناسِpeople بسيفٍwith a sword غيرnot نابَىglancing off
الناسِ بسيفٍ غير نابَى
How often they have taken to striking among
How often it lashes out
people with a sword that never glances off.
At the people with an unrelenting sword!
ليسnot ترضىthey accept غيرَother than أرواحِsouls
ليس ترضى غيرَ أرواحِ
البراياhumankind منas قِرابِa sheath
البرايا من قِرابِ
They accept nothing but the souls
It is not content save with the lives
of humankind as a sheath.
Of innocents for sacrifice.
كَمْhow many أذالَتْthey debased منof مصونٍa protected one
كَمْ أذالَتْ من مصونٍ
وأزّالتand they removed منof حجابa veil
وأزّالت من حجاب
How many a guarded one have they debased,
How much guarded chastity it has despoiled
and how many a veil have they removed!
And how many veils rent!
ولَكَمْand how often فلَّتْthey blunted حساماًa keen sword
ولَكَمْ فلَّتْ حساماً
وأذلّتْand they humbled ليثa lion غابِa thicket
وأذلّتْ ليث غابِ
And how often they have blunted a keen sword
And how many swords it has unsheathed
and humbled a lion of the thicket,
And how many lions tamed!
يقتلhe kills الأبطالَthe heroes منfrom غيرِother than
يقتل الأبطالَ من غيرِ
طعانٍspear-thrusts وضرابand sword-blows
طعانٍ وضراب
that slays heroes without
It slays heroes without
spear-thrusts or sword-blows.
A spear thrust or blow.
كمhow many همامٍa valiant hero قاهرِoverpowering السَّطوةِmight
كم همامٍ قاهرِ السَّطوةِ
عضَّتْهthey bit him بنابwith a fang
عضَّتْه بناب
How many a hero of overpowering might
How many proud men, conquerors in battle,
have they bitten with a fang!
Have been felled by its tooth!
أزعجتْهُthey drove him away لِفراقٍto a parting
أزعجتْهُ لِفراقٍ
غيرَnot مرجّوِhoped for الإِيابِthe return
غيرَ مرجّوِ الإِيابِ
They drove him to a parting
It has distressed them with a separation
from which no return is hoped.
Not hoped to be reversed.
ومليكand a king تركتهُthey left him
ومليك تركتهُ
رهنَcaptive أطباقlayers الترابthe earth
رهنَ أطباق التراب
And many a king have they left
And how many a king it has left
captive beneath layers of earth,
A captive in the earth's embrace!
يتشكّىhe laments الضيقَthe confinement منfrom بعدِafter
يتشكّى الضيقَ من بعدِ
المقاصيرthe chambers الرّحابِthe spacious ones
المقاصير الرّحابِ
lamenting confinement after
He complains of straits after
the spacious chambers.
Expansive quarters.
قَدْindeed غَدَاhe has become أَبكمَmute لاnot
قَدْ غَدَا أَبكمَ لا
يُمكنُهُis possible for him رَجْعreturning الجوابِthe answer
يُمكنُهُ رَجْع الجوابِ
He has become mute; it is not
Now he has been struck dumb, unable
possible for him to return an answer.
To return an answer.
سامِعاًhearing غيرَnot مجيبٍanswering
سامِعاً غيرَ مجيبٍ
داعياًcalling غيرَnot مُجابِanswered
داعياً غيرَ مُجابِ
Hearing, yet not answering;
Hearing, unresponding; called, unanswered;
calling, yet unanswered.
And palaces it left
وقصورٍand palaces تَركتهاthey left them
وقصورٍ تَركتها
بينَamid أهليهاtheir inhabitants يبابِdesolate
بينَ أهليها يبابِ
And palaces they have left
Amid their households wailing.
desolate amid their inhabitants.
Equal in prohibition and death
وسواءٌand equal فيin النّهىreason والموتand death
وسواءٌ في النّهى والموت
طَوْقٌa collar فيaround الرقابthe necks
طَوْقٌ في الرقاب
And equal in reason's judgment—death being
Are serf and overlord.
a collar around every neck—
A corpse wrapped in its shroud
ميّتٌa dead person يُدرجis wrapped فيin الكفنِthe shroud
ميّتٌ يُدرج في الكفنِ
وحيٌّand a living person فيin الثيابِthe clothes
وحيٌّ في الثيابِ
are a dead person wrapped in a shroud
And a living man in robes.
and a living person in clothes.
And in every affliction we have
ولناand for us بالمصْطَفىin the Chosen One المختارthe elect
ولنا بالمصْطَفى المختار
فيin كلِّevery مُصَابِaffliction
في كلِّ مُصَابِ
And for us, in the Chosen One, the elect,
Muhammad the chosen as comfort.
in every affliction,
And his family - through whom I hope
وبنيهمand their sons منthose who بهمthrough them أَرجوI hope for
وبنيهم من بهم أَرجو
أمانيmy safety منfrom عذابيmy torment
أماني من عذابي
and in their sons—those through whom I hope
For safety from my torment.
for my safety from my torment,
My intercessors on the day I am called forth
شُفعائيmy intercessors يومthe day of حشريmy gathering
شُفعائي يوم حشري
حينwhen أدْعَىI am summoned لِكتابيto my book
حين أدْعَى لِكتابي
my intercessors on the day I am gathered,
When I am summoned before the record.
when I am summoned to my book—
An exemplar leading to the best
أسوةٌan example تُفضيleads إلىto
أسوةٌ تُفضي إلى
خيرِthe finest نعيمٍbliss وثوابِand reward
خيرِ نعيمٍ وثوابِ
is an example that leads to
Of bliss and reward.
the finest bliss and reward.
Partial English translation: 61 of 62 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1