الأَرضُthe earth واسِعَةٌwide نَعَمyes لَكِنَّهُمbut they
الأَرضُ واسِعَةٌ نَعَم لَكِنَّهُم
مَلَكواthey took possession عَلَيناat our expense نَبتَهاits vegetation وَالمَعدِناand the minerals
مَلَكوا عَلَينا نَبتَها وَالمَعدِنا
The earth is wide—yes—but they
The earth is vast, yes, but they
have taken possession of its plants and minerals at our expense.
Have owned its plants and mines over us
وَالدَهرُand time يَمضيruns its course حُكمُهُits judgment فيamong أَهلِهِits people
وَالدَهرُ يَمضي حُكمُهُ في أَهلِهِ
فَالدَهرُso time قاضيهِمtheir judge وَلَكِنbut خَصمُناour adversary
فَالدَهرُ قاضيهِم وَلَكِن خَصمُنا
Time's judgment runs its course among its people;
And time passes, its rule over its people
so Time is their judge, but our adversary.
So time is their judge, though our adversary
إِنif لَمnot أَكُنI am فيin الفَضلِmerit مَغبوناًcheated فَلاthen not
إِن لَم أَكُن في الفَضلِ مَغبوناً فَلا
وَأَبىby the father of الفَضيلَةِvirtue ساءَنيgrieved me أُغبَناI am cheated
وَأَبى الفَضيلَةِ ساءَني أُغبَنا
If I am not cheated in merit, then it does not—
If I were not wronged in merit, no,
by the father of virtue—grieve me to be cheated.
And merit refused me, I was wronged
شَهِدَتtestified قُلوبُthe hearts الناسِof people عِندَbefore عُيونِهِمtheir eyes
شَهِدَت قُلوبُ الناسِ عِندَ عُيونِهِم
أَنَّthat الَّذيthe one who مِنfrom فَوقِناabove us مِنfrom دونِناbeneath us
أَنَّ الَّذي مِن فَوقِنا مِن دونِنا
People's hearts bore witness before their eyes
The people's hearts testified in their eyes
that the one above us is beneath us.
That the one above us, not beneath us
قَدmay يَشهَدُtestify الإِحسانُkindness أَنِّيَthat I مُحسِنٌa benefactor
قَد يَشهَدُ الإِحسانُ أَنِّيَ مُحسِنٌ
فيamong الناسِpeople قَدindeed جَرَتِhas flowed المَوَدَّةُaffection بَينَناbetween us
في الناسِ قَد جَرَتِ المَوَدَّةُ بَينَنا
Kindness may bear witness that I am a benefactor
Goodness may testify I'm good
among people; affection has flowed between us.
To people, affection has flowed between us
وَصَحِبتُهُand I kept its company عُمريmy lifetime بِوَصفٍwith a quality واحِدٍsingle
وَصَحِبتُهُ عُمري بِوَصفٍ واحِدٍ
أَرعىI care for المُسيءَthe wrongdoer وَإِنand though دُعيتُI am called المُحسِناthe benefactor
أَرعى المُسيءَ وَإِن دُعيتُ المُحسِنا
And I have kept its company all my life with one constant trait:
And I accompanied him my life with one trait
I care for the wrongdoer, though I am called the benefactor.
I shepherd the wrongdoer, though called good
إِنif قالَhe says خانَنِيَbetrayed me الزَمانُtime وَماand not اِقتَنىhe acquired
إِن قالَ خانَنِيَ الزَمانُ وَما اِقتَنى
لِزَمانِهِfor his lifetime إِلّاexcept لَعَمرُكَby your life مُقَتَنىa possession
لِزَمانِهِ إِلّا لَعَمرُكَ مُقَتَنى
If he says, 'Time has betrayed me,' he has acquired nothing
If he said time betrayed me, and didn't gain
for his lifetime—by your life—except possessions.
For his time, by your life, anything gained
إِنif قلَhe says خانَنِيَbetrayed me الزَمانُtime فَنَفسُهُthen his own soul
إِن قلَ خانَنِيَ الزَمانُ فَنَفسُهُ
قَدindeed كانَhe was مِنهُthan it لَهاto it أَعَقَّmore disloyal وَأَخوَناand more treacherous
قَد كانَ مِنهُ لَها أَعَقَّ وَأَخوَنا
If he says, 'Time has betrayed me,' then as for his own soul:
If he said time betrayed me, then himself
he has been more disloyal and treacherous to it than Time.
Had from it, for him, more faithless and hostile
سَلَفٌa forebear يَعيشُlives بِذِكرِناthrough our remembrance فَكَأَنَّهُso it is as though he
سَلَفٌ يَعيشُ بِذِكرِنا فَكَأَنَّهُ
مِنfrom بَعدُafterward لَوeven if سَكَنَhe dwelt in التُرابَthe dust نَباrose بِناwith us
مِن بَعدُ لَو سَكَنَ التُرابَ نَبا بِنا
A forebear lives on through our remembrance, so it is as though
A predecessor living by our memory, so it's as if,
afterward, even if he lay in dust, he would rise with us.
Afterward, if he dwelled in dust, he sprang from us
وَلِئامُand the base people كُلِّall الناسِpeople أَحمَدُmost praiseworthy سَعيِهِمtheir endeavor
وَلِئامُ كُلِّ الناسِ أَحمَدُ سَعيِهِم
تَشييدُهُمtheir building up ماwhat كانَhad أَوَّلُهُمthe first of them بَنىbuilt
تَشييدُهُم ما كانَ أَوَّلُهُم بَنى
And for the base among all people, their most praiseworthy endeavor
And the villainy of all people is the praise of their effort
is to build up what their first forebear built.
Their building what the first of them didn't build
وَلَقَدand indeed سَكَتُّI kept silent عَلىabout الزَمانِtime وَماand not جَرىpassed
وَلَقَد سَكَتُّ عَلى الزَمانِ وَما جَرى
يَوماًon any day وَلاand nor يَجريpasses عِتابٌreproach بَينَناbetween us
يَوماً وَلا يَجري عِتابٌ بَينَنا
I have indeed kept silent about Time; never
And indeed I was silent about time and what transpired
on any day has reproach passed between us, nor does it now.
A day, and no reproach flows between us
يَمضيit passes وَماand not ذَمَّمتُI reviled لَيلاًa night كافِراunbelieving
يَمضي وَما ذَمَّمتُ لَيلاً كافِرا
مِنهُof it وَلَمand did not أَحمَدI praise نَهاراًa day مُؤمِناbelieving
مِنهُ وَلَم أَحمَد نَهاراً مُؤمِنا
It passes; I have not reviled an unbelieving night
It passes, and I never blamed a faithless night
of its own, nor praised a believing day.
Of it, nor praised a faithful day
Sol 6.1