ماwhat لِلنَعائِمِwith the Ostrich stars لاnot تَمُلُّtire of نِفارَهاtheir fleeing
ما لِلنَعائِمِ لا تَمُلُّ نِفارَها
وَالشُهبُand the bright stars تَألَفُgrow accustomed to سَيرَهاtheir course وَسِفارَهاand their travels
وَالشُهبُ تَألَفُ سَيرَها وَسِفارَها
Why do the Ostrich stars never tire of their flight,
What ails these comforts that their charm grows stale
while the bright stars are accustomed to their course and travels?
Though stars maintain routines that never fail
وَالطَبعُand natural impulse يَخفُرُviolates ذِمَّةًa pledge مِنfrom ناسِكٍan ascetic
وَالطَبعُ يَخفُرُ ذِمَّةً مِن ناسِكٍ
وَالعَقلُand reason يَكرَهُabhors جاهِداًstriving hard إِخفارَهاbreaking it
وَالعَقلُ يَكرَهُ جاهِداً إِخفارَها
And natural impulse violates an ascetic's pledge,
And instinct guards the honor of devout men
while reason strenuously abhors its breach.
While reason hates the diligent brought down
تَلَتِrecited النَصارىthe Christians فيin الصَوامِعِthe monasteries كُتبَهاtheir books
تَلَتِ النَصارى في الصَوامِعِ كُتبَها
وَيَهودُand the Jews تَقرَأُread بِالقِوىin the wilderness أَسفارَهاtheir scriptures
وَيَهودُ تَقرَأُ بِالقِوى أَسفارَها
The Christians recited their books in the monasteries,
Christians chant in their cloisters, books arrayed
and the Jews read their scriptures in the wilderness.
And Jews recite their scriptures undismayed
لَيسَare not المَعاشِرُthe communities سَبَّدَتshaved هاماتِهاtheir heads
لَيسَ المَعاشِرُ سَبَّدَت هاماتِها
كَمَعاشِرٍlike communities أَمسَتhave come to تُجِمُّlet grow وِفارَهاtheir locks
كَمَعاشِرٍ أَمسَت تُجِمُّ وِفارَها
The communities that shaved their heads are not
These times lack the companionship that graced
like communities that now let their locks grow.
An age whose warmth and welcome never ceased
وَأَعُدُّand I consider قَصَّclipping الظُفرِthe nail شيمَةَthe habit of ناسِكٍan ascetic
وَأَعُدُّ قَصَّ الظُفرِ شيمَةَ ناسِكٍ
وَالهِندُand India بَعدُstill مُطيلَةٌletting grow long أَظفارَهاits nails
وَالهِندُ بَعدُ مُطيلَةٌ أَظفارَها
And I count clipping the nails an ascetic's habit,
I think restraint a virtuous trait no less
yet India still lets its nails grow long.
Than India thinks its claws are meant to bless
مِلَلٌreligions غَدَتhave become فِرَقاًsects وَكُلُّand every شَريعَةٍreligious law
مِلَلٌ غَدَت فِرَقاً وَكُلُّ شَريعَةٍ
تُبديproclaims لِمُضمَرِconcerning inward belief in غَيرِهاother than itself إِكفارَهاits charge of unbelief
تُبدي لِمُضمَرِ غَيرِها إِكفارَها
Religions have become sects, and every religious law
Sects breed dissent, each finds the rest profane
condemns inward belief in any other as unbelief.
Masking in others what themselves contain
وَالرَملَةُand Ramla البَيضاءُthe white غودِرَwere left أَهلُهاits people
وَالرَملَةُ البَيضاءُ غودِرَ أَهلُها
بَعدَafter الرَفاغَةِprosperity يَأكُلونَthey eat قِفارَهاits food without relish
بَعدَ الرَفاغَةِ يَأكُلونَ قِفارَها
And white Ramla's people were left,
The sands of Nejd have swallowed up the band
after prosperity, eating its plain fare.
That dwelt there once, eating its wastes of sand
وَالعُربُand the Arabs خالَفَتِrejected الحَضارَةَsettled life وَاِنتَقَتand chose
وَالعُربُ خالَفَتِ الحَضارَةَ وَاِنتَقَت
سُكنىdwelling in الفَلاةِthe wilderness وَرُعلَهاand its ostrich broods وَصُفارَهاand its yellow birds
سُكنى الفَلاةِ وَرُعلَها وَصُفارَها
And the Arabs rejected settled life and chose
While Arabs shun cultured airs to rove
life in the wilderness, its ostrich broods and yellow birds.
Through waste lands, tents, and sun-scorched places they love
كانَتused to be إِماؤُهُمُtheir slave women زَوافِرَwater-bearers at مَورِدٍa watering place
كانَت إِماؤُهُمُ زَوافِرَ مَورِدٍ
فَالآنَand now أَثقَلَweighed down نَضرُهاtheir gold أَزفارَهاtheir sides
فَالآنَ أَثقَلَ نَضرُها أَزفارَها
Their slave women once bore water from a watering place;
Their slave girls were like스트 to gazelles
and now their gold weighs down their sides.
Now, heavy round their waists hang many bells
أَهِلَتbecame populated بِهاwith them الأَمصارُthe cities فَهيَso they are ضَوارِبٌerecting
أَهِلَت بِها الأَمصارُ فَهيَ ضَوارِبٌ
عَمَدَthe pillars of المَمالِكِthe kingdoms لاnot تُريدُwanting قِفارَهاtheir wastelands
عَمَدَ المَمالِكِ لا تُريدُ قِفارَها
The cities have filled with them, and they are raising
Cities make room for them, they are feasts
the pillars of kingdoms, no longer wanting their wastelands.
For kingdoms, not some waste's unwanted guests
لَمdid not يَبقَremain إِلّاexcept أَنthat تَؤُمَّhead toward جِيادُهُمtheir fine horses
لَم يَبقَ إِلّا أَن تَؤُمَّ جِيادُهُم
رَمَحاًRamaḥ لِتَقطَعَto cross رَملَهاits sands وَجِفارَهاand its hollows
رَمَحاً لِتَقطَعَ رَملَها وَجِفارَها
Nothing remains but for their steeds to head toward
Nothing remains but that their steeds should race
Ramaḥ, to cross its sands and hollows.
With spears to rend its sands and desolate space
عَتَرواthey slaughtered الفَوارِسَthe horsemen بِالصَوارِمِwith keen swords وَالقَناand lances
عَتَروا الفَوارِسَ بِالصَوارِمِ وَالقَنا
وَالمَلكُand the king فيin مِصرٍEgypt يُعَتِّرُslaughters فارَهاits mice
وَالمَلكُ في مِصرٍ يُعَتِّرُ فارَها
They slaughtered horsemen with keen swords and lances,
They charge at horsemen with their Indian blades
while the king in Egypt slaughters its mice.
While the Viceroy in Egypt pays them tribute aid
جَعَلواthey made الشِفارَthe blades هَوادِياًguides لِتَنوفَةٍfor a wilderness
جَعَلوا الشِفارَ هَوادِياً لِتَنوفَةٍ
مَرهاءَwith unpainted eyes تَكحَلُapplies kohl to بِالدُجىwith darkness أَشفارَهاits eyelid rims
مَرهاءَ تَكحَلُ بِالدُجى أَشفارَها
They made the blades guides for a wilderness,
They roam the dark, their eyelids painted black
with unpainted eyes, applying darkness as kohl to its eyelids.
With kohl, while stars above race on their track
تَكبوfail to spark زِنادُthe fire-sticks of القادِحينَthe kindlers وَعامِرٌand ʿĀmir
تَكبو زِنادُ القادِحينَ وَعامِرٌ
بِالشامِin Syria تَقدَحُstrikes sparks from مَرخَهاits markh wood وَعَفارَهاand its ʿafār wood
بِالشامِ تَقدَحُ مَرخَها وَعَفارَها
The kindlers' fire-sticks fail, while ʿĀmir
Flints kindle at Byzantium and Amir
in Syria strikes sparks from its markh and ʿafār wood.
Lights in Syria the watch fires people stir
وَإِذاand when الذُنوبُsins طَمَتoverflow فَأَخلِصthen make sincere تَوبَةًrepentance
وَإِذا الذُنوبُ طَمَت فَأَخلِص تَوبَةً
لِلَّهِto God يُلفَHe will be found بِفَضلِهِby His grace غَفّارَهاever-forgiving of them
لِلَّهِ يُلفَ بِفَضلِهِ غَفّارَها
And when sins overflow, repent sincerely
When heavy grows the burden of your crimes
to God; by His grace, He will be found ever-forgiving of them.
Make pure repentance – God forgives betimes
Sol 6.1