لَو صَحَّ ماقالَ رَسطاليسُ مِن قِدَمٍ

لَو صَحَّ ماقالَ رَسطاليسُ مِن قِدَمٍ

وَهَبَّ مَن ماتَ لَم يَجمَعُهُمُ الفَلَكُ

وَهَبَّ مَن ماتَ لَم يَجمَعُهُمُ الفَلَكُ

If what Aristotle said of eternity were true,

If what Rustam said were true, that the dead would not be resurrected

and the dead arose, the celestial sphere would not contain them.

And what my doctrine is, that they will be raised in scattered groups

وَمَذهَبي في البَرايا كَونَهُم شِيَعاً

وَمَذهَبي في البَرايا كَونَهُم شِيَعاً

كَالثَلجِ وَالقارِ مِنهُ الجَونُ وَالحَلَك

كَالثَلجِ وَالقارِ مِنهُ الجَونُ وَالحَلَك

And my view of humankind is that they form groups,

Like snow and hail, some being transformed and some dissolved

like snow and pitch: some white, some jet-black.

Ham did not turn black because of a sin he had committed

ما اِسوَدَّ حامٌ لِذَنبٍ كانَ أَحدَثَهُ

ما اِسوَدَّ حامٌ لِذَنبٍ كانَ أَحدَثَهُ

لَكِن غَريزَةُ لَونٍ خَطَّها المَلِكُ

لَكِن غَريزَةُ لَونٍ خَطَّها المَلِكُ

Ham did not turn black for a sin he had committed;

But rather the complexion of a color that the King had decreed

rather, it was an inborn color the King inscribed.

If there were no human beings above us in the sky

إِن لَم يَكُن في سَماءٍ فَوقَنا بَشَرٌ

إِن لَم يَكُن في سَماءٍ فَوقَنا بَشَرٌ

فَلَيسَ في الأَرضِ أَو ماتَحتَها مَلَكُ

فَلَيسَ في الأَرضِ أَو ماتَحتَها مَلَكُ

If there are no humans in a heaven above us,

Then there would be no angels on earth or beneath it

then there is no angel on earth or beneath it.

How many nations have settled where the living dwelt

كَم حَلَّ حَيثُ تَبَنّى الحَيُّ مِن أُمَمٍ

كَم حَلَّ حَيثُ تَبَنّى الحَيُّ مِن أُمَمٍ

ثُمَّ اِنقَضوا وَسَبيلاً واحِداً سَلَكوا

ثُمَّ اِنقَضوا وَسَبيلاً واحِداً سَلَكوا

How many peoples settled where the living built their homes,

Then perished, all having trodden a single path

then passed away and trod a single path.

If you ask reason for news about the ancients

إِن تَسأَلِ العَقلَ لا يوجِدكَ مِن خَبَرٍ

إِن تَسأَلِ العَقلَ لا يوجِدكَ مِن خَبَرٍ

عَنِ الأَوائِلِ إِلّا أَنَّهُم هَلَكوا

عَنِ الأَوائِلِ إِلّا أَنَّهُم هَلَكوا

If you ask reason, it offers you no account

It will tell you nothing except that they perished

of the ancients except that they perished.