الفِكرُthought حَبلٌa rope مَتىwhenever يُمسَكis grasped عَلىat طَرفٍan end
الفِكرُ حَبلٌ مَتى يُمسَك عَلى طَرفٍ
مِنهُof it يُنَطis fastened بِالثُرَيّاto the Pleiades ذَلِكَthat الطَرَفُthe end
مِنهُ يُنَط بِالثُرَيّا ذَلِكَ الطَرَفُ
Thought is a rope: whenever it is grasped at an end,
that end of it is fastened to the Pleiades.
وَالعَقلُand reason كَالبَحرِlike the sea ماnot غيضَتwere diminished غَوارِبُهُits wave crests
وَالعَقلُ كَالبَحرِ ما غيضَت غَوارِبُهُ
شَيئاًat all وَمِنهُand from it بَنوsons of الأَيّامِthe days تَغتَرِفُdraw
شَيئاً وَمِنهُ بَنو الأَيّامِ تَغتَرِفُ
And reason is like the sea: its wave crests are not diminished
at all, though the sons of the days draw from it.
أَبنيI build بِجِهلِيَin my ignorance داراًa house لَستُI am not مالِكَهاits owner
أَبني بِجِهلِيَ داراً لَستُ مالِكَها
أُقيمُI dwell فيهاin it قَليلاًbriefly ثُمَّthen أَنصَرِفُI depart
أُقيمُ فيها قَليلاً ثُمَّ أَنصَرِفُ
In my ignorance I build a house I do not own;
I dwell in it briefly, then depart.
سَرفتُI have erred وَاللَهُand God يُرجىis hoped أَنto يُسامِحَناpardon us
سَرفتُ وَاللَهُ يُرجى أَن يُسامِحَنا
وَفيand in القَديمِancient times خَلاstood empty مِنof أَهلِهِits people سَرِفُSarif
وَفي القَديمِ خَلا مِن أَهلِهِ سَرِفُ
I have erred, and we hope that God will pardon us;
and long ago Sarif stood empty of its people.
أَأُنكِرُshall I deny? اللَهَGod ذَنباًa sin خَطَّهُrecorded it مَلَكٌan angel
أَأُنكِرُ اللَهَ ذَنباً خَطَّهُ مَلَكٌ
وَبِالَّذيand to that which خَطَّهُwrote it الإِنسانُthe human being أَعتَرِفُI acknowledge
وَبِالَّذي خَطَّهُ الإِنسانُ أَعتَرِفُ
Shall I deny before God a sin an angel has recorded,
yet acknowledge what a human being has written?
تَقوىyou grow strong فَيُهدىand so is given إِلَيكَto you الزادُprovisions عَنby عُرُضٍchance
تَقوى فَيُهدى إِلَيكَ الزادُ عَن عُرُضٍ
وَتَفتَريand you traverse الأَرضَthe earth جَوّالاًroaming فَتَقتَرِفُand so you earn
وَتَفتَري الأَرضَ جَوّالاً فَتَقتَرِفُ
You grow strong, and provisions are given you by chance;
and you traverse the earth, roaming, and earn.
تَرومُyou seek رِزقاًa livelihood بِأَنby the fact that سَمَّوكَthey called you مُتَّكِلاًreliant
تَرومُ رِزقاً بِأَن سَمَّوكَ مُتَّكِلاً
وَأَديَنُand the most devout of الناسِpeople مَنwhoever يَسعىstrives وَيَحتَرِفُand practices a trade
وَأَديَنُ الناسِ مَن يَسعى وَيَحتَرِفُ
You seek a livelihood by being called reliant on God,
yet the most devout is one who strives and practices a trade.
يَكفيكَsuffices you أُدماًas a relish بِنَحضٍinstead of lean meat ماءُjuice نابِتَةٍa growing plant
يَكفيكَ أُدماً بِنَحضٍ ماءُ نابِتَةٍ
وَظُلمَكَand your wronging النَحلَthe bees ماwhat يُعطيكَهُgives it to you الضِرفُthe leather vessel
وَظُلمَكَ النَحلَ ما يُعطيكَهُ الضِرفُ
Plant juice suffices you as a relish instead of lean meat;
and what the leather vessel gives you spares you from wronging bees.
إِذاwhen اِفتَكَرناwe reflect عَلِمناwe know أَنَّthat ذاpossessing ضَعَةٍlowly rank
إِذا اِفتَكَرنا عَلِمنا أَنَّ ذا ضَعَةٍ
أَعلىthe highest of النُجومِthe stars وَلِلَّهِand to God اِنتَهىculminates الشَرَفُglory
أَعلى النُجومِ وَلِلَّهِ اِنتَهى الشَرَفُ
When we reflect, we know that lowly in rank
is the highest of the stars, and glory reaches its summit in God.
Sol 6.1