نُراقِبُwe watch for ضَوءَthe light الفَجرِof dawn وَاللَيلُand the night دامِسُpitch-dark
نُراقِبُ ضَوءَ الفَجرِ وَاللَيلُ دامِسُ
وَماand not يَستُرُconceals الإِنسانَthe human being إِلّاexcept الرَوامِسُthe graves
وَما يَستُرُ الإِنسانَ إِلّا الرَوامِسُ
We watch for dawn’s light while the night is pitch-dark.
And nothing conceals a human being but the graves.
تَنَمَّسَdisguised itself مِنّاamong us بِالدِيانَةِin religion مَعشَرٌa group
تَنَمَّسَ مِنّا بِالدِيانَةِ مَعشَرٌ
وَقَدand indeed بَطُلَتhave proved futile عِندَwith اللَبيبِthe discerning person النَوامِسُthe ruses
وَقَد بَطُلَت عِندَ اللَبيبِ النَوامِسُ
A group among us has cloaked itself in religion,
though its ruses have proved futile with the discerning.
فَكَيفَso how تَرىdo you see المِنهاجَthe path وَاللَيلُand the night مُقمِرٌmoonlit
فَكَيفَ تَرى المِنهاجَ وَاللَيلُ مُقمِرٌ
وَلَمand did not تَرَهُsee it وَاليَومُand the day أَزهَرُbright شامِسُsunlit
وَلَم تَرَهُ وَاليَومُ أَزهَرُ شامِسُ
So how can you see the path when the night is moonlit,
though you did not see it when the day was bright and sunlit?
وَتَحمِلُناand carry us الأَيّامُthe days حَملَthe carrying عَوائِمٍof floating vessels
وَتَحمِلُنا الأَيّامُ حَملَ عَوائِمٍ
بِناwith us فيin خِضَمٍّa vast sea كُلُّناall of us فيهِin it قامِسُimmersed
بِنا في خِضَمٍّ كُلُّنا فيهِ قامِسُ
The days carry us as floating vessels do,
bearing us through a vast sea in which we all are immersed.
فَهُنَّso they لِأَهلِfor the people of اليُسرِease نوقٌshe-camels أَذِلَّةٌdocile
فَهُنَّ لِأَهلِ اليُسرِ نوقٌ أَذِلَّةٌ
وَهُنَّand they لِأَهلِfor the people of العُسرِhardship خَيلٌhorses شَوامِسُunruly
وَهُنَّ لِأَهلِ العُسرِ خَيلٌ شَوامِسُ
For those at ease, they are docile she-camels,
and for those in hardship, unruly horses.
فَماso not سَئِمَgrew weary الساريthe night traveler وَقَدthough already بَلَغَreached المَدىthe farthest limit
فَما سَئِمَ الساري وَقَد بَلَغَ المَدى
وَلاnor رَزَمَتknelt exhausted فيduring السَيرِthe journey تِلكَthose العَرامِسُsturdy she-camels
وَلا رَزَمَت في السَيرِ تِلكَ العَرامِسُ
So the night traveler has not tired, though he has reached the farthest limit,
nor have those sturdy she-camels knelt exhausted on the journey.
وَدُنياكَand your world دارٌa dwelling مَنwhoever يَحُلُّsettles in فِناءَهاits courtyard
وَدُنياكَ دارٌ مَن يَحُلُّ فِناءَها
فَقَدthen indeed غَمَسَتهُhave plunged him فيinto الشُرورِevils القَوامِسُengulfing calamities
فَقَد غَمَسَتهُ في الشُرورِ القَوامِسُ
And your world is a dwelling: whoever settles in its courtyard
has been plunged into evils by engulfing calamities.
وَسُلطانُهاand its power كَالنارِlike fire إِنif هِيَit لومِسَتis touched
وَسُلطانُها كَالنارِ إِن هِيَ لومِسَت
تُحَرِّقُburns ماwhatever يَدنوdraws near لَهاto it وَيُلامِسُand touches
تُحَرِّقُ ما يَدنو لَها وَيُلامِسُ
And its power is like fire: if touched,
it burns whatever draws near it and touches it.
وَيَجمَعُناand compose us مِنfrom صَنعَةِthe handiwork الرَبِّof the Lord أَربَعٌfour
وَيَجمَعُنا مِن صَنعَةِ الرَبِّ أَربَعٌ
وَمِنand from فَوقِهاabove them وَالمُلكُand sovereignty لِلَّهِbelongs to God خامِسُa fifth
وَمِن فَوقِها وَالمُلكُ لِلَّهِ خامِسُ
And four things of the Lord’s making compose us,
and above them is a fifth—and sovereignty belongs to God.
وَماand never فَتِئَتceased نيرانُthe fires فارِسَof Persia يَعتَليrises
وَما فَتِئَت نيرانُ فارِسَ يَعتَلي
بِهاthrough them العِزُّglory حَتّىuntil أَبطَلَتهاextinguished them الأَحامِسُthe valiant warriors
بِها العِزُّ حَتّى أَبطَلَتها الأَحامِسُ
And Persia’s fires endured, with glory rising
through them, until the valiant warriors extinguished them.
تَكَلَّمspoke هَذاthis الدَهرُage بِالنُصحِwith counsel مُعلِناًproclaiming
تَكَلَّم هَذا الدَهرُ بِالنُصحِ مُعلِناً
جَهاراًaloud بِماabout what أَخفَتهُhid it عَنّاfrom us الهَوامِسُthe whisperers
جَهاراً بِما أَخفَتهُ عَنّا الهَوامِسُ
This age spoke in counsel, proclaiming
aloud what the whisperers had hidden from us.
وَكَيفَand how نُرَجِّيَwe hope لِلثِمادِfor scant pools بَقاءَهاtheir continuance
وَكَيفَ نُرَجِّيَ لِلثِمادِ بَقاءَها
إِذاwhen نَضَبَتhave run dry عَنّاaway from us البُحورُthe seas القَلامِسُvast
إِذا نَضَبَت عَنّا البُحورُ القَلامِسُ
And how can we hope for scant pools to endure,
when the vast seas have drained away from us?
يُباكِرُناcomes to us early الجَونُthe white one المُضيءُradiant فَيَنقَضيthen passes
يُباكِرُنا الجَونُ المُضيءُ فَيَنقَضي
وَيَعقُبُناand follows upon us مِنهُafter it الأَحَمُّthe coal-black one الدُلامِسُpitch-dark
وَيَعقُبُنا مِنهُ الأَحَمُّ الدُلامِسُ
The radiant white day comes to us early, then passes,
and in its wake comes to us the coal-black, pitch-dark night.
وَإِنّاand indeed we رَأَيناhave seen المَلِكَthe king يُخلِقُwears out ثَوبُهُhis robe
وَإِنّا رَأَينا المَلِكَ يُخلِقُ ثَوبُهُ
وَتُخبِرُناand tell us عَنهُof him الدِيارُthe dwellings الطَوامِسُeffaced
وَتُخبِرُنا عَنهُ الدِيارُ الطَوامِسُ
And we have seen the king, his robe wearing out,
and the effaced dwellings tell us of him.
إِذاwhen دَخَلَenters الهِرماسُthe lion جِلَّقَJilliq والِياًas governor
إِذا دَخَلَ الهِرماسُ جِلَّقَ والِياً
فَماthen not كَذَبَتhave lied فيماin what تَقولُthey say الهَرامِسُthe lions
فَما كَذَبَت فيما تَقولُ الهَرامِسُ
When the lion enters Jilliq as governor,
the lions have not lied in what they say.
لَهُمthey have سَلَفٌforebears قُدّامَbefore سِنبِسَSinbis أَيِّدٌmighty
لَهُم سَلَفٌ قُدّامَ سِنبِسَ أَيِّدٌ
وَعِزٌّand glory عَلىupon وَجهِthe face الزَمانِof time قُدامِسُimmense
وَعِزٌّ عَلى وَجهِ الزَمانِ قُدامِسُ
They have mighty forebears from before Sinbis,
and immense glory upon the face of time.
وَتَبسُطُand spreads فيناamong us قُدرَةُthe power اللَهِof God حادِثاًa calamity
وَتَبسُطُ فينا قُدرَةُ اللَهِ حادِثاً
فَتوديso perish الثَعاليthe foxes وَاللُيوثُand the lions الكَهامِسُdauntless
فَتودي الثَعالي وَاللُيوثُ الكَهامِسُ
And God’s power spreads a calamity among us,
so the foxes and the dauntless lions perish.
Sol 6.1