خَيرٌbetter لِآدَمَfor Adam وَالخَلقِand humankind الَّذيwho خَرَجواthey came forth
خَيرٌ لِآدَمَ وَالخَلقِ الَّذي خَرَجوا
مِنfrom ظَهرِهhis loins أَنthat يَكونواthey should be قَبلُbeforehand ماnot خُلِقواthey were created
مِن ظَهرِه أَن يَكونوا قَبلُ ما خُلِقوا
Better for Adam and the people who came forth
From his loins not to have been created in the first place.
فَهَلso, has ...? أَحَسَّfelt وَبالِand the decayed part of جِسمِهِhis body رِمَمٌrotted bones
فَهَل أَحَسَّ وَبالِ جِسمِهِ رِمَمٌ
بِماof what رَآهُsaw it بَنوهُhis sons مِنof أَذىًharm وَلَقواand they suffered
بِما رَآهُ بَنوهُ مِن أَذىً وَلَقوا
Has he, then, felt—his body now rotted bones—
The harm his sons have seen and suffered?
وَماand what تُريدُyou want بِدارٍwith a dwelling لَستَyou are not مالِكَهاits owner
وَما تُريدُ بِدارٍ لَستَ مالِكَها
تُقيمُyou stay فيهاin it قَليلاًbriefly ثُمَّthen تَنطَلِقُyou depart
تُقيمُ فيها قَليلاً ثُمَّ تَنطَلِقُ
And what do you want with a dwelling you do not own,
Where you stay briefly, then depart?
فارَقتَهاyou left it غَيرَnot مَحمودٍpraised عَلىin سَخَطٍresentment
فارَقتَها غَيرَ مَحمودٍ عَلى سَخَطٍ
وَفيand in ضَميرِكَyour heart مِنof وَجدٍlonging بِهاfor it عَلقُattachment
وَفي ضَميرِكَ مِن وَجدٍ بِها عَلقُ
You left it unpraised, in resentment,
And in your heart a bond of longing for it remains.
تَبَوَّأَtook up abode الشَخصُthe person مِنfrom غَبراءَdusty earth مُظلِمَةٍdark
تَبَوَّأَ الشَخصُ مِن غَبراءَ مُظلِمَةٍ
قَرارَةًa resting place بَعدَماafter أَزرىbrought low بِهِhim القَلَقُanxiety
قَرارَةً بَعدَما أَزرى بِهِ القَلَقُ
The man took, in the dark, dusty earth,
A resting place after anxiety had brought him low.
تَكونُyou are لِلروحِfor the soul ثَوباًa garment ثُمَّthen يَخلَعُهُit takes it off
تَكونُ لِلروحِ ثَوباً ثُمَّ يَخلَعُهُ
وَالثَوبُand the garment يَنهَجُwears out حَتّىeven الدَرعُthe coat of mail وَالحَلَقُand the rings
وَالثَوبُ يَنهَجُ حَتّى الدَرعُ وَالحَلَقُ
You are a garment for the soul, which then takes it off.
And garments wear out—even chain mail and its rings.
وَأَخلَقَتهُand wore him out اللَياليthe nights فيduring تَجَدُّدِهاtheir renewal
وَأَخلَقَتهُ اللَيالي في تَجَدُّدِها
وَالغَدرُand treachery مِنهُنَّfrom them فيin أَخلاقِهِhis character traits خُلُقُa trait
وَالغَدرُ مِنهُنَّ في أَخلاقِهِ خُلُقُ
And the nights wore him out as they renewed themselves,
And treachery from them is a trait of his character.
وَالناسُand people شُتّىof various kinds فَيُعطىso is given المَقتَhatred صادِقُهُمthe truthful one among them
وَالناسُ شُتّى فَيُعطى المَقتَ صادِقُهُم
عَنِabout الأُمورِaffairs وَيُحّبىand is given gifts الكاذِبُthe liar المَلِقِthe flatterer
عَنِ الأُمورِ وَيُحّبى الكاذِبُ المَلِقِ
And people differ: hatred is given to the one among them who speaks truth
About affairs, while the lying flatterer is given gifts.
يَغدوgoes إِلىto المَينِfalsehood مَنwhoever قَلَّتwere few دَراهِمُهhis dirhams
يَغدو إِلى المَينِ مَن قَلَّت دَراهِمُه
فَيَجمَعُso he gathers المالَwealth ماas long as يَفريhe fabricates وَيَختَلِقُand invents lies
فَيَجمَعُ المالَ ما يَفري وَيَختَلِقُ
He whose dirhams are few turns to falsehood,
So he gathers wealth as long as he fabricates and invents lies.
وَرُبَّماand sometimes عَذَلَreproached الإِنسانُthe human being مُهجَتَهُhis soul
وَرُبَّما عَذَلَ الإِنسانُ مُهجَتَهُ
فيfor الصُدقِtruthfulness حينَwhen يَرىhe sees جَدَّthe good fortune of الَّذيthe one who يَلقُlies
في الصُدقِ حينَ يَرى جَدَّ الَّذي يَلقُ
And sometimes a man reproaches his own soul
For telling the truth, when he sees the good fortune of one who lies.
وَيُخلِفُand disappoints الظَنُّexpectation فيabout الأَشياءِthings صاحِبَهُits holder
وَيُخلِفُ الظَنُّ في الأَشياءِ صاحِبَهُ
وَالغَيمُand the clouds يَكديyield no rain وَداعيand the herald of البَرقِlightning يَأتَلِقُgleams
وَالغَيمُ يَكدي وَداعي البَرقِ يَأتَلِقُ
And expectations about things disappoint the one who holds them;
And clouds yield no rain, while lightning's herald gleams.
Sol 6.1