بِئسَwretched is الشَهادَةُthe testimony إِذاwhen سَأَلتَyou ask شَهادَةٌa testimony
بِئسَ الشَهادَةُ إِذا سَأَلتَ شَهادَةٌ
يَرجوhopes for المُلاطِفُthe flatterer قَرضَهاlending it وَقِراضَهاand its return in kind
يَرجو المُلاطِفُ قَرضَها وَقِراضَها
When you ask for testimony, wretched is the testimony
Wretched is the testimony when you ask for a testimony
That the flatterer hopes to lend and have repaid in kind.
The flatterer hopes for its loan and its borrowing
وَلِشَرُّand surely the worst أَصحابِcompanions of الرِجالِmen عِصابَةٌa band
وَلِشَرُّ أَصحابِ الرِجالِ عِصابَةٌ
تُعطيكَgives you دونَrather than ثِيابِهاtheir clothes أَعراضَهاtheir honor
تُعطيكَ دونَ ثِيابِها أَعراضَها
And surely the worst of men's companions are a band
And the worst of men's companions is a gang
Who give you their honor rather than their clothes.
That gives you its backs without its clothes
إِنَّindeed اللَيالِيَthe nights ماnot تَصَرَّمُpass away عَنهُمُfrom them
إِنَّ اللَيالِيَ ما تَصَرَّمُ عَنهُمُ
إِلّاexcept لِتَبلُغَso as to attain فيِهُمُin them أَغراضَهاtheir aims
إِلّا لِتَبلُغَ فيِهُمُ أَغراضَها
Indeed, the nights do not pass over them
Indeed the nights do not get old from them
Except to fulfill their designs upon them.
Except to achieve their purposes in them
أَوand (introducing a question) ماnot رَأَيتَyou have seen جَنائِزاًbiers مَحمولَةًbeing carried
أَو ما رَأَيتَ جَنائِزاً مَحمولَةً
تَمشيwalk الغُواةُthe misguided أَمامَهاbefore them وَعِراضَهاand at their sides
تَمشي الغُواةُ أَمامَها وَعِراضَها
And have you not seen biers being carried,
Or have you not seen corpses being carried
The misguided walking before them and at their sides?
While the wrongdoers walk in front of it and its biers
تَبغيyou seek مِنَfrom الآمالِhopes ذِلَّةَthe docility of مُسعِفٍa willing helper
تَبغي مِنَ الآمالِ ذِلَّةَ مُسعِفٍ
تِلكَthose المَصاعِبُunruly steeds أَتعَّبَتhave wearied مَنwhoever راضَهاtamed them
تِلكَ المَصاعِبُ أَتعَّبَت مَن راضَها
You seek from hopes the docility of a willing helper;
It seeks from hopes the disgrace of a helper
Those unruly steeds have wearied whoever tamed them.
Those difficulties made weary whoever satisfied them
بَكَرَwent early الطَبيبُthe physician عَلىto الدَواءِthe medicine وَلِلرِدىand death has
بَكَرَ الطَبيبُ عَلى الدَواءِ وَلِلرِدى
كَأسٌa cup تَعُمُّencompasses صِحاحَهاtheir healthy ones وَمِراضَهاand their sick ones
كَأسٌ تَعُمُّ صِحاحَها وَمِراضَها
The physician went early to administer medicine, yet death has
The doctor rushed to the medicine but for destruction
A cup that reaches them all, the healthy and the sick.
A cup whose maladies and diseases encompass its health
Sol 6.1