جاءَcame القِرانُthe conjunction وَأَمُand, by اللَهِGod أَرسَلَهُHe sent it
جاءَ القِرانُ وَأَمُ اللَهِ أَرسَلَهُ
وَكانَand there was سِترٌa veil عَلىover الأَديانِthe faiths فَاِنخَرَقاso it tore open
وَكانَ سِترٌ عَلى الأَديانِ فَاِنخَرَقا
The conjunction came—and, by God, He sent it;
and there was a veil over the faiths, which then was torn.
ماnot أُبرِمَwas made firm المُلكُdominion إِلّاexcept عادَreturned مُنتَقَضاًundone
ما أُبرِمَ المُلكُ إِلّا عادَ مُنتَقَضاً
وَلاand not تَأَلَّفَcame together إِلّاexcept شَتَّscattered وَاِفتَرَقاand split apart
وَلا تَأَلَّفَ إِلّا شَتَّ وَاِفتَرَقا
No dominion is made firm without coming undone again,
nor does it come together without scattering and splitting apart.
مَذاهِبٌcreeds جَعَلوهاthey made them مِنamong مَعايِشِهِمtheir livelihoods
مَذاهِبٌ جَعَلوها مِن مَعايِشِهِم
مَنwhoever يُعمِلِapplies الفَِكرَthought فيهاto them تُعطِهِthey give him الأَرقاsleeplessness
مَن يُعمِلِ الفَِكرَ فيها تُعطِهِ الأَرقا
Creeds they made part of their livelihood;
whoever brings thought to bear on them receives sleeplessness.
إِحذَرbeware سَليلَكَyour offspring فَالنارُfor the fire الَّتيthat خَرَجَتsprang forth
إِحذَر سَليلَكَ فَالنارُ الَّتي خَرَجَت
مِنfrom زِندِهاits fire-stick إِنif أَصابَتtouched عودَهُits wood اِحتَرَقاburned
مِن زِندِها إِن أَصابَت عودَهُ اِحتَرَقا
Beware your offspring: the fire that sprang
from its fire-stick—if it touches the stick’s wood, that wood burns.
وَكُلُّناand all of us قَومُa people سوءٍof wickedness لاnot أَخِصُّI single out بِهِby this
وَكُلُّنا قَومُ سوءٍ لا أَخِصُّ بِهِ
بَعضَsome of الأَنامِhumankind وَلَكِنbut أَجمَعُI encompass الفِرقاthe factions
بَعضَ الأَنامِ وَلَكِن أَجمَعُ الفِرقا
And we are all a wicked people; I do not single out
some of humankind, but encompass every faction.
لاdo not تَرجُوَنَّever hope in أَخاًa brother مِنهُمamong them وَلاnor وَلَداًa son
لا تَرجُوَنَّ أَخاً مِنهُم وَلا وَلَداً
وَإِنand even if رَأَيتَyou saw حَياءًmodesty أَسبَغَmade profuse العَرَقاsweat
وَإِن رَأَيتَ حَياءً أَسبَغَ العَرَقا
Never put your hopes in a brother among them, nor in a son,
even if you see modesty bringing forth copious sweat.
وَالنَفسُand the self شَرٌّworse مِنَthan الأَعداءِthe enemies كُلِّهُمُall of them
وَالنَفسُ شَرٌّ مِنَ الأَعداءِ كُلِّهُمُ
وَإِنand if خَلَتwas alone بِكَwith you يَوماًone day فَاِحتَرِزthen guard yourself فَرَقاin fear
وَإِن خَلَت بِكَ يَوماً فَاِحتَرِز فَرَقا
And the self is worse than all enemies;
and if it is alone with you one day, guard yourself in fear.
كَمhow many سَيِّدٍa lord بارِقُshining with الجَدوىbounty بِمَيسِمِهِin his mien
كَم سَيِّدٍ بارِقُ الجَدوى بِمَيسِمِهِ
ساوَواthey equated بِهِwith him الجَدِيَthe kid عِندَat الحَتفِdeath وَالبَرَقاand the lamb
ساوَوا بِهِ الجَدِيَ عِندَ الحَتفِ وَالبَرَقا
How many a lord, bounty shining in his mien,
they equated with the kid and the lamb at death!
إِنif رُمتَyou sought مِنfrom شَيخٍan elder رَهطٍof a clan فيin دِيانَتِهِhis faith
إِن رُمتَ مِن شَيخٍ رَهطٍ في دِيانَتِهِ
دَليلَa proof عَقلٍof reason عَلىfor ماwhat قالَهُhe said it خَرَقاhe became bewildered
دَليلَ عَقلٍ عَلى ما قالَهُ خَرَقا
If you seek from a clan’s elder, concerning his faith,
a rational proof for what he said, he is confounded.
وَكَيفَand how أَجنيcan I reap وَلَمand not يُرِقput forth leaves لَهُمfor them غُصنيmy branch
وَكَيفَ أَجني وَلَم يُرِق لَهُم غُصني
وَالغُصنُand the branch لَمnot يُجنَis harvested حَتّىuntil أُلبِسَwas clothed in الوَرَقاleaves
وَالغُصنُ لَم يُجنَ حَتّى أُلبِسَ الوَرَقا
And how can I reap when my branch has not leafed out for them?
A branch is not harvested until it is clothed in leaves.
عَزَّexalted is المُهَيمِنُthe Guardian كَمhow many مِنof راحَةٍa palm بُتِكَتwas severed
عَزَّ المُهَيمِنُ كَم مِن راحَةٍ بُتِكَت
ظُلماًunjustly وَكانَand was سِواهاanother than it يَأخُذُtaking السَرَقاthe stolen goods
ظُلماً وَكانَ سِواها يَأخُذُ السَرَقا
Exalted is the Guardian! How many a palm was severed
unjustly, while another hand was taking the stolen goods.
وَالدُرُّand the pearl لاقىmet المَناياdeaths فيin أَكُفِّهِمُtheir palms
وَالدُرُّ لاقى المَنايا في أَكُفِّهِمُ
وَكمand how long ثَوىdwelt البَحرَthe sea لاnot يَخشىfears بِهِin it غَرَقاdrowning
وَكم ثَوى البَحرَ لا يَخشى بِهِ غَرَقا
And the pearl met death in their palms,
though long it had dwelt in the sea, fearing no drowning there.
مَينٌa lie يُرَدَّدُis repeated لَمnot يَرضواthey were content بِباطِلِهِwith its falsehood
مَينٌ يُرَدَّدُ لَم يَرضوا بِباطِلِهِ
حَتّىuntil أَبانواthey made clear إِلىto تَصديقِهِbelieving it طُرُقاpaths
حَتّى أَبانوا إِلى تَصديقِهِ طُرُقا
A lie repeated—they were not content with its falsehood
until they laid out paths to believing it.
لاno رُشدَguidance فَاِصمُتso be silent وَلاand do not تَسأَلهُمask them رِشداًguidance
لا رُشدَ فَاِصمُت وَلا تَسأَلهُم رِشداً
فَاللُبُّfor reason فيamong الأُنسِhumankind طَيفٌa phantom زائِرٌa visitor طَرَقاcame by night
فَاللُبُّ في الأُنسِ طَيفٌ زائِرٌ طَرَقا
There is no guidance, so be silent, and do not ask them for guidance;
for reason among humankind is a phantom visitor arriving by night.
وَآكِلُand the eater القَوتِof food لَمnot يُعدَمis deprived of لَهُbecause of it عَنَتاًhardship
وَآكِلُ القَوتِ لَم يُعدَم لَهُ عَنَتاً
وَشارِبُand the drinker الماءِof water لَمnot يَأمَنis safe بِهِon it شَرَقاchoking
وَشارِبُ الماءِ لَم يَأمَن بِهِ شَرَقا
And the eater of food is not spared hardship from it,
and the drinker of water is not safe from choking on it.
وَناظِرُand the pupil العَينِof the eye وَالدُنِّياwhile the world رُئِيَتis seen
وَناظِرُ العَينِ وَالدُنِّيا رُئِيَت
ماnot إِنemphasizes negation دَرىknew أَسواداًwhether blackness حَلَّsettled أَمor زَرَقاblueness
ما إِن دَرى أَسواداً حَلَّ أَم زَرَقا
And the eye’s pupil, though the world is seen,
knows not whether blackness or blueness has settled within it.
إِذاwhen كَشَفتَyou uncover عَنِconcerning الرِهبانِthe monks حالَهُمُtheir condition
إِذا كَشَفتَ عَنِ الرِهبانِ حالَهُمُ
فَكُلُّهُمthen every one of them يَتَوَخّىseeks التِبرَunworked gold وَالوَرِقاand silver
فَكُلُّهُم يَتَوَخّى التِبرَ وَالوَرِقا
When you lay bare the monks’ condition,
then every one of them seeks gold and silver.
Sol 6.1