ماnot وَقَعَoccurred التَقصيرُshortcoming فيin لَفظِناour speech
ما وَقَعَ التَقصيرُ في لَفظِنا
لَوif صَدَقَتbore out أَفعالُناour deeds الأَلسِنَهthe tongues
لَو صَدَقَت أَفعالُنا الأَلسِنَه
No shortcoming would have marred our speech,
No fault lies in our words,
had our deeds borne out our tongues.
If only our actions were as true as our tongues.
كَمhow many حَسُنَتwas beautiful فيon الأَرضِthe earth مِنof صورَةٍa form
كَم حَسُنَت في الأَرضِ مِن صورَةٍ
وَلَمand did not تَكُنbe فيin عَمَلٍa deed مُحسِنَهdoing good
وَلَم تَكُن في عَمَلٍ مُحسِنَه
How many a form on earth has been fair,
How excellent in form are the images on earth,
yet has not been virtuous in its deeds.
Yet no work equals their beauty.
وَماand not عُيونُthe eyes الناسِof people فيماin what أَرىI see
وَما عُيونُ الناسِ فيما أَرى
مُنتَبِهاتٍawakened مِنfrom طَويلِlong السِنَهdrowsiness
مُنتَبِهاتٍ مِن طَويلِ السِنَه
And people's eyes are not, as I see it,
The eyes of men, as I see,
awake from their long drowsiness.
Are not roused by prolonged old age.
إِنَّindeed أَمامِيَbefore me أَسَداًa lion فارِساًravening
إِنَّ أَمامِيَ أَسَداً فارِساً
لاnot بازِلاًa full-grown camel يوطِئُنيlets me tread فِرسَنَهits footpad
لا بازِلاً يوطِئُني فِرسَنَه
Indeed, before me is a ravening lion,
Before me is a valiant lion,
not a full-grown camel letting me tread its footpad.
A fierce steed who will trample me underfoot.
إِنif تَتَطَيَّرyou read ill omens أَوor تَفاءَلyou read good omens فَماthen not
إِن تَتَطَيَّر أَو تَفاءَل فَما
تَملِكُyou have power over ريبَcalamities الدَهرِof time أَنto تَرسِنَهyou halter it
تَملِكُ ريبَ الدَهرِ أَن تَرسِنَه
Whether you read ill omens or good, you do not
Whether you are superstitious or pessimistic,
have the power to halter time's calamities.
You have no power to hold back fate.
خيرِيَّةٌa khayriyya flower (gillyflower) فيin لَفظِهاits name خيرَةٌgoodness
خيرِيَّةٌ في لَفظِها خيرَةٌ
جاءَتكَit came to you بِالسوءِwith evil مِنَfrom السَوسَنَهthe iris
جاءَتكَ بِالسوءِ مِنَ السَوسَنَه
A khayriyya flower, with goodness in its name,
A good word outwardly, yet inwardly
has brought you evil from the iris.
It brought you evil from the lily plant.
وَالأَمَلُand hope المَبسوطُoutstretched قِرنٌan adversary إِزاopposite (word begins)
وَالأَمَلُ المَبسوطُ قِرنٌ إِزا
ءَ(completes 'opposite') اللَيثِthe lion لاnot يَترُكُceases أَنto يَلسُنَهtaunt it
ءَ اللَيثِ لا يَترُكُ أَن يَلسُنَه
And hope, stretched out, is an adversary facing
Wide hopes are the horns of a deer,
the lion, never ceasing to taunt it.
Which do not stop it from being devoured.
لَوif قيلَit were said لَمnot يَبقَremained سِوىexcept ساعَةٍan hour
لَو قيلَ لَم يَبقَ سِوى ساعَةٍ
أَمَّلتَyou would hope for ماwhat تَعجِزُfalls short عَنهُof it سَنَهa year
أَمَّلتَ ما تَعجِزُ عَنهُ سَنَه
If it were said, 'Only an hour remains,'
If it were said you had but an hour left,
you would hope for what a year cannot accomplish.
You would hope for what a lifetime cannot achieve.
Sol 6.1