المَرءُthe human being حَتّىuntil يُغَيَّبَis hidden away الشَبَحُthe bodily form
المَرءُ حَتّى يُغَيَّبَ الشَبَحُ
مُغتَبِقٌdrinking at evening هَمَّهُhis sorrow وَمُصطَبِحُand drinking at dawn
مُغتَبِقٌ هَمَّهُ وَمُصطَبِحُ
A man, until his bodily form is hidden away,
Man remains obscured until the specter passes away,
drinks his sorrow at evening and at dawn.
Immersed in his worries and optimistic.
وَالخَلقُand people حيتانُfish لُجَّةٍa deep sea لَعِبَتthey frolicked
وَالخَلقُ حيتانُ لُجَّةٍ لَعِبَت
وَفيand in بِحارٍseas مِنَof الأَذىharm سَبَحواthey swam
وَفي بِحارٍ مِنَ الأَذى سَبَحوا
And people are fish of the deep that frolicked,
People are whales sporting in the deep,
and swam in seas of harm.
Swimming in seas of harm.
لاdo not تَحفِلنَpay any heed to هَجوَهُمtheir abuse وَُمَدحَهُمُand their praise
لا تَحفِلنَ هَجوَهُم وَُمَدحَهُمُ
فَإِنَّماfor ... are merely القَومُthe people أَكلُبٌdogs نُبُحُbarking
فَإِنَّما القَومُ أَكلُبٌ نُبُحُ
Heed neither their abuse nor their praise;
Do not heed their censure or praise,
for these people are nothing but barking dogs.
For people are but barking dogs.
وَلاand do not تَهِبfear أُسدَهُمtheir lions إِذwhen زَأَرواthey roared
وَلا تَهِب أُسدَهُم إِذ زَأَروا
وَقُلand say تَداعَتcalled to one another ثَعالِبٌfoxes ضُبُحُyelping
وَقُل تَداعَت ثَعالِبٌ ضُبُحُ
And do not fear their lions when they roar;
Do not rouse their lion when they roar,
and say, 'Yelping foxes have called to one another.'
And say: "Foxes have gathered and barked."
وَهُمand they مِنَin relation to المَوتِdeath أَهلُpeople of مَنزِلَةٍa position
وَهُم مِنَ المَوتِ أَهلُ مَنزِلَةٍ
إِنif لَمnot يُراعواthey are startled بِطارِقٍby a night visitor صُبِحواthey are assailed at dawn
إِن لَم يُراعوا بِطارِقٍ صُبِحوا
And as for death, their lot is this:
They are, towards death, people of status;
if not startled by a night visitor, they are assailed at dawn.
If they are not cautious, they will morn.
لَمnot يَفطُنواthey discerned لِلجَميلِto goodness بَلrather جُبِلواthey were fashioned
لَم يَفطُنوا لِلجَميلِ بَل جُبِلوا
عَلىupon قَبيحٍevil فَماso what لَهُمis with them قُبِحواmay they be disgraced
عَلى قَبيحٍ فَما لَهُم قُبِحوا
They did not discern goodness, but were fashioned
They were not wise to kindness, but were created
for evil—what ails them? May they be disgraced!
Accustomed to vileness, so why disgrace them?
فَمَنso who لِتَجرِfor the merchants of الوِدادِaffection إِنَّهُمُindeed they
فَمَن لِتَجرِ الوِدادِ إِنَّهُمُ
لاnot خَسِرواthey lost عِندَهُمwith them وَلاand not رَبِحواthey gained
لا خَسِروا عِندَهُم وَلا رَبِحوا
Who, then, will aid the merchants of affection? For they
Who then will pull the cord of affection? They
have neither lost nor gained in their dealings with them.
Neither lost nor gained with it.
أَقَلُّless مِنهُمthan they شَرّاًin evil وَمُرزِيَةًand harm
أَقَلُّ مِنهُم شَرّاً وَمُرزِيَةً
ماwhat رَكِبواthey rode لِلسُّرىfor night travel وَماand what ذَبَحواthey slaughtered
ما رَكِبوا لِلسُّرى وَما ذَبَحوا
Less wicked and less harmful than they
Less evil and blameworthy than them
are the beasts they rode by night and those they slaughtered.
Are those who never mounted a steed or slaughtered.
فَلَيتَهُمso, if only they كَالبَهائِمِlike beasts اِعتَرَفواthey accepted
فَلَيتَهُم كَالبَهائِمِ اِعتَرَفوا
لُجماًbridles إِذاwhen بانَbecame apparent زَيغَهُمtheir straying كُبِحواthey were reined in
لُجماً إِذا بانَ زَيغَهُم كُبِحوا
If only they, like beasts, would accept
If only they admitted, like beasts,
bridles—when their straying showed, they could be reined in.
When their deviance appeared, they were checked.
Sol 6.1