دَعleave آدَماًAdam لاmay not شَفاهُheal him اللَهُGod مِنof هَبَلٍfolly
دَع آدَماً لا شَفاهُ اللَهُ مِن هَبَلٍ
يَبكيweeping عَلىover نَجلِهِhis son المَقتولِthe slain هابيلاAbel
يَبكي عَلى نَجلِهِ المَقتولِ هابيلا
Leave Adam—may God not cure him of folly—
Leave Adam, may God not heal his lips of raving,
to weep over his slain son Abel.
Weeping for his murdered son Abel.
فَفيfor, in عِقابِpunishment الَّذيthat which أَبداهُhe manifested it مِنof خَطَإٍerror
فَفي عِقابِ الَّذي أَبداهُ مِن خَطَإٍ
ظَلناwe have continued نُمارِسُto grapple with مِنof سُقمٍsickness عَقابيلاlingering aftereffects
ظَلنا نُمارِسُ مِن سُقمٍ عَقابيلا
For, in punishment for the error he committed,
So in punishment for his sin
we have kept grappling with the lingering aftereffects of sickness.
We keep contracting illnesses.
وَنَحنُand we مِنfrom حَدَثانٍfate's vicissitudes نَمتَريdraw forth عَجَباًwonder
وَنَحنُ مِن حَدَثانٍ نَمتَري عَجَباً
وَمَعشَرٌand a company يَقِفونَdedicate as an endowment الغَيَّerror تَسبيلاfor public benefit
وَمَعشَرٌ يَقِفونَ الغَيَّ تَسبيلا
We draw wonder from the turns of fate,
While we, from folly, regard with wonder
while some people make error a charitable endowment.
A band standing confused, losing the way.
هُمُthey الغَرابيبُthe pitch-black ones مِنwith إِثمٍsin وَإِنand even if أَمِنواthey are trusted
هُمُ الغَرابيبُ مِن إِثمٍ وَإِن أَمِنوا
عَلىwith سِرارِكَyour secrets لَمnot تُعدَمyou are deprived of غَرابيلاsieves
عَلى سِرارِكَ لَم تُعدَم غَرابيلا
They are pitch-black with sin; even if they are trusted
They are naughty children, though they feel secure,
with your secrets, you will not lack for sieves.
If they guard their secrets, that won't lack naughtiness.
دَهرٌtime يَكُرُّcomes round again وَيَومٌand a day ماnot يَمُرُّpasses بِناby us
دَهرٌ يَكُرُّ وَيَومٌ ما يَمُرُّ بِنا
إِلّاexcept that يَزيدُincreases بِهِthrough it المَعقولُreason تَخبيلاin derangement
إِلّا يَزيدُ بِهِ المَعقولُ تَخبيلا
Time rolls round, and not a day passes us
An age that changes and a day that doesn't pass us
but reason grows more deranged through it.
Without increasing the reasonable one's madness.
مِنamong أَنكَرِthe strangest النُكرِstrange things سودانٌblack men شَرامِحَةٌtall and long-limbed
مِن أَنكَرِ النُكرِ سودانٌ شَرامِحَةٌ
تَكونُare أَبناؤُهاtheir sons بيضاًwhite تَنابيلاshort and squat
تَكونُ أَبناؤُها بيضاً تَنابيلا
Among the strangest wonders are tall black men
Of the strangest strangeness, black-faced impudent ones
whose sons are white and squat.
Whose children would be white rabbits.
تَنَسَّكَturned ascetic الأَسَدُthe lion الضِرغامُthe mighty lion وَاِبتَكَرَتand bore as firstborn
تَنَسَّكَ الأَسَدُ الضِرغامُ وَاِبتَكَرَت
جَآذِرُcalves العَينِof wide-eyed wild cows آساداًlions رَآبيلاferocious lions
جَآذِرُ العَينِ آساداً رَآبيلا
The mighty lion turned ascetic; and, as their firstborn,
The lion, the biting one, acted pious,
the calves of wide-eyed wild cows bore ferocious lions.
And the tree roots produced lions, mounts.
إِنَّindeed القِيانَsinging slave-girls وَشُربَand drinking الراحِwine مَفسَدَةٌa source of corruption
إِنَّ القِيانَ وَشُربَ الراحِ مَفسَدَةٌ
مِنsince قَبلِbefore لَمكٍLamech وَقَينانٍand Kenan وَقابيلاand Cain
مِن قَبلِ لَمكٍ وَقَينانٍ وَقابيلا
Singing girls and wine-drinking are a source of corruption,
Drinking alcohol corrupts
and have been since before Lamech, Kenan, and Cain.
Through the fault of Lamech, Cain, and Abel.
أَمّاas for سَرابيلُgarments دُنياكُمyour worldly life فَضافِيَةٌthen they are ample
أَمّا سَرابيلُ دُنياكُم فَضافِيَةٌ
وَماand not كُسيتُمyou were clothed مِنَof التَقوىpiety سَرابيلاgarments
وَما كُسيتُم مِنَ التَقوى سَرابيلا
As for your worldly garments, they are ample,
As for your worldly garments, they are fleeting,
yet you have not been clothed in robes of piety.
And you haven't been clothed with piety.
فَقابَلَthen met التُربُthe dust سِمطَيtwo strings لُؤلُؤٍof pearls بِفَمٍin a mouth
فَقابَلَ التُربُ سِمطَي لُؤلُؤٍ بِفَمٍ
يَرومُseeks لِلمومِسِfor the prostitute الغَيداءِthe lissome تَقبيلاkissing
يَرومُ لِلمومِسِ الغَيداءِ تَقبيلا
Then dust met two strings of pearls in a mouth
So the dust met the scattered pearls with a mouth
that sought to kiss a lissome prostitute.
That tries to kiss the wanton singing girl.
وَماand not وَجَدتُI have found مَناياdeath-fates القَومِof the people مُغفِلَةًoverlooking
وَما وَجَدتُ مَنايا القَومِ مُغفِلَةً
شِبلاًa lion cub بِغابٍin a thicket وَلاnor غَفراًan ibex kid بِإِشبيلاin Ishbila
شِبلاً بِغابٍ وَلا غَفراً بِإِشبيلا
I have never found the doom of men overlooking
And I didn't find the deaths of the heedless people
a lion cub in a thicket or an ibex kid in Ishbila.
Neglect a lion cub or pardon a young lion.
أَرىI see التَطَوُّلَself-exaltation فيamong الأَقوامِpeoples طالَhas risen high بِكُمwith you
أَرى التَطَوُّلَ في الأَقوامِ طالَ بِكُم
إِلىto النُجومِthe stars وَإِنeven though كُنتُمyou are حَنابيلاsquat little men
إِلى النُجومِ وَإِن كُنتُم حَنابيلا
I see your self-exaltation among peoples has raised you
I see pretentiousness in people has reached you
to the stars, though you are squat little men.
To the stars, though you are insignificant.
Sol 6.1