لاdo not تَلبَسِwear الدُنياthe world فَإِنَّfor indeed لِباسَهاits clothing
لا تَلبَسِ الدُنيا فَإِنَّ لِباسَها
سَقَمٌsickness وَعَرِّand strip bare الجِسمَthe body مِنof أَثوابِهاits garments
سَقَمٌ وَعَرِّ الجِسمَ مِن أَثوابِها
Do not clothe yourself in the world, for her garment
Do not wear the world, for its clothing
is sickness—hurry the body out of her robes.
is sickness; and strip the body of its garments.
أَناI خائِفٌfearful مِنof شَرِّهاits evil مُتَوَقِّعٌexpecting
أَنا خائِفٌ مِن شَرِّها مُتَوَقِّعٌ
إِكآبَهاthe gloom it brings لاnot الشُربَdrinking مِنfrom أَكوابِهاits cups
إِكآبَها لا الشُربَ مِن أَكوابِها
I fear her war, expecting
I fear its evil, expecting
her to cast me headlong—not a draught from her cups.
the gloom it brings, not a drink from its cups.
فَلتَفعَلِso let it do النَفسُthe soul الجَميلَwhat is good لِأَنَّهُbecause it is
فَلتَفعَلِ النَفسُ الجَميلَ لِأَنَّهُ
خَيرٌgood وَأَحسَنُand better لاnot لِأَجلِfor the sake of ثَوابِهاits reward
خَيرٌ وَأَحسَنُ لا لِأَجلِ ثَوابِها
Let the soul perform the beautiful deed, for it is
So let the soul do good, because it is
better and fairer—not for the sake of her reward.
good and nobler—not for the sake of its reward.
فيin بَيتِهِhis house الحَكَمُthe arbiter الَّذيwho هُوَhe صادِقٌtruthful
في بَيتِهِ الحَكَمُ الَّذي هُوَ صادِقٌ
فَأتواso come to بُيوتَhouses القَومِthe people مِنthrough أَبوابِهاtheir doors
فَأتوا بُيوتَ القَومِ مِن أَبوابِها
In his house is the arbiter who speaks truth;
In his house is the arbiter who is truthful;
so come to people's houses through their doors.
so come to the people's houses through their doors.
وَتَخالُفُand discord الرُؤَساءِthe leaders يَشهَدُtestifies مُقسِماًswearing an oath
وَتَخالُفُ الرُؤَساءِ يَشهَدُ مُقسِماً
إِنَّthat المَعاشِرَthe communities ماnot اِهتَدَتfound guidance لِصَوابِهاto their right course
إِنَّ المَعاشِرَ ما اِهتَدَت لِصَوابِها
The disagreement of rulers bears witness, swearing
And the discord of leaders testifies under oath
that the communities have not found their proper course.
that communities have not found their right course.
وَإِذاand when لُصوصُthieves الأَرضِthe land أَعيَتbaffled والِياًa governor
وَإِذا لُصوصُ الأَرضِ أَعيَت والِياً
أَلقىhe put السُؤالَthe question بِهاin it عَلىto تُوّابِهاits penitents
أَلقى السُؤالَ بِها عَلى تُوّابِها
And when the land's thieves baffle a governor,
And when the land's thieves baffle a governor,
he turns his questioning there upon its penitents.
he puts the question there to its penitents.
جيبَتwas traversed فَلاةٌa wilderness لِلغِنىfor wealth فَأَصابَهُand attained it
جيبَت فَلاةٌ لِلغِنى فَأَصابَهُ
نَفَرٌa few people وَصينَand was guarded الغَيبُthe unseen عَنfrom جَوّابِهاits wanderer
نَفَرٌ وَصينَ الغَيبُ عَن جَوّابِها
A wilderness was crossed in pursuit of wealth, and it was attained by
A wilderness was crossed in search of wealth, which was gained
a band, which kept the unseen from answering her.
by a few; the unseen was kept from its wanderer.
آوىsheltered بِهاin it اللَهُGod الأَنامَhumankind فَماyet did not أَوىhave pity
آوى بِها اللَهُ الأَنامَ فَما أَوى
لِمُحالِفيfor those allied with دَدِهاits frivolity وَلاnor أَوّابِهاits penitent
لِمُحالِفي دَدِها وَلا أَوّابِها
God lodged humankind within her, yet she gave no refuge
God sheltered humankind there, yet had no pity
to those allied with her fortune, nor to those returning to her.
for those allied with its frivolity, nor for its penitent.
Sol 6.1