مَكانٌspace وَدَهرٌand time أَحرَزاhave both enclosed كُلَّevery مُدرِكٍperceiver
مَكانٌ وَدَهرٌ أَحرَزا كُلَّ مُدرِكٍ
وَماand not لَهُماfor them both لَونٌcolor يُحَسُّis sensed وَلاand no حَجمُsize
وَما لَهُما لَونٌ يُحَسُّ وَلا حَجمُ
Space and time encompass every perceiving being,
Yet they have no perceptible color, nor any size.
وَلَيسَand there is no لَناfor us عِلمٌknowledge بِسِرِّof the secret إِلَهِناour God
وَلَيسَ لَنا عِلمٌ بِسِرِّ إِلَهِنا
فَهَلso, did ...? عَلِمَتهُknew it الشَمسُthe sun أَوor شَعَرَsensed النَجمُthe star
فَهَل عَلِمَتهُ الشَمسُ أَو شَعَرَ النَجمُ
And we have no knowledge of our God's secret;
Has the sun, then, known it, or has the star sensed it?
وَنَحنُand we غُواةٌthose astray يَرجُمُcasts الظَنَّconjecture بَعضُناsome of us
وَنَحنُ غُواةٌ يَرجُمُ الظَنَّ بَعضُنا
لِيَعرِفَto learn ماwhat نورُlight الكَواكِبِthe stars وَالرُجمُand meteors
لِيَعرِفَ ما نورُ الكَواكِبِ وَالرُجمُ
And we are astray; some of us cast conjectures,
To learn what the light of the stars and the meteors are.
وَتَطرُدُناand drives us on ساعاتُناour hours وَكَأَنَّناand as though we were
وَتَطرُدُنا ساعاتُنا وَكَأَنَّنا
وَسائِقُdroves خَيلٍhorses ماnot تُكَفكِفُهاrestrain them اللُجمُthe bridles
وَسائِقُ خَيلٍ ما تُكَفكِفُها اللُجمُ
And our hours drive us on, as though we were
Droves of horses that bridles cannot restrain.
قَضىdecreed اللَهُGod فيin وَقتٍa time مَضىgone by أَنَّthat عامَكُمyour year
قَضى اللَهُ في وَقتٍ مَضى أَنَّ عامَكُم
يَقِلُّis scant حَياهُits rain أَوor يَزيدُincreases بِهِin it السَجمُthe pouring rain
يَقِلُّ حَياهُ أَو يَزيدُ بِهِ السَجمُ
God decreed in a bygone time that your year
Would have scant rain, or see its downpour increase.
فَقَولُكُمُso your saying رَبِّmy Lord اِسقِناgive us rain غَيرُnot مُمطِرٍrain-producing
فَقَولُكُمُ رَبِّ اِسقِنا غَيرُ مُمطِرٍ
وَلَكِنand yet بِهَذاin this دانَتِbelieved العُربُthe Arabs وَالعُجُمُand the non-Arabs
وَلَكِن بِهَذا دانَتِ العُربُ وَالعُجُمُ
So your saying, 'My Lord, give us rain,' brings no rain;
And yet Arabs and non-Arabs have believed in this.
عَلىat كُلِّevery شَيءٍthing تَهجِمونَyou charge بِجَهلِكُمin your ignorance
عَلى كُلِّ شَيءٍ تَهجِمونَ بِجَهلِكُم
وَأَعياكُمُand proved beyond you يَوماًone day عَلىupon رَشَدٍsound judgment هَجمُa charge
وَأَعياكُمُ يَوماً عَلى رَشَدٍ هَجمُ
You charge at everything in your ignorance,
Yet a charge toward sound judgment, even once, has proved beyond you.
Sol 6.1