كَأَنَّas though أَكوانَstates of existence أَعمارٍlifetimes نَعيشُwe live بِهاin them
كَأَنَّ أَكوانَ أَعمارٍ نَعيشُ بِها
خَيلٌhorses يُبَدَّلُis replaced ماضيهاtheir departing ones بِتاليهاby their successors
خَيلٌ يُبَدَّلُ ماضيها بِتاليها
As though the phases of the lives we live
were horses, their departing ones replaced by their successors.
فَفَذُّهاso each single one of them يَحمِلُcarries الأَشياءَthings قاطِبَةًall together
فَفَذُّها يَحمِلُ الأَشياءَ قاطِبَةً
كَلَحمَةِlike a blink of العَينِthe eye ثُمَّthen الوَضعُunloading واليهاfollows it
كَلَحمَةِ العَينِ ثُمَّ الوَضعُ واليها
Each single one carries all things together,
for an eye’s blink; then unloading follows it.
تَحُطُّunloads عَنهُfrom it لَآتٍfor one coming بَعدَهُafter it أَبَداًalways
تَحُطُّ عَنهُ لَآتٍ بَعدَهُ أَبَداً
فَلاso does not تُبيدُdestroy وَلاnor تَثنيturn back خَواليهاtheir bygone ones
فَلا تُبيدُ وَلا تَثني خَواليها
Its load is always set down for one coming after it;
their bygone ones are neither destroyed nor turned back.
هَوِّنtake it lightly عَلَيكَon yourself فَماfor ... is not الدُنياthe world بِدائِمَةٍeverlasting
هَوِّن عَلَيكَ فَما الدُنيا بِدائِمَةٍ
وَلَيسَand is not عاطِلُهاits unadorned one إِلّاexcept كَحاليهاlike its adorned one
وَلَيسَ عاطِلُها إِلّا كَحاليها
Take it lightly: this world does not endure,
and its unadorned one is no different from its adorned one.
وَالعَقلُand reason يَزعَمُdeems أَيّاماًdays تُشاهِدُهاyou behold them
وَالعَقلُ يَزعَمُ أَيّاماً تُشاهِدُها
بَيضاًwhite حَوادِثَnew occurrences فيin داجيthe darkness of لَياليهاits nights
بَيضاً حَوادِثَ في داجي لَياليها
Reason holds the days you behold—
white days—to be happenings amid the darkness of its nights.
نَفسيmy soul بِهاwith it وَنُفوسُand the souls القَومِof the people مُلهَجَةٌenthralled
نَفسي بِها وَنُفوسُ القَومِ مُلهَجَةٌ
وَنَحنُand we نُخبِرُdeclare أَنّاthat we لاdo not نُباليهاcare about it
وَنَحنُ نُخبِرُ أَنّا لا نُباليها
My soul and the people’s souls are enthralled by it,
while we declare that we care nothing for it.
أَمَرَتنيshe commanded me بِسُلُوٍّto forget عَنabout خَوادِعِهاits beguilements
أَمَرَتني بِسُلُوٍّ عَن خَوادِعِها
فَاِنظُرso look هَلwhether أَنتَyou مَعَamong السالينَthose who have forgotten ساليهاone who has forgotten it
فَاِنظُر هَل أَنتَ مَعَ السالينَ ساليها
I was bidden to forget its beguilements;
so see whether, among those who forget, you have forgotten it.
وَلاand not تَرىyou see الدَهرَthroughout life إِلّاexcept مَنone who يَهيمُis infatuated بِهاwith it
وَلا تَرى الدَهرَ إِلّا مَن يَهيمُ بِها
طَبعاًby nature وَلَكِنَّهُyet he بِاللَفظِin words قاليهاone who hates it
طَبعاً وَلَكِنَّهُ بِاللَفظِ قاليها
Throughout life, you see only people enamored of it
by nature, yet in words they loathe it.
وَالجِسمُand the body لاno شَكَّdoubt أَرضِيٌّearthly وَقَدand indeed وَصَلَتhave joined
وَالجِسمُ لا شَكَّ أَرضِيٌّ وَقَد وَصَلَت
بِهِto it لَطائِفُsubtle essences عالاهاraised them high مُعاليهاtheir exalter
بِهِ لَطائِفُ عالاها مُعاليها
The body is undoubtedly earthly, and attached
to it are subtle essences, exalted by their exalter.
فَقيلَso it was said جاءَتهُthey came to it مِنfrom أَرضٍearth عَلىat كَثَبٍclose range
فَقيلَ جاءَتهُ مِن أَرضٍ عَلى كَثَبٍ
وَقيلَand it was said خَرَّتthey fell إِلَيهِto it مِنfrom مَعاليهاtheir heights
وَقيلَ خَرَّت إِلَيهِ مِن مَعاليها
It was said they came to it from earth close at hand,
and it was said they fell to it from their heights.
وَاللَهُand God يَقدِرُhas power أَنto تُدعىbe called بِحِكمَتِهِin His wisdom
وَاللَهُ يَقدِرُ أَن تُدعى بِحِكمَتِهِ
أَواخِرٌlast ones مِنof بَراياهُHis creatures أَواليهاtheir first ones
أَواخِرٌ مِن بَراياهُ أَواليها
And God can, in His wisdom, have
the last of His creatures called their first.
Sol 6.1