أَمّاas for البَليغُthe eloquent man فَإِنّيthen indeed I لاdo not أُجادِلُهُdebate him
أَمّا البَليغُ فَإِنّي لا أُجادِلُهُ
وَلاnor العَيِيُّthe inarticulate man بَغىsought لِلحَقِّfor the truth إِبطالاnullification
وَلا العَيِيُّ بَغى لِلحَقِّ إِبطالا
As for the eloquent man, I do not debate him,
The eloquent man, I do not argue with him
Nor the inarticulate man who seeks to nullify the truth.
Nor does the tired man seek to invalidate the truth
فَنَحنُfor we فيin لَيلِa night غِيٍّof error لَيسَis not مُنكَشِفاًdispelled
فَنَحنُ في لَيلِ غِيٍّ لَيسَ مُنكَشِفاً
لَمhas not يَفتَقِدlacked عارِضاًa rain cloud بِالجَهلِwith ignorance هَطّالاpouring abundantly
لَم يَفتَقِد عارِضاً بِالجَهلِ هَطّالا
For we are in a night of error that has not lifted;
We are in a dark night that is not illuminated
It has not lacked a rain cloud pouring down ignorance.
He did not lack an aspect due to ignorance that prolonged
وَالنَفسُand the soul كَالسَبَبِlike a cord المَدودِstretched out تَجمَعُهُyou gather it
وَالنَفسُ كَالسَبَبِ المَدودِ تَجمَعُهُ
فَيَستَكِفُّso it coils up وَإِنand if أَرسَلتَهُyou let it loose طالاit lengthened
فَيَستَكِفُّ وَإِن أَرسَلتَهُ طالا
And the soul is like a stretched cord: you gather it,
And the self is like a rope that is pulled
And it coils up; but if you let it loose, it lengthens.
So it stiffens even if you let it loose for long
كَذاتِlike a woman with شَنفٍan earring أَرادَتshe desired بَعدَهُafter it خِدَماًanklets
كَذاتِ شَنفٍ أَرادَت بَعدَهُ خِدَماً
وَنَظمَand a string دُرٍّof pearls وَكانَتand she was قَبلُbefore مِعطالاunadorned
وَنَظمَ دُرٍّ وَكانَت قَبلُ مِعطالا
Like a woman with an earring who then desired anklets,
Like the owner of luxury who wanted servants after it
And a string of pearls, though once she was unadorned.
And it wove pearls yet it was idle before
وَقَدand indeed شَرِبتَyou drank نُمَيراًclear, sweet water فَاِجتَرَأتَso you grew bold بِهِthrough it
وَقَد شَرِبتَ نُمَيراً فَاِجتَرَأتَ بِهِ
فَلِمthen why حَمَلتَyou carried مِنَof الصَهباءِthe tawny wine أَرطالاratls (weight units)
فَلِم حَمَلتَ مِنَ الصَهباءِ أَرطالا
And you have drunk clear, sweet water and grown bold through it;
And you drank wine so you dared with it
Why, then, did you carry ratls of tawny wine?
Why then did you carry so much weight from the blond one
لاno خَيلَhorses مِثلُlike قَوافيthe rhymes الشِعرِof poetry جائِلَةًroaming
لا خَيلَ مِثلُ قَوافي الشِعرِ جائِلَةً
أَبقىmore enduring عَلىthrough الدَهرِthe ages أَعناقاًnecks وَآطالاand flanks
أَبقى عَلى الدَهرِ أَعناقاً وَآطالا
No roaming steeds can rival the rhymes of poetry
No horses like the rhymes of poetry roaming
In the endurance of their necks and flanks through the ages.
Remaining for ages necks and long
إِنif يَنقُلُshifts الحَتفُdeath عَنfrom عاداتِهِits habits
إِن يَنقُلُ الحَتفُ عَن عاداتِهِ
فَماthen not تَزالُcease to be مَعانيهُنَّtheir meanings أَبطالاchampions
فَما تَزالُ مَعانيهُنَّ أَبطالا
If death shifts from its accustomed ways,
If circumstances move away from its norms
Their meanings still remain champions.
Its meanings will still remain mighty
Sol 6.1