إِنif كانَis إِبليسُIblis ذاpossessed of جُندٍtroops يَصولُattacks بِهِمwith them
إِن كانَ إِبليسُ ذا جُندٍ يَصولُ بِهِم
فَالنَفسُthen the soul أَكبَرُthe greatest مَنof those whom يَدعوهُsummons him إِبليسُIblis
فَالنَفسُ أَكبَرُ مَن يَدعوهُ إِبليسُ
If Iblis has an army with which he makes his assault,
If Iblis has troops with whom he attacks,
the soul is the mightiest of all whom Iblis summons.
then the soul is the greatest of those Iblis summons.
لاmay ... not شَبَّkindle رَبُّكَyour Lord نيرانَfires الشَبابِof youth لَهُمfor them
لا شَبَّ رَبُّكَ نيرانَ الشَبابِ لَهُم
إِلىto المُدامَةِwine تَهجيرٌsetting out at midday وَتَغليسُand setting out before dawn
إِلى المُدامَةِ تَهجيرٌ وَتَغليسُ
May your Lord never kindle the fires of youth for them;
May your Lord not kindle the fires of youth for them;
toward wine they set out at noon and in the pre-dawn dark.
to wine they journey at midday and before dawn.
وَالدَهرُand Time فيunder الحِجِرlegal restraint تُرجىis hoped for مِنهُfrom it عارِفَةٌa favor
وَالدَهرُ في الحِجِر تُرجى مِنهُ عارِفَةٌ
أَنّىhow وَقَدand already بانَhas become plain إِعسارُinsolvency وَتَفَليسُand bankruptcy
أَنّى وَقَد بانَ إِعسارُ وَتَفَليسُ
You hope for a kindness from Time, though Time is under legal restraint—
And Time is under legal restraint, yet a favor is hoped for from it—
how, when its insolvency and bankruptcy stand revealed?
how, when insolvency and bankruptcy have become plain?
وَمَوَّهَand deceived الناسُthe people حَتّىuntil ظَنَّthought جاهِلُهُمtheir ignorant one
وَمَوَّهَ الناسُ حَتّى ظَنَّ جاهِلُهُم
أَنَّthat النُبوَّةَprophethood تَمويهٌdeception وَتَدليسٌand fraud
أَنَّ النُبوَّةَ تَمويهٌ وَتَدليسٌ
People have so gilded falsehood that the ignorant among them
And people practiced deception until the ignorant among them thought
came to think that prophecy is mere embellishment and fraud.
that prophethood was deception and fraud.
جاءَتcame مِنَfrom الفَلَكِthe celestial sphere العُلويّupper حادِثَةٌa calamity
جاءَت مِنَ الفَلَكِ العُلويّ حادِثَةٌ
فيهاin it اِستَوىbecame equal جُبَناءُcowards القَومِof the people وَاللَيسُand the lion
فيها اِستَوى جُبَناءُ القَومِ وَاللَيسُ
A calamity came down from the upper celestial sphere;
From the upper celestial sphere came a calamity,
in it the people’s cowards and lions were made equal.
in which the people's cowards and the lion became equal.
لَوif هَبَّawoke هُجّادُsleepers قَومٍof a people فيin الثَرىthe earth دُفِنواthey were buried
لَو هَبَّ هُجّادُ قَومٍ في الثَرى دُفِنوا
لَضاقَتwould surely grow cramped المُدُنُthe cities وَالبيدُand the deserts الأَماليسُsmooth and bare
لَضاقَت المُدُنُ وَالبيدُ الأَماليسُ
If a nation’s sleepers, buried in the dust, were to rise,
If the sleeping folk buried in the earth awoke,
the cities—and the smooth white blades—would have no room for them.
the cities and the smooth desert wastes would grow cramped.
مَتّىwhen أُفارِقُshall I leave دُنيايَmy world الَّتيwhich غَدَرَتacted treacherously
مَتّى أُفارِقُ دُنيايَ الَّتي غَدَرَت
وَيُدرِكُand overtakes اِسمِيَmy name فيamong الأَسماءِthe names تَطليسُerasure
وَيُدرِكُ اِسمِيَ في الأَسماءِ تَطليسُ
When shall I leave this world of mine, which has betrayed me,
When shall I leave my world, which has proved treacherous,
and erasure overtake my name among all names?
and erasure overtake my name among names?
Sol 6.1