إِنif نالَstruck مِنat مِصرٍEgypt قَضاءٌa doom نازِلٌdescending
إِن نالَ مِن مِصرٍ قَضاءٌ نازِلٌ
فَمَصيرُthen the fate of هَذاthis الخَلقِcreation شَرُّthe worst مَصيرِfate
فَمَصيرُ هَذا الخَلقِ شَرُّ مَصيرِ
If a descending doom strikes Egypt,
then the fate of this creation is the worst of fates.
وَالدَهرُand Time قَصَّcut قَناthe spear-shafts of جَذيمَةَJadhimah فيin الوَغىbattle
وَالدَهرُ قَصَّ قَنا جَذيمَةَ في الوَغى
وَعَصاهُand his horse ʿAsa تَنضوwears out الخَيلَthe steeds تَحتَbeneath قَصيرِQasir
وَعَصاهُ تَنضو الخَيلَ تَحتَ قَصيرِ
And Time cut through Jadhimah's spear-shafts in battle,
while his horse ʿAsa, ridden by Qasir, wears out the steeds.
وَرَمىand hurled at حُذَيفَةَHudhayfah مِنout of شَذاهُits malice بِمَروَةٍwith a flint
وَرَمى حُذَيفَةَ مِن شَذاهُ بِمَروَةٍ
وَسَطاand assailed عَلىupon مَروانَMarwan فيin بُوَصيرِBusir
وَسَطا عَلى مَروانَ في بُوَصيرِ
And out of its malice it hurled a flint at Hudhayfah,
and assailed Marwan in Busir.
يُدعىis called الفَتىthe young man المَنصورَal-Mansur ('the Victorious') وَهُوَand he مُسَلَّمٌhanded over
يُدعى الفَتى المَنصورَ وَهُوَ مُسَلَّمٌ
لِلحَتفِto death لاnot يَدعواsummons لَهُfor him بِنَصيرِfor a champion
لِلحَتفِ لا يَدعوا لَهُ بِنَصيرِ
The young man is called al-Mansur, 'the Victorious,' yet he is handed over
to death, which summons no champion to his aid.
يُلفىis found الحَصيرُthe secluded monarch مِنَamong المُلوكِkings مُعَفَّراًdust-covered
يُلفى الحَصيرُ مِنَ المُلوكِ مُعَفَّراً
لَمnot يوقَwas shielded مِنfrom وَجهِthe face of الثَرىthe earth بِحَصيرِby a mat
لَم يوقَ مِن وَجهِ الثَرى بِحَصيرِ
The secluded one among kings is found dust-covered,
with no mat to shield him from the earth's face.
قَصَّرتُI fell short عَنof رُتَبِthe ranks of الكِرامِthe noble لِأَنَّنيbecause I
قَصَّرتُ عَن رُتَبِ الكِرامِ لِأَنَّني
فيin عالَمٍa world جُبِلواthey were fashioned عَلىfor التَقصيرِfalling short
في عالَمٍ جُبِلوا عَلى التَقصيرِ
I fell short of the ranks of the noble, because I am
in a world whose people were fashioned to fall short.
وَقَدand indeed اِدَّعىhas claimed بَصَرَthe sight of الغُرابِthe raven الخُلدُthe mole فيin
وَقَد اِدَّعى بَصَرَ الغُرابِ الخُلدُ في
ظَلماءَdeep darkness لَيسَis not غُرابُهاits raven بِبَصيرِable to see
ظَلماءَ لَيسَ غُرابُها بِبَصيرِ
And the mole has claimed the raven's sight in
a darkness whose raven cannot see.
وَالمَرءُand man فيهِwithin him بَصيرَةٌinsight مَخبوءَةٌhidden
وَالمَرءُ فيهِ بَصيرَةٌ مَخبوءَةٌ
لَيسَتis not بِغانِيَةٍable to dispense عَنِwith التَبصيرِenlightenment
لَيسَت بِغانِيَةٍ عَنِ التَبصيرِ
And within man lies a hidden insight,
which cannot dispense with enlightenment.
Sol 6.1