تَحَمَّلbear عَنon behalf of أَبيكَyour father الثِقلَthe burden يَوماًfor a day
تَحَمَّل عَن أَبيكَ الثِقلَ يَوماً
فَإِنَّfor indeed الشَيخَthe old man قَدalready ضَعُفَتweakened قِواهُhis strength
فَإِنَّ الشَيخَ قَد ضَعُفَت قِواهُ
Bear your father's burden for a day,
Bear your father's burden one day,
for the old man's strength has waned.
For the old man's strength has weakened.
أَتىbrought forth بِكَyou عَنby قَضاءٍa decree لَمdid not تُرِدهُyou desire it
أَتى بِكَ عَن قَضاءٍ لَم تُرِدهُ
وَآثَرَand preferred أَنthat تَفوزَyou gain بِماwith what حَواهُhe possessed it
وَآثَرَ أَن تَفوزَ بِما حَواهُ
He brought you forth by a decree you did not desire,
Fate brought you though he did not want it,
and preferred that you should gain what he possessed.
And he preferred you to gain what it contains.
صَديقُكَyour friend فيin الجِهارِpublic عَدُوّan enemy سِرٍّsecrecy
صَديقُكَ في الجِهارِ عَدُوّ سِرٍّ
فَلاso do not تَأسَفgrieve إِذاif شَحَطَتgrew distant نَواهُhis distance
فَلا تَأسَف إِذا شَحَطَت نَواهُ
Your friend in public is an enemy in secret,
Your friend in public is an enemy in secret,
so do not grieve if he goes far away.
So do not grieve if his intentions have turned.
رَكَنَتyou relied إِلىon الفَقيرِthe poor man بِغَيرِwithout عِلمٍknowledge
رَكَنَت إِلى الفَقيرِ بِغَيرِ عِلمٍ
وَكَمand how many زَورٍa falsehood لِسائِلِهِto his questioner رَواهُhe recounted it
وَكَم زَورٍ لِسائِلِهِ رَواهُ
You relied on the poor man without knowledge,
She leaned on the poor without knowing,
and how many a falsehood he has told his questioner!
And how much lies she told her questioners.
وَماand no فيin نَشرِunfolding هَذاthis الخَلقِcreation نُعمىa blessing
وَما في نَشرِ هَذا الخَلقِ نُعمى
فَهَلso is? يُلحىblamed الزَمانُTime إِذاwhen طَواهُit folds it away
فَهَل يُلحى الزَمانُ إِذا طَواهُ
There is no blessing in this creation's unfolding;
There is no blindness in the dispersal of these people,
so is Time to blame when it folds it away?
Can time erase it when it is folded?
فَصيلُthe weaned camel calf أَخيكَof your brother يَشكوcomplains of طولَlong duration ظِمءٍthirst
فَصيلُ أَخيكَ يَشكو طولَ ظِمءٍ
بِماbecause of what لاقىsuffered فَصيلُكَyour weaned camel calf مِنof غَواهُits surfeit of milk
بِما لاقى فَصيلُكَ مِن غَواهُ
Your brother's weaned camel calf complains of prolonged thirst,
Your brother's foal complains of prolonged thirst
because of the surfeit of milk your own calf has suffered.
With what your foal found of its passion.
وَكَيفَand how يُؤَمِّلُhopes for الإِنسانُman رُشداًright guidance
وَكَيفَ يُؤَمِّلُ الإِنسانُ رُشداً
وَماwhile not يَنفَكُّceases مُتَّبِعاًfollowing هَواهُhis desires
وَما يَنفَكُّ مُتَّبِعاً هَواهُ
And how can man hope for right guidance,
And how can man expect guidance,
while he never ceases to follow his desires?
When he does not cease following his whim?
يَظُنُّhe imagines بِنَفسِهِin himself شَرَفاًnobility وَقَدراًand standing
يَظُنُّ بِنَفسِهِ شَرَفاً وَقَدراً
كَأَنَّas though اللَهَGod لَمdid not يَخلُقcreate سِواهُanyone but him
كَأَنَّ اللَهَ لَم يَخلُق سِواهُ
He credits himself with nobility and standing,
He thinks highly of himself and his status,
as though God had created no one but him.
As if God created none but him.
أَلاcome now ثَنيturn جَمالَكَyour camels نَحوَtoward مَرعىًa pasture
أَلا ثَني جَمالَكَ نَحوَ مَرعىً
فَهَذاfor this الرَملُsand لَمhas not يَنبُتsprouted لِواهُits winding stretch
فَهَذا الرَملُ لَم يَنبُت لِواهُ
Come, turn your camels toward a pasture,
Oh turn your beauty towards a pasture,
for nothing has sprouted on this winding stretch of sand.
For this sand did not grow its grass.
وَلَستُand I am not بِمُدرِكٍable to attain أَمراًa thing قَريباًclose at hand
وَلَستُ بِمُدرِكٍ أَمراً قَريباً
إِذاif ماfor emphasis خالِقيmy Creator عَنّيfrom me زَواهُwithholds it
إِذا ما خالِقي عَنّي زَواهُ
And I cannot attain a thing close at hand,
And I cannot attain something soon,
if my Creator keeps it from me.
If my Creator distances it from me.
Sol 6.1