الفِكرُthought حَبلٌa rope مَتىwhenever يُمسَكis grasped عَلىat طَرفٍan end
الفِكرُ حَبلٌ مَتى يُمسَك عَلى طَرفٍ
مِنهُof it يُنَطis fastened بِالثُرَيّاto the Pleiades ذَلِكَthat الطَرَفُend
مِنهُ يُنَط بِالثُرَيّا ذَلِكَ الطَرَفُ
Thought is a rope: whenever an end is grasped,
that end of it is fastened to the Pleiades.
وَالعَقلُand reason كَالبَحرِlike the sea ماnot غيضَتhave been diminished غَوارِبُهُits billows
وَالعَقلُ كَالبَحرِ ما غيضَت غَوارِبُهُ
شَيئاًat all وَمِنهُand from it بَنوthe children of الأَيّامِthe days تَغتَرِفُdraw water
شَيئاً وَمِنهُ بَنو الأَيّامِ تَغتَرِفُ
And reason is like the sea: its billows are not diminished
at all, though the children of days draw from it.
أَبنيI build بِجِهلِيَin my ignorance داراًa house لَستُI am not مالِكَهاits owner
أَبني بِجِهلِيَ داراً لَستُ مالِكَها
أُقيمُI dwell فيهاin it قَليلاًa little while ثُمَّthen أَنصَرِفُI depart
أُقيمُ فيها قَليلاً ثُمَّ أَنصَرِفُ
In my ignorance I build a house I do not own;
I dwell in it a little while, then depart.
سَرفتُI have erred وَاللَهُand God يُرجىis hoped أَنto يُسامِحَناpardon us
سَرفتُ وَاللَهُ يُرجى أَن يُسامِحَنا
وَفيand in القَديمِancient times خَلاstood empty مِنof أَهلِهِits people سَرِفُSarif
وَفي القَديمِ خَلا مِن أَهلِهِ سَرِفُ
I have erred; God, we hope, will pardon us;
and long ago Sarif stood empty of its people.
أَأُنكِرُshall I deny اللَهَGod ذَنباًa sin خَطَّهُrecorded it مَلَكٌan angel
أَأُنكِرُ اللَهَ ذَنباً خَطَّهُ مَلَكٌ
وَبِالَّذيand to what خَطَّهُwrote it الإِنسانُthe human being أَعتَرِفُI confess
وَبِالَّذي خَطَّهُ الإِنسانُ أَعتَرِفُ
Shall I deny before God a sin an angel has recorded,
yet acknowledge what a human being has written?
تَقوىyou are strong فَيُهدىand so is offered إِلَيكَto you الزادُprovisions عَنby عُرُضٍchance
تَقوى فَيُهدى إِلَيكَ الزادُ عَن عُرُضٍ
وَتَفتَريand you traverse الأَرضَthe earth جَوّالاًas a wanderer فَتَقتَرِفُand so you earn
وَتَفتَري الأَرضَ جَوّالاً فَتَقتَرِفُ
You are strong, and provisions are brought to you unasked;
and you traverse the earth, roaming and earning.
تَرومُyou seek رِزقاًa livelihood بِأَنbecause سَمَّوكَthey called you مُتَّكِلاًreliant on God
تَرومُ رِزقاً بِأَن سَمَّوكَ مُتَّكِلاً
وَأَديَنُand the most devout of الناسِpeople مَنwhoever يَسعىstrives وَيَحتَرِفُand plies a trade
وَأَديَنُ الناسِ مَن يَسعى وَيَحتَرِفُ
You seek a livelihood because they call you reliant on God,
yet the most devout of people is one who strives and plies a trade.
يَكفيكَsuffices you أُدماًas relish بِنَحضٍinstead of lean meat ماءُthe juice of نابِتَةٍa plant
يَكفيكَ أُدماً بِنَحضٍ ماءُ نابِتَةٍ
وَظُلمَكَand your wronging of النَحلَthe bees ماwhat يُعطيكَهُgives it to you الضِرفُthe fig tree
وَظُلمَكَ النَحلَ ما يُعطيكَهُ الضِرفُ
A plant's juice suffices you as relish instead of flesh,
and the fig tree's yield spares you from wronging bees.
إِذاwhen اِفتَكَرناwe reflect عَلِمناwe know أَنَّthat ذاa possessor of ضَعَةٍlow rank
إِذا اِفتَكَرنا عَلِمنا أَنَّ ذا ضَعَةٍ
أَعلىthe highest of النُجومِthe stars وَلِلَّهِand in God اِنتَهىculminates الشَرَفُeminence
أَعلى النُجومِ وَلِلَّهِ اِنتَهى الشَرَفُ
When we reflect, we know that lowly is
the highest of stars; all eminence culminates in God.
Sol 6.1