راعِدٌa thundering cloud تَحتَهُbeneath it صَلَفscant rain
راعِدٌ تَحتَهُ صَلَف
وَدَمٌand blood كُلُّهُall of it ظَلَفunavenged
وَدَمٌ كُلُّهُ ظَلَف
A thundercloud, with scant rain beneath it,
and blood—all of it shed in vain.
وَيحَalas for شَمّاءَa high-nosed woman لِلثَرىto the dust
وَيحَ شَمّاءَ لِلثَرى
شَمَمُthe height الأَنفِof the nose وَالذَلَفand snubness
شَمَمُ الأَنفِ وَالذَلَف
Alas for the high-nosed woman! To dust belong
the height of the nose and its snubness.
فُتِنَwas enthralled الشَيخُthe old man بِالحَياby life (first part)
فُتِنَ الشَيخُ بِالحَيا
ةِcompletion of 'life' وَإِنand even though كانَhe was قَدalready دَلَفshuffled along
ةِ وَإِن كانَ قَد دَلَف
The old man is enthralled by life,
even though he has begun to shuffle.
يُفهِمُmakes understand المَرءُa person صاحِبَيtwo companions
يُفهِمُ المَرءُ صاحِبَي
هِhis عَلىdespite أَنَّهُthe fact that he is أَلَفّtongue-tied
هِ عَلى أَنَّهُ أَلَفّ
A man makes his two companions understand,
though he is tongue-tied.
فَاِتَّقِso fear اللَهَGod وَحدَهُHim alone
فَاِتَّقِ اللَهَ وَحدَهُ
وَتَحَمَّلand endure لَهُfor His sake الكُلَفthe hardships
وَتَحَمَّل لَهُ الكُلَف
So fear God alone,
and bear hardships for His sake.
وَاِفعَلِand do الخَيرَgood فَالحَديfor talk (first part)
وَاِفعَلِ الخَيرَ فَالحَدي
ثُcompletion of 'talk' كَثيرٌplentiful قَدِindeed اِختَلَفhas become conflicting
ثُ كَثيرٌ قَدِ اِختَلَف
And do good, for talk
is plentiful and conflicting.
لاdo not تَقومَنَّever stand فيin المَساthe mosques (first part)
لا تَقومَنَّ في المَسا
جِدِcompletion of 'mosques' تَّرجوhoping بِهاthrough them الزُلَفpositions of favor
جِدِ تَّرجو بِها الزُلَف
Do not stand in the mosques,
hoping through them for favor,
مُعمِلاًengaged in بَسَطَspreading راحَتَيtwo palms
مُعمِلاً بَسَطَ راحَتَي
كَyour إِلىtoward نائِلٍa gift يُلَفّto be wrapped up
كَ إِلى نائِلٍ يُلَفّ
busy spreading your two palms
toward a gift to be wrapped up.
وَرُمِand seek الرِزقَlivelihood فيin البِلاthe lands (first part)
وَرُمِ الرِزقَ في البِلا
دِcompletion of 'lands' فَإِنfor if رُمتَهُyou seek it اِزدَلَفit draws near
دِ فَإِن رُمتَهُ اِزدَلَف
And seek livelihood in the lands,
for if you seek it, it draws near.
وَاِظلِفِand keep from baseness النَفسَthe soul وَالطَريand the hunted beast (first part)
وَاِظلِفِ النَفسَ وَالطَري
دُcompletion of 'hunted beast' سَريعٌswift إِلىtoward الظَلَفhard, rocky ground
دُ سَريعٌ إِلى الظَلَف
And keep your soul from baseness; the hunted beast
is swift to reach rocky ground.
وَتَلافَand make amends for الَّذيwhat مَضىhas passed
وَتَلافَ الَّذي مَضى
قَبلَbefore أَنthat يَنزِلَdescends التَلَفdestruction
قَبلَ أَن يَنزِلَ التَلَف
And make amends for what has passed,
before destruction descends.
حَلَفَhas sworn الدَهرُTime جاهِداًearnestly
حَلَفَ الدَهرُ جاهِداً
وَهُوَand it بَرٌّtrue to its oath إِذاwhen حَلَفit swears
وَهُوَ بَرٌّ إِذا حَلَف
Time has sworn in earnest,
and it keeps faith when it swears,
لِيَبُتَّنَّit will surely sever كُلَّevery عِقnecklace (first part)
لِيَبُتَّنَّ كُلَّ عِق
دٍcompletion of 'necklace' إِذاwhen نَظمُهُits stringing اِئتَلَفcomes together
دٍ إِذا نَظمُهُ اِئتَلَف
that it will surely snap every necklace
once its beads are strung together.
لَوif تَراءىit showed itself لِناظِرٍto an onlooker
لَو تَراءى لِناظِرٍ
بِأَنَّwith the fact that فيin وَجهِهِits face الكَلَفdark blotches
بِأَنَّ في وَجهِهِ الكَلَف
Were it to appear to an onlooker,
its face would show dark blotches.
سَلask بِقابوسَabout Qabus أَرضَهُhis land
سَل بِقابوسَ أَرضَهُ
وَسِجِستانَand Sijistan عَنabout خَلَفKhalaf
وَسِجِستانَ عَن خَلَف
Ask Qabus's land about him,
and Sijistan about Khalaf,
وَلُجَيماًand Lujaym عَنِabout الفَواthe horsemen (first part)
وَلُجَيماً عَنِ الفَوا
رِسِcompletion of 'horsemen' حَتّىas far as أَبيAbu (father of) دُلَفDulaf
رِسِ حَتّى أَبي دُلَف
and Lujaym about the horsemen,
down to Abu Dulaf.
سُلِّفَwere lent القَومُthe people نِعمَةًa blessing
سُلِّفَ القَومُ نِعمَةً
ثُمَّthen بادواthey perished كَمَنlike those who سَلَفwent before
ثُمَّ بادوا كَمَن سَلَف
The people were lent a blessing,
then perished like those who went before.
Sol 6.1