ياO لَيلُnight قَدalready نامَhas slept الشَجيُّthe grieving one وَلَمand did not يَنَمsleep
يا لَيلُ قَد نامَ الشَجيُّ وَلَم يَنَم
جِنحَunder the cover of الدُجُنَّةِthe darkness نَجمُهاits star المِسهارُever wakeful
جِنحَ الدُجُنَّةِ نَجمُها المِسهارُ
O night, the grieving one has slept, but not
its ever-wakeful star under cover of darkness.
إِنif كانَتِwere الخَضراءُthe green sky رَوضاًa garden ناضِراًlush
إِن كانَتِ الخَضراءُ رَوضاً ناضِراً
فَلَعَلَّthen perhaps زُهرَthe bright ones of نُجومِهاits stars أَزهارُflowers
فَلَعَلَّ زُهرَ نُجومِها أَزهارُ
If the green sky were a lush garden,
then perhaps its bright stars are flowers.
وَالناسُand people مِثلُlike النَبتِvegetation يُظهِرُهُbrings it forth الحَياthe rain
وَالناسُ مِثلُ النَبتِ يُظهِرُهُ الحَيا
وَيَكونُand is أَوَّلَthe beginning of هُلكِهِits destruction الإِظهارُbeing brought forth
وَيَكونُ أَوَّلَ هُلكِهِ الإِظهارُ
And people are like vegetation brought forth by rain;
its emergence is the beginning of its destruction.
تَرعاهُgrazes on it راعِيَةٌa grazing creature وَتَهتِكُand tears بُردَهُits mantle
تَرعاهُ راعِيَةٌ وَتَهتِكُ بُردَهُ
أُخرىanother وَمِنهُand among it شَقائِقٌanemones وَبَهارُand oxeye flowers
أُخرى وَمِنهُ شَقائِقٌ وَبَهارُ
A grazing creature feeds on it, and its mantle is torn
by another; among it are anemones and oxeye flowers.
ماnot مَيَّزَdistinguished الأَطفالَthe children فيin أَشباحِهاtheir bodily forms
ما مَيَّزَ الأَطفالَ في أَشباحِها
لِلعَينِto the eye حَلُّlawfulness of وِلادَةٍbirth وَعِهارُand fornication
لِلعَينِ حَلُّ وِلادَةٍ وَعِهارُ
Children are not distinguished in their bodily forms
to the eye by lawful birth or fornication.
وَالجَهلُand ignorance أَغلَبُmore prevalent غَيرَexcept for عِلمٍknowledge أَنَّناthat we
وَالجَهلُ أَغلَبُ غَيرَ عِلمٍ أَنَّنا
نَفنىwe perish وَيَبقىand remains الواحِدُthe One القَهّارُthe All-Subduer
نَفنى وَيَبقى الواحِدُ القَهّارُ
And ignorance predominates, save the knowledge that we
perish, while the One, the All-Subduer, remains.
وَكَأَنَّand as though أَبناءَthe sons of الَّذينَthose who هُمُthey الذَرىthe summits
وَكَأَنَّ أَبناءَ الَّذينَ هُمُ الذَرى
أَعفاءُdonkey foals أَهلٍdomestic stock لاnot أَقولُI say مِهارُhorse foals
أَعفاءُ أَهلٍ لا أَقولُ مِهارُ
And it is as though the sons of those who are the summits
were foals of tame asses—I do not say horse-colts.
ياoh لَيتَif only آدَمَAdam كانَhad طَلَّقَdivorced أُمَّهُمtheir mother
يا لَيتَ آدَمَ كانَ طَلَّقَ أُمَّهُم
أَوor كانَhad حَرَّمَهاmade her forbidden عَلَيهِto him ظِهارُẓihār (wife-as-mother repudiation)
أَو كانَ حَرَّمَها عَلَيهِ ظِهارُ
Oh, if only Adam had divorced their mother,
or a ẓihār vow had made her forbidden to him.
وَلَدَتهُمُshe bore them فيin غَيرِabsence of طُهرٍpurity عارِكاًmenstruating
وَلَدَتهُمُ في غَيرِ طُهرٍ عارِكاً
فَلِذاكَand for that reason تُفقَدُare not found فيهِمُamong them الأَطهارُthe pure ones
فَلِذاكَ تُفقَدُ فيهِمُ الأَطهارُ
She bore them without purity, while menstruating;
and so the pure are absent among them.
وَلَدَيَّand I have سِرٌّa secret لَيسَnot يُمكِنُis possible ذِكرُهُmentioning it
وَلَدَيَّ سِرٌّ لَيسَ يُمكِنُ ذِكرُهُ
يَخفىis hidden عَلىfrom البَصراءِthe clear-sighted وَهوَwhile it is نَهارُdaylight
يَخفى عَلى البَصراءِ وَهوَ نَهارُ
And I have a secret that cannot be mentioned:
it is hidden from the clear-sighted, though it is daylight.
أَمّاas for هَدىًguidance فَوَجَدتُهُso I found it ماan emphatic particle بَينَناamong us
أَمّا هَدىً فَوَجَدتُهُ ما بَينَنا
سِرّاًa secret وَلَكِنَّand yet الضَلالَerror جِهارُout in the open
سِرّاً وَلَكِنَّ الضَلالَ جِهارُ
As for guidance, I have found it among us
a secret; and yet error is out in the open.
وَالرُزءُand adversity يُبديreveals لِلكَريمِfor the noble person فَضيلَةًa virtue
وَالرُزءُ يُبدي لِلكَريمِ فَضيلَةً
كَالمِسكِlike musk تَرفَعُheighten نَشرَهُits fragrance الأَفهارُthe pounding stones
كَالمِسكِ تَرفَعُ نَشرَهُ الأَفهارُ
And adversity reveals a noble person's virtue,
like musk, whose fragrance pounding stones heighten.
فَاِزجُرso rebuke عَزيزَتَكَyour dear one المُسيئَةَwho does wrong جاهِداًstriving earnestly
فَاِزجُر عَزيزَتَكَ المُسيئَةَ جاهِداً
وَاِستَكفِand seek to be spared أَنthat تُتَخَيَّرَbe chosen الأَصهارُthe in-laws
وَاِستَكفِ أَن تُتَخَيَّرَ الأَصهارُ
So earnestly rebuke your dear one who does wrong,
and seek to be spared the choosing of in-laws.
Sol 6.1