جَمجَمَmuttered هَذاthis الزَمانُage قَولاًa saying
جَمجَمَ هَذا الزَمانُ قَولاً
وَكُلُّناand all of us يَرتَجيhopes for بَيانَهits clarification
وَكُلُّنا يَرتَجي بَيانَه
This age has muttered a saying,
This age has muttered a saying,
and every one of us hopes for its meaning to be made clear.
and all of us hope for its clarification.
وَحَدَّثَتناand told us الشُيوخُthe elders أَمراًa matter
وَحَدَّثَتنا الشُيوخُ أَمراً
وَماand not اِدَّعىclaimed مُخبِرٌan informant عِيانَهseeing it firsthand
وَما اِدَّعى مُخبِرٌ عِيانَه
The elders have told us of a matter,
And the elders have told us of a matter,
though no informant claimed to have witnessed it firsthand.
and no informant claimed to have seen it firsthand.
فَكائِنٌso a being فاسِدٌcorrupt لِأَمرٍfor a reason
فَكائِنٌ فاسِدٌ لِأَمرٍ
وَرَبُّهُand its lord مُفسِدٌcorrupting كِيانَهits being
وَرَبُّهُ مُفسِدٌ كِيانَه
How many a being is corrupt for some cause,
So a being is corrupt for a reason,
while its Lord is the corrupter of its very being.
and its lord corrupts its being.
ماwhat بالُناour condition فيin شَقاءِmisery عَيشٍliving
ما بالُنا في شَقاءِ عَيشٍ
وَإِنَّماand only نَبتَغيwe seek لِيانَهits ease
وَإِنَّما نَبتَغي لِيانَه
Why are we sunk in the misery of life,
Why are we in life's misery,
when all we seek is its ease?
when we seek only its ease?
دُنياكَyour world دارٌan abode قَدِalready اِصطَلَحناwe have agreed
دُنياكَ دارٌ قَدِ اِصطَلَحنا
فيهاwithin it عَلىupon قِلَّةِscantness of الدِيانَهpiety
فيها عَلى قِلَّةِ الدِيانَه
Your world is a dwelling—we have agreed,
Your world is an abode; we have already agreed
within it, upon precious little piety.
within it upon scant piety.
كَأَنَّهاas though she were قَينَةٌa singing slave-girl خَلوبٌbeguiling
كَأَنَّها قَينَةٌ خَلوبٌ
ماnot عُرِفَتshe was known قَطُّever بِالصِيانَهfor chastity
ما عُرِفَت قَطُّ بِالصِيانَه
As though it were a beguiling singing-girl,
She is like a beguiling singing slave-girl,
never known at all for chastity.
never once known for chastity.
مَنwhoever لَمdid not يَنَلهاattain her أَراكَshows you زُهداًasceticism
مَن لَم يَنَلها أَراكَ زُهداً
وَمَنand who لِعَيرٍfor an ass بِصِلِّيانَهwith a tuft of ṣilliyān grass
وَمَن لِعَيرٍ بِصِلِّيانَه
Whoever fails to win her parades asceticism before you;
Whoever has not won her displays asceticism to you;
yet who can hold an ass back from its ṣilliyān fodder?
and who will provide an ass with a tuft of ṣilliyān grass?
ماnot خانَbetrayed ذاكَthat الفَتىthe young man وَلَكِنbut
ما خانَ ذاكَ الفَتى وَلَكِن
حَثَّurged سِواهُsomeone other than himself عَلىto الخِيانَهtreachery
حَثَّ سِواهُ عَلى الخِيانَه
That young man did not himself betray—but
That young man did not betray, but
he urged another toward betrayal.
he urged someone else to treachery.
Sol 6.1