نُراقِبُwe watch for ضَوءَthe light الفَجرِof dawn وَاللَيلُwhile the night دامِسُpitch-dark
نُراقِبُ ضَوءَ الفَجرِ وَاللَيلُ دامِسُ
وَماand nothing يَستُرُconceals الإِنسانَa human being إِلّاexcept الرَوامِسُthe burying earth
وَما يَستُرُ الإِنسانَ إِلّا الرَوامِسُ
We watch for dawn’s light while the night is pitch-dark,
and nothing conceals a human being but the earth that buries him.
تَنَمَّسَassumed a pious guise مِنّاamong us بِالدِيانَةِthrough religion مَعشَرٌa company
تَنَمَّسَ مِنّا بِالدِيانَةِ مَعشَرٌ
وَقَدthough already بَطُلَتhave become invalid عِندَin the eyes of اللَبيبِthe discerning person النَوامِسُthe religious laws
وَقَد بَطُلَت عِندَ اللَبيبِ النَوامِسُ
A company among us has donned religion as a disguise,
though religious laws have lost their force for the discerning.
فَكَيفَhow, then تَرىcan you see المِنهاجَthe path وَاللَيلُwhile the night مُقمِرٌmoonlit
فَكَيفَ تَرى المِنهاجَ وَاللَيلُ مُقمِرٌ
وَلَمthough you did not تَرَهُsee it وَاليَومُwhile the day أَزهَرُbright شامِسُsunlit
وَلَم تَرَهُ وَاليَومُ أَزهَرُ شامِسُ
How, then, can you see the path by moonlit night,
when you did not see it while the day was bright and sunlit?
وَتَحمِلُناand bear us الأَيّامُthe days حَملَas the bearing عَوائِمٍof floating vessels
وَتَحمِلُنا الأَيّامُ حَملَ عَوائِمٍ
بِناwith us فيin خِضَمٍّa vast sea كُلُّناeach of us فيهِin it قامِسُimmersed
بِنا في خِضَمٍّ كُلُّنا فيهِ قامِسُ
The days bear us like floating vessels,
carrying us through a vast sea in which we are all immersed.
فَهُنَّso they are لِأَهلِfor the people of اليُسرِease نوقٌshe-camels أَذِلَّةٌdocile
فَهُنَّ لِأَهلِ اليُسرِ نوقٌ أَذِلَّةٌ
وَهُنَّand they are لِأَهلِfor the people of العُسرِhardship خَيلٌhorses شَوامِسُunruly
وَهُنَّ لِأَهلِ العُسرِ خَيلٌ شَوامِسُ
For those in ease, they are docile she-camels,
but for those in hardship, they are unruly horses.
فَماyet not سَئِمَhas wearied الساريthe night-traveler وَقَدthough already بَلَغَhas reached المَدىthe limit
فَما سَئِمَ الساري وَقَد بَلَغَ المَدى
وَلاnor رَزَمَتsank down exhausted فيin السَيرِthe journey تِلكَthose العَرامِسُsturdy she-camels
وَلا رَزَمَت في السَيرِ تِلكَ العَرامِسُ
Yet the night-traveler has not wearied, though he has reached the limit,
nor have those sturdy she-camels sunk down exhausted on the journey.
وَدُنياكَand your world دارٌa dwelling مَنwhoever يَحُلُّsettles فِناءَهاits courtyard
وَدُنياكَ دارٌ مَن يَحُلُّ فِناءَها
فَقَدthen indeed غَمَسَتهُhave plunged him فيinto الشُرورِevils القَوامِسُthe engulfing calamities
فَقَد غَمَسَتهُ في الشُرورِ القَوامِسُ
And your world is a dwelling: whoever settles in its courtyard
has been plunged into evils by engulfing calamities.
وَسُلطانُهاand its ruler كَالنارِlike fire إِنif هِيَit لومِسَتis touched
وَسُلطانُها كَالنارِ إِن هِيَ لومِسَت
تُحَرِّقُit burns ماwhatever يَدنوdraws near لَهاto it وَيُلامِسُand makes contact
تُحَرِّقُ ما يَدنو لَها وَيُلامِسُ
And its ruler is like fire: if it is touched,
it burns whatever draws near it and makes contact.
وَيَجمَعُناand hold us together مِنfrom صَنعَةِthe making الرَبِّof the Lord أَربَعٌfour
وَيَجمَعُنا مِن صَنعَةِ الرَبِّ أَربَعٌ
وَمِنand from فَوقِهاabove them وَالمُلكُwhile dominion لِلَّهِbelongs to God خامِسُa fifth
وَمِن فَوقِها وَالمُلكُ لِلَّهِ خامِسُ
Four things of the Lord’s making hold us together,
and above them is a fifth—dominion belongs to God.
وَماand never فَتِئَتceased نيرانُthe fires فارِسَof Persia يَعتَليrises high
وَما فَتِئَت نيرانُ فارِسَ يَعتَلي
بِهاthrough them العِزُّglory حَتّىuntil أَبطَلَتهاextinguished them الأَحامِسُthe dauntless
بِها العِزُّ حَتّى أَبطَلَتها الأَحامِسُ
Persia’s fires endured; up rose
glory through them, until the dauntless quenched them.
تَكَلَّمhas spoken هَذاthis الدَهرُage بِالنُصحِwith counsel مُعلِناًproclaiming openly
تَكَلَّم هَذا الدَهرُ بِالنُصحِ مُعلِناً
جَهاراًaloud بِماof what أَخفَتهُconcealed it عَنّاfrom us الهَوامِسُthe whisperers
جَهاراً بِما أَخفَتهُ عَنّا الهَوامِسُ
This age has spoken with counsel, declaring
aloud what the whisperers concealed from us.
وَكَيفَand how نُرَجِّيَwe hope لِلثِمادِfor the shallow pools بَقاءَهاtheir survival
وَكَيفَ نُرَجِّيَ لِلثِمادِ بَقاءَها
إِذاwhen نَضَبَتhave dried up عَنّاaway from us البُحورُthe seas القَلامِسُvast and deep
إِذا نَضَبَت عَنّا البُحورُ القَلامِسُ
And how can we hope that shallow pools will last,
when the vast seas have dried up on us?
يُباكِرُناcomes to us early الجَونُthe white one المُضيءُthe shining فَيَنقَضيthen passes
يُباكِرُنا الجَونُ المُضيءُ فَيَنقَضي
وَيَعقُبُناand comes upon us next مِنهُfrom it الأَحَمُّthe jet-black one الدُلامِسُthe pitch-dark
وَيَعقُبُنا مِنهُ الأَحَمُّ الدُلامِسُ
The bright, white day greets us at dawn, then passes,
and in its wake the jet-black, pitch-dark night comes upon us.
وَإِنّاand indeed we رَأَيناwe have seen المَلِكَthe king يُخلِقُwears out ثَوبُهُhis robe
وَإِنّا رَأَينا المَلِكَ يُخلِقُ ثَوبُهُ
وَتُخبِرُناand tell us عَنهُof him الدِيارُthe dwellings الطَوامِسُeffaced
وَتُخبِرُنا عَنهُ الدِيارُ الطَوامِسُ
Indeed, we have seen the king’s robe grow threadbare,
and the effaced dwellings tell us of him.
إِذاwhen دَخَلَenters الهِرماسُthe lion جِلَّقَJilliq والِياًas governor
إِذا دَخَلَ الهِرماسُ جِلَّقَ والِياً
فَماthen not كَذَبَتhave lied فيماin what تَقولُthey say الهَرامِسُthe Hermeses
فَما كَذَبَت فيما تَقولُ الهَرامِسُ
When the lion enters Jilliq as governor,
the Hermeses have not lied in what they say.
لَهُمthey have سَلَفٌforebears قُدّامَbefore سِنبِسَSinbis أَيِّدٌmighty
لَهُم سَلَفٌ قُدّامَ سِنبِسَ أَيِّدٌ
وَعِزٌّand glory عَلىupon وَجهِthe face الزَمانِof time قُدامِسُage-old
وَعِزٌّ عَلى وَجهِ الزَمانِ قُدامِسُ
They have mighty forebears from before Sinbis,
and an age-old glory upon the face of time.
وَتَبسُطُand spreads فيناamong us قُدرَةُthe power اللَهِof God حادِثاًa calamity
وَتَبسُطُ فينا قُدرَةُ اللَهِ حادِثاً
فَتوديso perish الثَعاليthe foxes وَاللُيوثُand the lions الكَهامِسُmighty
فَتودي الثَعالي وَاللُيوثُ الكَهامِسُ
And God’s power lets loose a calamity among us,
so foxes and mighty lions alike perish.
Sol 6.1