أَلَمdo ... not? تَرَyou see أَنَّthat الخَيرَgoodness يَكسِبُهُacquires it الحِجىreason
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الخَيرَ يَكسِبُهُ الحِجى
طَريفاًnewly acquired وَأَنَّand that الشَرَّevil فيin الطَبعِnature مُتلَدُlong-inherited
طَريفاً وَأَنَّ الشَرَّ في الطَبعِ مُتلَدُ
Do you not see that reason acquires goodness
as a new possession, while evil is ingrained in nature?
لَقَدindeed رابَنيtroubled me مَغدىmorning going-forth الفَقيرِthe poor man بِجَهلِهِin his ignorance
لَقَد رابَني مَغدى الفَقيرِ بِجَهلِهِ
عَلىupon العَيرِthe donkey ضَرباًwith blows ساءَevil is ماwhat يَتَقَلَّدُhe takes upon himself
عَلى العَيرِ ضَرباً ساءَ ما يَتَقَلَّدُ
Indeed, I am troubled by the poor man's ignorant morning assault
upon the donkey with blows—evil is the burden he assumes.
يُحَمِّلُهُhe loads it ماwhat لاnot يَطيقُit can bear فَإِنthen if وَنىit flags
يُحَمِّلُهُ ما لا يَطيقُ فَإِن وَنى
أَحالَhe turns عَلىupon ذيone with فَترَةٍweariness يَتَجَلَّدُstrives to endure
أَحالَ عَلى ذي فَترَةٍ يَتَجَلَّدُ
He loads it with what it cannot bear; then, if it flags,
he turns upon the weary creature as it struggles to endure.
يَظَلُّit remains كَزانٍlike a fornicator مُفتَرٍa slanderer غَيرِnot مُحَصَّنٍprotected by marriage
يَظَلُّ كَزانٍ مُفتَرٍ غَيرِ مُحَصَّنٍ
يُقامُis imposed عَلَيهِupon him الحَدُّthe prescribed penalty شَفَعاًtwofold فَيُجلَدُso he is flogged
يُقامُ عَلَيهِ الحَدُّ شَفَعاً فَيُجلَدُ
It remains like an unmarried fornicator and slanderer,
on whom the prescribed penalty is imposed twofold, and who is therefore flogged.
تَظاهَرُaccumulate أَبلادُmarks الرَزاياof calamities بِظَهرِهِon its back
تَظاهَرُ أَبلادُ الرَزايا بِظَهرِهِ
وَكَشحَيهِand its two flanks فَاِعذِرso excuse عاجِزاًa helpless one يَتَبَلَّدُgrows dazed
وَكَشحَيهِ فَاِعذِر عاجِزاً يَتَبَلَّدُ
The marks of calamity gather on its back
and both its flanks; so excuse a helpless creature that grows dazed.
لَناwe have خالِقٌa creator لاdoes not يَمتَريdoubt العَقلُreason أَنَّهُthat he
لَنا خالِقٌ لا يَمتَري العَقلُ أَنَّهُ
قَديمٌeternal فَماso what هَذاthis الحَديثُdiscourse المُوَلَّدُnewly fashioned
قَديمٌ فَما هَذا الحَديثُ المُوَلَّدُ
We have a Creator; reason does not doubt that He
is eternal—what, then, is this newly fashioned discourse?
وَإِنand if كانَwas زَندُthe fire-stick البِرِّof virtue لَمdid not يورِkindle طائِلاًanything worthwhile
وَإِن كانَ زَندُ البِرِّ لَم يورِ طائِلاً
فَتِلكَthen those زِنادُfire-sticks الغَيِّof wrongdoing أَكبىless able to kindle وَأَصلَدُand harder
فَتِلكَ زِنادُ الغَيِّ أَكبى وَأَصلَدُ
And if virtue's fire-stick has kindled nothing worthwhile,
then those fire-sticks of wrongdoing kindle still less and are harder.
وَماnor سَرَّنيpleased me أَنّيthat I أَصَبتُI afflicted مَعاشِراًgroups of people
وَما سَرَّني أَنّي أَصَبتُ مَعاشِراً
بِظُلمٍwith injustice وَأَنّيand that I فيin النَعيمِbliss مُخَلَّدِmade to live forever
بِظُلمٍ وَأَنّي في النَعيمِ مُخَلَّدِ
Nor would it please me to have afflicted people
with injustice, even if I dwelt forever in bliss.
Sol 6.1