أَلَمdid ... not? تَرَyou see أَنَّthat الخَيرَgoodness يَكسِبُهُacquires it الحِجىreason
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الخَيرَ يَكسِبُهُ الحِجى
طَريفاًnewly acquired وَأَنَّand that الشَرَّevil فيin الطَبعِnature مُتلَدُinherited
طَريفاً وَأَنَّ الشَرَّ في الطَبعِ مُتلَدُ
Have you not seen that reason acquires goodness
as a new possession, while evil is inherited in our nature?
لَقَدindeed رابَنيtroubled me مَغدىgoing out at dawn الفَقيرِof the poor man بِجَهلِهِin his ignorance
لَقَد رابَني مَغدى الفَقيرِ بِجَهلِهِ
عَلىupon العَيرِthe donkey ضَرباًwith blows ساءَhow evil ماwhat يَتَقَلَّدُhe takes upon himself
عَلى العَيرِ ضَرباً ساءَ ما يَتَقَلَّدُ
Indeed, I was troubled by the poor man's ignorant morning assault
upon the donkey with blows—evil is what he takes upon himself.
يُحَمِّلُهُhe loads it ماwhat لاnot يَطيقُit can bear فَإِنthen if وَنىit flags
يُحَمِّلُهُ ما لا يَطيقُ فَإِن وَنى
أَحالَhe turns عَلىupon ذيone with فَترَةٍweariness يَتَجَلَّدُit struggles to endure
أَحالَ عَلى ذي فَترَةٍ يَتَجَلَّدُ
He loads it with what it cannot bear; then, if it flags,
he turns on the weary creature as it strives to endure.
يَظَلُّit spends the day كَزانٍlike a fornicator مُفتَرٍa slanderer غَيرِnot مُحَصَّنٍlawfully married
يَظَلُّ كَزانٍ مُفتَرٍ غَيرِ مُحَصَّنٍ
يُقامُis enforced عَلَيهِupon him الحَدُّthe prescribed penalty شَفَعاًtwofold فَيُجلَدُso he is flogged
يُقامُ عَلَيهِ الحَدُّ شَفَعاً فَيُجلَدُ
It spends the day like an unmarried fornicator and slanderer,
upon whom the prescribed penalty is imposed twice, and so he is flogged.
تَظاهَرُcluster together أَبلادُwound marks الرَزاياof afflictions 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 affliction cluster on its back
and its two flanks; so excuse a helpless creature grown dazed.
لَناfor us خالِقٌa Creator لاnot يَمتَريdoubts العَقلُreason أَنَّهُthat he
لَنا خالِقٌ لا يَمتَري العَقلُ أَنَّهُ
قَديمٌeternal فَماso what هَذاthis الحَديثُdiscourse المُوَلَّدُnewly invented
قَديمٌ فَما هَذا الحَديثُ المُوَلَّدُ
We have a Creator; reason does not doubt that he
is eternal—so what is this newly invented discourse?
وَإِنand even if كانَwas زَندُthe fire-stick البِرِّof virtue لَمdid not يورِkindle fire طائِلاًanything substantial
وَإِن كانَ زَندُ البِرِّ لَم يورِ طائِلاً
فَتِلكَthen those زِنادُfire-sticks الغَيِّof wrongdoing أَكبىless apt to spark وَأَصلَدُand more unyielding
فَتِلكَ زِنادُ الغَيِّ أَكبى وَأَصلَدُ
And even if virtue's fire-stick has yielded little flame,
then those fire-sticks of wrongdoing are still less apt to spark, still more unyielding.
وَماand not سَرَّنيpleased me أَنّيthat I أَصَبتُI harmed مَعاشِراًgroups of people
وَما سَرَّني أَنّي أَصَبتُ مَعاشِراً
بِظُلمٍwith injustice وَأَنّيand that I فيin النَعيمِbliss مُخَلَّدِmade immortal
بِظُلمٍ وَأَنّي في النَعيمِ مُخَلَّدِ
Nor would it please me to have harmed people
unjustly, even were I to live in bliss forever.
Sol 6.1