أَرىI see الشَهدَhoney يَرجِعُbecomes مِثلَlike الصَبرِbitter aloes
أَرى الشَهدَ يَرجِعُ مِثلَ الصَبرِ
فَماso what is wrong لِاِبنِwith the son of آدَمَAdam لاnot يَعتَبِرhe takes heed
فَما لِاِبنِ آدَمَ لا يَعتَبِر
I see honey becoming like bitter aloes.
Why, then, does the son of Adam take no heed?
وَخَبَّرَهُand informed him صادِقٌa truthful person بِالحَديثِof the account
وَخَبَّرَهُ صادِقٌ بِالحَديثِ
فَإِنso if شَكَّhe doubts فيabout ذاكَthat فَليَختَبِرthen let him test
فَإِن شَكَّ في ذاكَ فَليَختَبِر
And a truthful man has told him the tale.
So if he doubts that, let him put it to the test.
وَجَبرٌand mending وَكَسرٌand breaking لَهُfor him فيin الزَمانِtime
وَجَبرٌ وَكَسرٌ لَهُ في الزَمانِ
وَيُكسَرُand he is broken يَوماًone day فَلاand then not يَنجَبِرhe is mended
وَيُكسَرُ يَوماً فَلا يَنجَبِر
And in time his lot is mending and breaking.
And one day he is broken, never to be mended.
فَلاso do not تُبرِput a nose-ring on فيin مَأثَمٍa sinful act ناقَةًa she-camel
فَلا تُبرِ في مَأثَمٍ ناقَةً
فَرَبُّكَfor your Lord إِمّاif ever يُعاقِبHe punishes يُبِرHe destroys utterly
فَرَبُّكَ إِمّا يُعاقِب يُبِر
So do not put a nose-ring on a she-camel in sin.
For when your Lord punishes, He destroys utterly.
وَكُلُّand all الأَنامِhumankind هَجينُbase-bred الفِعالِin deeds
وَكُلُّ الأَنامِ هَجينُ الفِعالِ
فَأَينَwhere, then يُصابُcan be found الجَوادُthe noble steed المُبِرthe winning one
فَأَينَ يُصابُ الجَوادُ المُبِر
And all mankind are mongrels in their deeds.
Where, then, can a noble, winning steed be found?
وَنَفسَكَand your soul عُقَّdisobey بِتَركِby forsaking السُthe plea- (start of 'pleasure')
وَنَفسَكَ عُقَّ بِتَركِ السُ
رورِsure (end of 'pleasure') فَإِنَّfor indeed عُقوقَكَyour disobedience لِلنَفسِto the soul بِرvirtue
رورِ فَإِنَّ عُقوقَكَ لِلنَفسِ بِر
And disobey your soul by forsaking plea-
sure, for your disobedience to the soul is virtue.
سَأَلناwe asked المَعاشِرَthe groups of people عَنabout خَيرِهِمtheir best
سَأَلنا المَعاشِرَ عَن خَيرِهِم
فَقالواso they said بِغَيرِwithout اِكتِراثٍconcern قُبِرhe was buried
فَقالوا بِغَيرِ اِكتِراثٍ قُبِر
We asked the people about the best among them.
They said, without concern: he was buried.
فَقُلناso we said وَكَيفَand how أَتاهُcame to him الحِمامُdeath
فَقُلنا وَكَيفَ أَتاهُ الحِمامُ
عاجَلَهُrushed upon him بَغتَةًsuddenly أَمor صَبَرwaited
عاجَلَهُ بَغتَةً أَم صَبَر
So we said: and how did death come to him?
Did it rush upon him suddenly, or did it wait?
فَقالواso they said تَمادىlasted long بِهِfor him وَقتُهُhis lifetime
فَقالوا تَمادى بِهِ وَقتُهُ
وَأَدرَكَهُand overtook him المَوتُdeath لَمّاwhen كَبِرhe grew old
وَأَدرَكَهُ المَوتُ لَمّا كَبِر
They said: his lifetime ran long,
And death overtook him when he grew old.
وَغادَرَand he left فيamong أَهلِهhis family ثَروَةًa fortune
وَغادَرَ في أَهلِه ثَروَةً
وَمالاًand wealth أُذيعَwas dispersed وَنَخلاًand date palms أُبِرwere pollinated
وَمالاً أُذيعَ وَنَخلاً أُبِر
And he left a fortune among his family,
And wealth that was dispersed, and date palms that were pollinated.
فَلاso let not يُسقِطِcause to fall الدَمعَtears سِقطُSiqt اللِوىal-Liwa
فَلا يُسقِطِ الدَمعَ سِقطُ اللِوى
وَلاand do not تَدَّكِرrecall حَبرَةًdelight فيin حَبِرHabir
وَلا تَدَّكِر حَبرَةً في حَبِر
So let Siqt al-Liwa draw no tears,
Nor recall delight in Habir.
وَلَكِنَّنيand yet I أَستَعينُseek the aid of المَليكَthe Sovereign
وَلَكِنَّني أَستَعينُ المَليكَ
وَإِنand if يَأتِنيcomes to me حادِثٌa misfortune أَصطَبِرI endure patiently
وَإِن يَأتِني حادِثٌ أَصطَبِر
And yet I seek the Sovereign's aid.
And if a misfortune comes to me, I endure patiently.
وَدُنيايَand my world أَلقىI meet بِطولِwith enduring الهَوانِdisdain
وَدُنيايَ أَلقى بِطولِ الهَوانِ
وَهَلand is هِيَit إِلّاanything but كَجِسرٍlike a bridge عُبِرwas crossed
وَهَل هِيَ إِلّا كَجِسرٍ عُبِر
And I meet my world with enduring disdain.
And is it not merely like a bridge that has been crossed?
Sol 6.1