هُياماًfine, loose sand يَصيرُbecomes الجِسمُthe body فيin هامِدِlifeless الثَرىthe soil
هُياماً يَصيرُ الجِسمُ في هامِدِ الثَرى
فَماso what بالُكُمis the matter with you بِالآلِwith the mirage يَخدَعُdeceives هُيّاماthirsty wanderers
فَما بالُكُم بِالآلِ يَخدَعُ هُيّاما
To fine, loose sand the body turns in the lifeless soil.
Why, then, concern yourselves with a mirage that deceives the thirsty?
أَرُوّامَO seekers of أَمرٍa thing لاnot يَصِحُّcan come true جَهِلتُمُyou have acted ignorantly
أَرُوّامَ أَمرٍ لا يَصِحُّ جَهِلتُمُ
كَأَنَّكُمُas though you لَستُمyou are not عَنِfrom الأَرضِthe earth رُيّاماdeparting
كَأَنَّكُمُ لَستُم عَنِ الأَرضِ رُيّاما
O seekers of what cannot be, you have acted in ignorance,
as though you were not to depart from the earth.
وَكَمand how many a شيمَwas sheathed فيin غِمدٍa scabbard مِنَof التُربِthe earth صارِمٌa keen blade
وَكَم شيمَ في غِمدٍ مِنَ التُربِ صارِمٌ
وَكانَand had been لِبَرقِfor the lightning of الغَيثِthe rain وَالغِمدِand the scabbard شِياماa watcher and sword-sheather
وَكانَ لِبَرقِ الغَيثِ وَالغِمدِ شِياما
And many a keen blade was sheathed in a scabbard of earth,
and once had watched for rain-lightning and sheathed swords.
وَهَتَّكَتِand laid bare الأَقدارُthe fates بَعدَafter صِيانَةٍprotection
وَهَتَّكَتِ الأَقدارُ بَعدَ صِيانَةٍ
أَيامىunmarried ones نِساءٍwomen ماnot تَخَوَّفنَthey feared أَيّاماdays
أَيامى نِساءٍ ما تَخَوَّفنَ أَيّاما
And the fates laid bare those once protected—
unmarried women who had never feared the days.
وَعامَand swam أُناسٌpeople فيin بِحارٍseas مِنَof الرَدىdeath
وَعامَ أُناسٌ في بِحارٍ مِنَ الرَدى
وَأَمسواand they became إِلىfor نَزرٍa scant amount مِنَof الرُسلِmilk عُيّاماthirsting for milk
وَأَمسوا إِلى نَزرٍ مِنَ الرُسلِ عُيّاما
And people swam in seas of death,
and came to thirst for a scant amount of milk.
بَنَيتُمyou built عَلىupon الأَمرِthe matter القَبيحِvile خِيامَكُمyour tents
بَنَيتُم عَلى الأَمرِ القَبيحِ خِيامَكُم
وَأُلفيتُمُand you were found عَنfrom صالِحِrighteous الفِعلِaction خُيّاماshrinking back
وَأُلفيتُمُ عَن صالِحِ الفِعلِ خُيّاما
You have pitched your tents upon foul conduct,
and have been found shrinking from righteous deeds.
فَياso O أَضَلَّmost astray الناسَpeople عَنfrom سُبُلِthe paths of الهُدىguidance
فَيا أَضَلَّ الناسَ عَن سُبُلِ الهُدى
وَلِلدَهرِand for Time لَمdid not يَترُكleave إِياماًsmoke ولاnor ياماYām, a tribe
وَلِلدَهرِ لَم يَترُك إِياماً ولا ياما
So, O most astray of men from the paths of guidance!
And alas for Time, which left neither smoke nor Yām!
Sol 6.1