كَأَنَّas though نُفوسَthe souls of الناسِpeople وَاللَهُand God شاهِدٌis witness
كَأَنَّ نُفوسَ الناسِ وَاللَهُ شاهِدٌ
نُفوسُsouls of فَراشٍmoths مالَهُنَّthey have no حُلومُreason
نُفوسُ فَراشٍ مالَهُنَّ حُلومُ
The souls of humankind—God is my witness—seem
It is as though people's souls—God is witness—
the souls of moths, possessed of no understanding.
were the souls of moths, bereft of reason.
وَقالواand they said فَقيهٌa jurist وَالفَقيهُyet the jurist مُمَوِّهٌa deceiver
وَقالوا فَقيهٌ وَالفَقيهُ مُمَوِّهٌ
وَحِلفُand a sworn ally of جِدالٍdisputation وَالكَلامُand speech كُلومُwounds
وَحِلفُ جِدالٍ وَالكَلامُ كُلومُ
They say, “A jurist!”—but the jurist is a dissembler,
And they said, “A jurist!” Yet the jurist is a deceiver,
an ally of disputation; and words are wounds.
and a sworn ally of disputation; words are wounds.
أَتَوكَthey came to you بِأَصنافِwith varieties of المَحالِabsurdities وَإِنَّماbut only
أَتَوكَ بِأَصنافِ المَحالِ وَإِنَّما
لَهُمthey have غَرَضٌan aim فيin أَنthat يُقالَit be said عَلومُhighly learned
لَهُم غَرَضٌ في أَن يُقالَ عَلومُ
They come to you with every kind of absurdity; their sole
They came to you with all kinds of absurdities, but
aim is to have such things called “sciences.”
their only aim is to be called learned.
وَجَدتُI found الفَتىthe young man يَرميhe accuses سِواهُothers besides himself بِدائِهِof his own ailment
وَجَدتُ الفَتى يَرمي سِواهُ بِدائِهِ
وَيَشكوand he complains إِلَيكَto you الظُلمَinjustice وَهوَthough he is ظَلومُvery unjust
وَيَشكو إِلَيكَ الظُلمَ وَهوَ ظَلومُ
I have found a man charging another with his own disease,
I have found a young man ascribing his own malady to others,
and complaining to you of injustice, though himself a grievous wrongdoer.
and complaining to you of injustice, though he is deeply unjust.
فَإِنso if كانَthere is شَيطانٌa devil لَهُof his يَستَفِزُّهُgoading him
فَإِن كانَ شَيطانٌ لَهُ يَستَفِزُّهُ
فَأَيُّهُماthen which of the two عِندَupon القِياسِcomparison تَلومُdo you blame
فَأَيُّهُما عِندَ القِياسِ تَلومُ
If he has a devil inciting him,
So if he has a devil goading him,
then which of the two, when you weigh them, do you blame?
then which of the two do you blame when you compare them?
تَجَرَّأَbe bold وَلاand do not تَجعَلmake لِحَتفِكَfor your death عِلَّةًa cause
تَجَرَّأَ وَلا تَجعَل لِحَتفِكَ عِلَّةً
بِإِكثارِby an excess of طُعمٍfood إِنَّindeed ذَلِكَthat لُؤمُbaseness
بِإِكثارِ طُعمٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لُؤمُ
Be bold, and do not contrive a cause for your death
Be bold, and do not cause your own death
by eating to excess; that indeed is ignoble.
by eating too much; that is indeed ignoble.
Sol 6.1