تُنازِعُyou contend فيover الدُنِّياthe world سِواكَsomeone other than you وَماyet not لَهُto him
تُنازِعُ في الدُنِّيا سِواكَ وَما لَهُ
وَلاnor لَكَto you شَيءٌanything بِالحَقيقَةِin truth فيهاin it
وَلا لَكَ شَيءٌ بِالحَقيقَةِ فيها
You contend with another over the world, yet neither he
nor you truly possess a thing within it.
وَلَكِنَّهاbut it مِلكٌproperty لِرَبٍّof a Lord مُقَدِّرٍordaining
وَلَكِنَّها مِلكٌ لِرَبٍّ مُقَدِّرٍ
يُعيرُlends جَنوبَthe flanks of الأَرضِthe earth مُرتَدِriders فيهاupon it
يُعيرُ جَنوبَ الأَرضِ مُرتَدِ فيها
But it belongs to an ordaining Lord,
who lends the earth's flanks to those who ride upon it.
وَلَمand did not تُحظَgain فيin ذاكَthat النِزاعِdispute بِطائِلٍany benefit
وَلَم تُحظَ في ذاكَ النِزاعِ بِطائِلٍ
مِنَfrom الأَمرِthe affair إِلّاexcept أَنto تُعَدَّbe counted سَفيهاa fool
مِنَ الأَمرِ إِلّا أَن تُعَدَّ سَفيها
In that dispute you have gained no benefit
from the affair, save to be counted a fool.
أَياO نَفسِmy soul لاdo not تَعظُمloom large عَلَيكِto you خُطوبُهاits calamities
أَيا نَفسِ لا تَعظُم عَلَيكِ خُطوبُها
فَمُتَفِقوهاfor those agreeing about it مِثلُare like مُختَلِفيهاthose differing about it
فَمُتَفِقوها مِثلُ مُختَلِفيها
O my soul, do not let its calamities loom so great;
for those agreeing about it are like those who differ.
وُصِفتِyou were described لِقَومٍto some people رَحمَةًas a mercy أَزَلِيَّةًeternal
وُصِفتِ لِقَومٍ رَحمَةً أَزَلِيَّةً
وَلمyet did not تُدرِكيyou manage بِالقَولِthrough speech أَنto تَصفيهاdescribe it
وَلم تُدرِكي بِالقَولِ أَن تَصفيها
You were described to some people as an eternal mercy,
yet you could not describe it in words.
تَداعَواthey summoned one another إِلىto النَزرِthe scant amount القَليلِsmall فَجالَدواthen fought
تَداعَوا إِلى النَزرِ القَليلِ فَجالَدوا
عَلَيهِover it وَخَلّوهاand abandoned it لِمُغتَرِفيهاto those scooping from it
عَلَيهِ وَخَلّوها لِمُغتَرِفيها
They summoned one another to a scant pittance and fought
over it, then left the world to those who scoop from it.
وَماand not أُمُّthe mother of صِلٍa viper أَوor حَليلَةُthe mate of ضَيغَمٍa lion
وَما أُمُّ صِلٍ أَو حَليلَةُ ضَيغَمٍ
بِأَظلَمَmore unjust مِنthan دُنياكِyour world فَاِعتَرِفيهاso acknowledge it
بِأَظلَمَ مِن دُنياكِ فَاِعتَرِفيها
Neither a viper's mother nor a lion's mate
is crueler than your world—acknowledge it.
تُلاقيit meets الوُفودَthe delegations القادِميهاarriving at it بِفَرحَةٍwith joy
تُلاقي الوُفودَ القادِميها بِفَرحَةٍ
وَتَبكيand it weeps عَلىover آثارِthe traces of مُنصَرِفيهاthose departing it
وَتَبكي عَلى آثارِ مُنصَرِفيها
It welcomes the delegations arriving at it with joy,
and weeps over the traces of those departing it.
وَلَمand did not يَتَوازَنbalance equally فيin القِياسِcomparison نَعيمُهاits bliss
وَلَم يَتَوازَن في القِياسِ نَعيمُها
وَسَيِّئَةٌand a misdeed أَودَتbrought ruin بِمُقتَرِفيهاupon its perpetrators
وَسَيِّئَةٌ أَودَت بِمُقتَرِفيها
Its bliss, when weighed, has never equaled
a misdeed that brought its perpetrators to ruin.
وَأَرزاقُهاand its provisions تَغشىcome upon أَناساًsome people بِفَترَةٍin idleness
وَأَرزاقُها تَغشى أَناساً بِفَترَةٍ
وَتَقصُرُand fall short حيناًat times دونَof مُكتَرِفيهاthose earning from it
وَتَقصُرُ حيناً دونَ مُكتَرِفيها
Its provisions reach some people in their idleness,
yet sometimes fall short of those who toil to earn them.
وَماand not هِيَit إِلّاexcept شاكَةٌa thorny palm لَيسَthere is not عِندَهاwith it
وَما هِيَ إِلّا شاكَةٌ لَيسَ عِندَها
وَجَدِّكby your fortune إِرطابٌripening of dates لِمُختَرِفيهاfor its fruit-gatherers
وَجَدِّك إِرطابٌ لِمُختَرِفيها
It is only a thorny palm, with no—
by your fortune—ripe dates for its gatherers.
فَنالَتthus it struck عَلىupon الخَضراءِthe green expanse شُربَthe drinkers of كُميتَهاits dark-red wine
فَنالَت عَلى الخَضراءِ شُربَ كُميتَها
وَغالَتand it slew عَلىupon الغَبراءِthe dusty earth مُعتَسِفيهاthose blindly traversing it
وَغالَت عَلى الغَبراءِ مُعتَسِفيها
Thus it struck, on the green expanse, the drinkers of its dark-red wine,
and slew, on the dusty earth, those wandering through it.
كَماjust as نُبِذَتwas cast out لِلوَحشِto wild beasts وَالطَيرِand birds رازِمٌa spent she-camel
كَما نُبِذَت لِلوَحشِ وَالطَيرِ رازِمٌ
فَأَلفَتand bred شُروراًevils بَينَamong مُختَطِفيهاthose snatching at it
فَأَلفَت شُروراً بَينَ مُختَطِفيها
Like a spent she-camel cast out to beasts and birds,
it bred strife among those snatching at it.
تَناءَتit has grown distant عَنِfrom الإِنصافِfairness مَنwhoever ضيمَwas wronged لَمdid not يَجِدfind
تَناءَت عَنِ الإِنصافِ مَن ضيمَ لَم يَجِد
سَبيلاًa path إِلىto غاياتِthe goals of مُنتَصِفيهاthose gaining their due from it
سَبيلاً إِلى غاياتِ مُنتَصِفيها
It has strayed far from justice: whoever is wronged finds no
path to the goals of those who gain their due from it.
فَأَطبِقso close فَماًa mouth عَنهاagainst it وَكَفّاًand a hand وَمُقلَةًand an eye
فَأَطبِق فَماً عَنها وَكَفّاً وَمُقلَةً
وَقُلand say لِغَوِيِّto the fool of القَومِthe people فاكَyour mouth لَفيهاto its mouth
وَقُل لِغَوِيِّ القَومِ فاكَ لَفيها
So shut your mouth, your hand, and your eye against it,
and tell the people's fool: 'Your mouth to hers!'
كَأَنَّas though الَّتيthat which فيin الكَأسِthe cup يَطفوfloats حَبابُهاits foam
كَأَنَّ الَّتي في الكَأسِ يَطفو حَبابُها
سِمامُvenoms of حُبابٍserpents بَينَamong مُرتَشِفيهاthose sipping it
سِمامُ حُبابٍ بَينَ مُرتَشِفيها
As though the wine whose bubbles float within the cup
were serpents' venom among those who sip it.
تُتابِعُit follows successively أَجزاءَthe parts of الزَمانِtime لَطائِفاًin subtle ways
تُتابِعُ أَجزاءَ الزَمانِ لَطائِفاً
وَتُلحِقُand brings تَفريقاًseparation بِمُؤتَلِفيهاupon those united in it
وَتُلحِقُ تَفريقاً بِمُؤتَلِفيها
In subtle ways it follows the divisions of time,
and brings separation upon those united in it.
Sol 6.1