سَمِّcall الهِلالَthe crescent إِذاwhen عايَنتَهُyou behold it قَمَراًa moon
سَمِّ الهِلالَ إِذا عايَنتَهُ قَمَراً
إِنَّindeed الأَهِلَّةَthe crescents عَنafter وَشكٍa short while لَأَقمارُsurely moons
إِنَّ الأَهِلَّةَ عَن وَشكٍ لَأَقمارُ
Call the crescent a moon when you behold it;
for crescents will soon be moons.
وَلاand do not تَقولَنever say حُجَينٌHujayn إِنَّهُit is indeed لَقَبٌa nickname
وَلا تَقولَن حُجَينٌ إِنَّهُ لَقَبٌ
وَإِنَّماand only يَلفِظُutter التَلقيبَnicknaming أَغمارُsimpletons
وَإِنَّما يَلفِظُ التَلقيبَ أَغمارُ
And never say 'Hujayn': it is a nickname;
and only simpletons utter nicknames.
هَلhas صَحَّproved true قَولٌan account مِنَfrom الحاكيthe storyteller فَنَقبَلَهُso we may accept it
هَل صَحَّ قَولٌ مِنَ الحاكي فَنَقبَلَهُ
أَمor كُلُّall ذاكَthat أَباطيلٌfalsehoods وَأَسمارُand evening tales
أَم كُلُّ ذاكَ أَباطيلٌ وَأَسمارُ
Has any account from the storyteller proved true, so that we may accept it,
or is all of that falsehood and evening tales?
أَمّاas for العُقولُminds فَآلَتso they have sworn أَنَّهُthat it is كَذِبٌfalsehood
أَمّا العُقولُ فَآلَت أَنَّهُ كَذِبٌ
وَالعَقلُand reason غَرسٌa planted tree لَهُit has بِالصِدقِthrough truth أَثمارُfruits
وَالعَقلُ غَرسٌ لَهُ بِالصِدقِ أَثمارُ
As for minds, they have sworn that it is false;
and reason is a tree that bears fruit through truth.
ماnot هاجَaroused لِلحازِمِfor the prudent man الماضيthe resolute سِوىanything but حَزَنٍsorrow
ما هاجَ لِلحازِمِ الماضي سِوى حَزَنٍ
عودٌa lute يُجاوِبُهُanswers it فيamong الشَربِthe drinkers مِزمارُa flute
عودٌ يُجاوِبُهُ في الشَربِ مِزمارُ
In the prudent, resolute man, nothing but sorrow is stirred
by a lute answered by a flute among the drinkers.
هَلdo تَعرِفُyou know الماءَthe waterhole تَغشاهُvisit it القَطاthe sandgrouse زُمَراًin flocks
هَل تَعرِفُ الماءَ تَغشاهُ القَطا زُمَراً
قَبلَbefore الصَباحِdawn وَفيهِand at it الجِنُّthe jinn سُمّارُnighttime conversationalists
قَبلَ الصَباحِ وَفيهِ الجِنُّ سُمّارُ
Do you know the waterhole that sandgrouse visit in flocks
before dawn, while the jinn converse there by night?
كَأَنَّas though كَيوانَSaturn فيin ظَلماءِthe gloom حِندِسِهِits pitch-dark night
كَأَنَّ كَيوانَ في ظَلماءِ حِندِسِهِ
مِنَbecause of الهُمودِstillness وَطولِand the length المَكثِof staying مِسمارُa nail
مِنَ الهُمودِ وَطولِ المَكثِ مِسمارُ
It is as though Saturn, in the gloom of its pitch-dark night,
were a nail, so motionless and long fixed in place.
مَنwhoever يُرزَقِis granted الحَظَّgood fortune يَسعَدprospers أَينَwherever كانَhe may be بِهِthrough it
مَن يُرزَقِ الحَظَّ يَسعَد أَينَ كانَ بِهِ
وَمَنand whoever يُخَيَّبis thwarted فَإِنَّthen indeed المَوتَdeath مِضمارُa racecourse
وَمَن يُخَيَّب فَإِنَّ المَوتَ مِضمارُ
Whoever is granted fortune prospers through it wherever he may be;
and for whoever is thwarted, death is indeed a racecourse.
كانَتthere were عَجائِبُwonders وَالمِقدارُand fate صَيَّرَهاconsigned them
كانَت عَجائِبُ وَالمِقدارُ صَيَّرَها
إِلىto اِبنِthe son of حَربٍHarb وَلاقىand met الحَتفَdeath عَمّارُAmmar
إِلى اِبنِ حَربٍ وَلاقى الحَتفَ عَمّارُ
Wonders came to pass, and fate consigned them
to Ibn Harb, while Ammar met death.
ماwhat فاتَhas gone أَعياdefies recovery وَلَمnor did تَرجِعreturn إِلىto مُضَرٍMudar
ما فاتَ أَعيا وَلَم تَرجِع إِلى مُضَرٍ
عَينٌan eye وَجَوَّلَand roamed فيacross الآفاقِthe horizons أَنمارُAnmar
عَينٌ وَجَوَّلَ في الآفاقِ أَنمارُ
What is gone defies recovery; nor did there return to Mudar
an eye; and Anmar roamed the horizons.
يَنهىforbids لِسانُكَyour tongue عَنagainst شَيءٍa thing مُنافَقَةًhypocritically
يَنهى لِسانُكَ عَن شَيءٍ مُنافَقَةً
وَالسِرُّand the secret heart بِالشَيءِto do the thing يَنهىit forbids عَنهُagainst it أَمّارُconstantly urging
وَالسِرُّ بِالشَيءِ يَنهى عَنهُ أَمّارُ
Your tongue forbids a thing in hypocrisy,
while your secret heart keeps urging the very thing your tongue forbids.
Sol 6.1