قالَتsaid مَعاشِرُgroups كُلٌّeveryone عاجِزٌpowerless ضَرِعُweak
قالَت مَعاشِرُ كُلٌّ عاجِزٌ ضَرِعُ
ماnot لِلخَلائِقِfor creatures لاno بُطءٌslowness وَلاnor سُرُعُspeed
ما لِلخَلائِقِ لا بُطءٌ وَلا سُرُعُ
Groups have said: everyone is powerless and weak;
The helpless utter in unison 'Alas!',
creatures control neither slowness nor speed.
All creatures neither swift nor slow in their pace,
مُدَبَّرونَgoverned فَلاso no عَتبٌblame إِذاwhen خَطِئواthey err
مُدَبَّرونَ فَلا عَتبٌ إِذا خَطِئوا
عَلىupon المُسيءِthe wrongdoer وَلاnor حَمدٌpraise إِذاwhen بَرَعواthey excel
عَلى المُسيءِ وَلا حَمدٌ إِذا بَرَعوا
They are governed, so there is no blame when they err
Predestined, so do not blame if they err,
for the wrongdoer, nor praise when they excel.
Nor praise if they excel in their race.
وَلَقَدand indeed وَجَدتُI found لِهَذاfor this القَولِclaim فيin زَمَنيmy time
وَلَقَد وَجَدتُ لِهَذا القَولِ في زَمَني
شَواهِداًevidence وَنَهانيand restrained me دونَهُshort of it الوَرَعُscrupulous piety
شَواهِداً وَنَهاني دونَهُ الوَرَعُ
And indeed, in my time I have found for this claim
For this saying, in my time, I found
evidence; yet piety stopped me short of it.
Evidence aplenty that caution defined.
وَالناسُand people ضَأنٌsheep تَساوَتwere alike فيin غَرائِزِهاtheir instincts
وَالناسُ ضَأنٌ تَساوَت في غَرائِزِها
يَلقونَthey meet بِالأَرضِon earth كَفّاًa restraining hand كُلَّماwhenever اِفتَرَعواthey rise high
يَلقونَ بِالأَرضِ كَفّاً كُلَّما اِفتَرَعوا
And people are sheep, alike in their instincts;
People are sheep, alike in instinct,
they meet a restraining hand on earth whenever they rise.
Each time they graze, heads to the ground bent.
وَالعَيشُand life وِردٌan allotted draught سَيُسقىwill be given to drink الحَيُّthe living آخِرَهُits last portion
وَالعَيشُ وِردٌ سَيُسقى الحَيُّ آخِرَهُ
عِندَat الحِمامِdeath وَأَنفاسُand breaths الفَتىthe youth جُرَعُsips
عِندَ الحِمامِ وَأَنفاسُ الفَتى جُرَعُ
And life is a draught; the living will be given its last portion
Sustenance is a draught, the living drink it last,
at death, and a youth's breaths are sips.
At fate's decisive hour, the youth's breath spent.
شامواthey scanned بُروقَlightning flashes المَناياdeaths غَيرَnot مانِعِهِمshielding them
شاموا بُروقَ المَنايا غَيرَ مانِعِهِم
مِنَfrom الحَوادِثَcalamities ماwhat شامواthey scanned وَماand what اِدَّرَعواthey wore as armor
مِنَ الحَوادِثَ ما شاموا وَما اِدَّرَعوا
They scanned death's lightning, but nothing shields them
Undeterred by the spectre of death they face,
from calamities—neither what they scanned nor the armor they donned.
Meeting both evils foreseen and unforeseen.
وَيَدَّعيand claims الرُتبَةَthe rank العُلياhighest أَخَسُّهُمthe basest of them
وَيَدَّعي الرُتبَةَ العُليا أَخَسُّهُم
فَماso no يُجابُis answered لَهُمfor them داعٍa supplicant إِذاwhen ضَرَعواthey humbled themselves
فَما يُجابُ لَهُم داعٍ إِذا ضَرَعوا
And the basest among them claims the highest rank;
The lowest of them lays claim to highest rank.
yet no one praying for them is answered when they humble themselves.
No response to the prayers of those astray.
وَأَدرَكواand they reached بِدعاويهمby their claims مَدىthe distance of زُحَلٍSaturn
وَأَدرَكوا بِدعاويهم مَدى زُحَلٍ
مِنَfrom الرُغامِthe dust بِماby what قاسوهُthey measured it أَوor ذَرَعواthey measured in cubits
مِنَ الرُغامِ بِما قاسوهُ أَو ذَرَعوا
And by their claims they reached as far as Saturn,
With their empty boasts they overreached,
from the dust, by what they measured or surveyed in cubits.
Grasping at mirages near and far gleaned.
يَسعَونَthey strive فيalong المَنهَجِthe path المَسلوكِwell-trodden قَدalready سُبِقواthey were preceded
يَسعَونَ في المَنهَجِ المَسلوكِ قَد سُبِقوا
إِلىto الَّذيthat which هُوَis عِندَin the eyes of الغُرِّthe naïve مُختَرَعُnewly invented
إِلى الَّذي هُوَ عِندَ الغُرِّ مُختَرَعُ
They strive along the trodden path; others have already preceded them
Seeking trodden paths, they were outstripped
to what the naïve regard as newly invented.
By ruin lying in ambush, guile unseen.
أَبكارُvirgins هَذيthese المَعانيmeanings ثَيِّباتُnonvirgins حِجىًintellect
أَبكارُ هَذي المَعاني ثَيِّباتُ حِجىً
فيin كُلِّevery عَصرٍage لَهاfor them جانٍa harvester وَمُفتَرِعُand a deflowerer
في كُلِّ عَصرٍ لَها جانٍ وَمُفتَرِعُ
The virgins among these meanings are no virgins to reason;
Everlasting ideas, though oft womb-born,
in every age they have a harvester and a deflowerer.
In every age a new coat have preened.
وَخالَفواand they opposed الشَرَعَthe law لَمّاwhen جاءَهُمit came to them بِتُقىًwith piety
وَخالَفوا الشَرَعَ لَمّا جاءَهُم بِتُقىً
وَاِستَحسَنواand they approved مِنof قَبيحِfoulness الفِعلِaction ماwhat شَرَعواthey instituted
وَاِستَحسَنوا مِن قَبيحِ الفِعلِ ما شَرَعوا
And they opposed the law when it came to them with piety,
They broke divine law when it came to them
and approved the foul deeds they instituted.
And approved of evils, forbidden means.
وَجَدتُI found ماwhat اِزدَرَعوهُthey sowed it كانَwas عَنfrom قَدَرٍfate
وَجَدتُ ما اِزدَرَعوهُ كانَ عَن قَدَرٍ
وَالحَقُّand the truth أَنَّthat بَنيهِمtheir sons شَرُّthe worst of ماwhat اِزدَرَعواthey sowed
وَالحَقُّ أَنَّ بَنيهِم شَرُّ ما اِزدَرَعوا
I found that what they sowed arose from fate;
I found their crops were more than they sowed,
and the truth is that their sons are the worst of what they sowed.
Truly, their progeny the worst they have reaped.
لَوif يُكَشَّفُwere uncovered عَّنfrom أَبصارِهِمtheir eyes لَرَأَتthen they would see
لَو يُكَشَّفُ عَّن أَبصارِهِم لَرَأَت
آمالَهُمtheir hopes وَالمَناياand deaths كَيفَhow تَصتَرِعُwrestle with each other
آمالَهُم وَالمَنايا كَيفَ تَصتَرِعُ
If their eyes were uncovered, they would see
If sight were granted them, they would behold
their hopes and death—how they wrestle with one another.
Hopes and destinies relentlessly reaped.
عادَتbecame لَياليهِمُtheir nights دُهماًblack بِلاwithout وَضَحٍbrightness
عادَت لَياليهِمُ دُهماً بِلا وَضَحٍ
وَقَدand perhaps يَكونُthere are بِهِنَّamong them الغُرُّbright nights وَالدُرَعُand nights dark at first, then moonlit
وَقَد يَكونُ بِهِنَّ الغُرُّ وَالدُرَعُ
Their nights became black, without a gleam,
Their nights return gloom-laden, devoid of dawn,
though they may include bright nights and nights dark at first, then moonlit.
At their hour of ruin, no coat of mail.
وَالمَرءُand a man ماas long as عاشَhe lives مَبسوطٌspread wide إِساءَتُهُhis harm
وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ مَبسوطٌ إِساءَتُهُ
يَشقىsuffer بِهِbecause of him القَومُthe people إِنif هانواthey are lowly وَإِنand if فَرَعواthey rise high
يَشقى بِهِ القَومُ إِن هانوا وَإِن فَرَعوا
And a man's harm spreads for as long as he lives;
A man lives not in joy when his sins spread misery,
people suffer because of him, whether lowly or exalted,
Whether his people mighty or brought low.
وَالطَيرُand birds وَالوَحشُand wild beasts غاديهاtheir dawn-roamers وَصالِحُهاand their good ones
وَالطَيرُ وَالوَحشُ غاديها وَصالِحُها
وَاللَيثُand the lion وَالشِبلُand the lion cub وَالذَيّالُand the long-tailed beast وَالذَرَعُand the wild cow's calf
وَاللَيثُ وَالشِبلُ وَالذَيّالُ وَالذَرَعُ
and birds and wild beasts, their dawn-roamers and their good ones,
Beast and fowl, harmful and benign go their way,
and the lion, the cub, the long-tailed beast, and the wild cow's calf.
The lion, the cub, the wolf, the doe.
لاno فَضلَspecial merit يُحباهُis granted it مَخلوقٌa creature عَلىin جِهَةٍan aspect
لا فَضلَ يُحباهُ مَخلوقٌ عَلى جِهَةٍ
مِنof حالِهِits condition وَتُساوىand are equal النِسرُthe vulture وَالمُرَعُand the crake
مِن حالِهِ وَتُساوى النِسرُ وَالمُرَعُ
No creature is granted special merit in any aspect
No creature favors another out of partiality,
of its condition; the vulture and the crake are equal.
The eagle is equal to the lamb, no more, no less.
وَالهَذرُand idle chatter يُعطيكَgives you عَنof فَقدِthe loss of الهُدىguidance نَبَأًnews
وَالهَذرُ يُعطيكَ عَن فَقدِ الهُدى نَبَأً
وَيكَثِرُand utter much القَولَspeech طَيرٌbirds شَأنُهاtheir nature الضَرَعُweakness
وَيكَثِرُ القَولَ طَيرٌ شَأنُها الضَرَعُ
And idle chatter tells you of lost guidance;
Prattle informs you of the loss of guidance,
and birds whose nature is weakness talk a great deal.
A bird's nature to babble without rest.
Sol 6.1