لَوif شاءَhad willed رَبّيmy Lord لَصاغَنيHe would have fashioned me مَلِكاًa king
لَو شاءَ رَبّي لَصاغَني مَلِكاً
أَوor مَلَكاًan angel لَيسَnot يَعجَزُis powerless القَدَرُfate
أَو مَلَكاً لَيسَ يَعجَزُ القَدَرُ
Had my Lord willed, He would have fashioned me a king,
Had my Lord willed, He would have made me a king
or an angel; fate is not powerless.
Or an angel, nothing is beyond His power
أَيَّدَstrengthened مِنّيfrom me وَقالَand said أَيَّwhatever دَمٍblood
أَيَّدَ مِنّي وَقالَ أَيَّ دَمٍ
أَرَقتَyou shed فَهوَthen it is الجُبارُbloodshed requiring no redress وَالهَدرُand blood shed in vain
أَرَقتَ فَهوَ الجُبارُ وَالهَدرُ
He would have strengthened me and said: “Whatever blood
He supported me and said: O blood I shed
you shed requires no redress and is shed in vain.”
He is the Almighty, the Able
فيin أَصلِناour origin الزَيغُdeviation وَالفَسادُand corruption وَهَand th- (beginning of 'this')
في أَصلِنا الزَيغُ وَالفَسادُ وَهَ
ذا-is (completing 'this') اللَيلُthe night طَبعٌan innate trait لِجِنحِهِof its wing الخَدَرُdarkness
ذا اللَيلُ طَبعٌ لِجِنحِهِ الخَدَرُ
Deviation and corruption lie in our origin; and
In our origin is deviance and corruption, and this
this night—darkness is innate to its wing.
Night is the nature of its sinister wings
قَدindeed عَلِمَhas known اللَهُGod أَنَّنيthat I رَجُلٌa man
قَد عَلِمَ اللَهُ أَنَّني رَجُلٌ
لاnot أَفتَريI fabricate ماwhat اِفتَرَيتَyou fabricated ياO غُدَرُtreacherous one
لا أَفتَري ما اِفتَرَيتَ يا غُدَرُ
God knows full well that I am a man
Allah knew that I am a man
who does not fabricate what you fabricated, O traitor.
Who does not fabricate what you fabricated, O betrayer
أَعلَمُI know أَنّيthat I إِذاwhen حَيِيتُI am alive قَذىًa mote
أَعلَمُ أَنّي إِذا حَيِيتُ قَذىً
وَأَنَّنيand that I بَعدَafter ميتَتيmy death مَدَرُclay
وَأَنَّني بَعدَ ميتَتي مَدَرُ
I know that while alive I am a mote,
I know that if I live an ember
and that after my death I shall be clay.
And that after my death, I am ashes
كَمhow many مِنof رِجالٍmen جُسومُهُمtheir bodies عَفَرٌdust
كَم مِن رِجالٍ جُسومُهُم عَفَرٌ
تُبنىare built بِهِمwith them أَوor عَلَيهِمُover them الجُدُرُthe walls
تُبنى بِهِم أَو عَلَيهِمُ الجُدُرُ
How many men, whose bodies are dust,
How many men whose bodies are dust
have walls built from them or over them!
With them buildings are built, and over them walls
يَغدوgoes forth الفَتىthe youth لِلأُمورِfor affairs يَلمَحُgazes كَالباlike the haw- (beginning of 'hawk')
يَغدو الفَتى لِلأُمورِ يَلمَحُ كَالبا
زي-k (completing 'hawk') وَفيand in طَرفِthe edge لُبِّهِhis mind سَدَرُbewilderment
زي وَفي طَرفِ لُبِّهِ سَدَرُ
The youth goes about his affairs, gazing like a hawk,
The young man goes about to matters, glancing like
while bewilderment lies at the edge of his mind.
A panther, and in the corner of his heart, a lotus
لاnot أَزعُمُI claim الصَفوَpurity مازِجاًmingling with كَدَراًmurk
لا أَزعُمُ الصَفوَ مازِجاً كَدَراً
بَلrather مَزعَميmy claim أَنَّthat كُلَّهُall of it كَدَرُmurk
بَل مَزعَمي أَنَّ كُلَّهُ كَدَرُ
I do not claim that purity mingles with murk;
I do not claim to mix pure and turbid
rather, my claim is that all of it is murk.
Rather, my claim is that all is turbid
Sol 6.1