لَوif كُنتُمُyou were أَهلَpeople of صَفوٍpurity قالَwould have said ناسِبُكُمthe one naming you
لَو كُنتُمُ أَهلَ صَفوٍ قالَ ناسِبُكُم
صَفوِيَّةٌSafwiyya (people of purity) فَأَتىand so he brought بِاللَفظِwith the word ماnot قُلِباwas transposed
صَفوِيَّةٌ فَأَتى بِاللَفظِ ما قُلِبا
Had you been people of purity, the one naming you would have said,
If you were people of purity, a fitting address
“Safwiyya”—and so used the word without transposing its letters.
Would have been purity, but speech distorts meanings.
جُندٌtroops لِإِبليسَfor Iblis فيin بَدليسَBitlis آوِنَةًat times
جُندٌ لِإِبليسَ في بَدليسَ آوِنَةً
وَتارَةًand at other times يَحلِبونَthey milk العَيشَa livelihood فيin حَلَباAleppo
وَتارَةً يَحلِبونَ العَيشَ في حَلَبا
Troops of Iblis, at times in Bitlis,
An army of Iblis in the land of Bedlis now and then
and at other times they milk a living in Aleppo.
Milking life in Aleppo.
طَلَبتُمُyou sought الزادَprovisions فيin الآفاقِthe horizons مِنout of طَمَعٍgreed
طَلَبتُمُ الزادَ في الآفاقِ مِن طَمَعٍ
وَاللَهُand God يُوجَدُis found حَقاًtruly أَينَماwherever طُلِباwas sought
وَاللَهُ يُوجَدُ حَقاً أَينَما طُلِبا
You sought provisions across the horizons out of greed,
You sought provision in horizons out of greed
yet God is truly found wherever He is sought.
Yet God is found wherever truly sought.
وَلَستُand I do not أَعنيmean بِهَذاby this غَيرَother than فاجِرِكُمthe wicked among you
وَلَستُ أَعني بِهَذا غَيرَ فاجِرِكُم
إِنَّindeed التَقِيَّthe pious man إِذاwhen زاحَمتَهُyou contend with him غَلَباhe prevails
إِنَّ التَقِيَّ إِذا زاحَمتَهُ غَلَبا
And by this I mean only the wicked among you;
I do not mean by this except your debauched ones,
indeed, the pious man prevails when you contend with him,
For the devout, if opposed, will overcome.
كَالشَمسِlike the sun لَمdid not يَدنُdraw near مِنto أَضوائِهاits rays دَنَسٌa stain
كَالشَمسِ لَم يَدنُ مِن أَضوائِها دَنَسٌ
وَالبَدرُand the full moon قَدindeed جَلَّwas exalted عَنabove ذَمٍّreproach وَإِنand even if ثُلِباwas reviled
وَالبَدرُ قَد جَلَّ عَن ذَمٍّ وَإِن ثُلِبا
like the sun: no stain has drawn near its rays;
Like the sun - no blemish approaches its rays
and the full moon stands above reproach, even if reviled.
The full moon is far above blame even when eclipsed.
وَماand not أَرىI see كُلَّevery قَومٍpeople ضَلَّwent astray رُشدُهُمُtheir sound judgment
وَما أَرى كُلَّ قَومٍ ضَلَّ رُشدُهُمُ
إِلّاexcept نَظيرَthe like of النَصارىthe Christians أَعظَمواthey exalted الصُلُباthe crosses
إِلّا نَظيرَ النَصارى أَعظَموا الصُلُبا
And I see no people whose sound judgment has gone astray
I see no people gone astray but their sanity
as anything but the like of the Christians, who exalted crosses.
Is like Christians, building up crucifixes.
ياO آلَhouse of إِسرالَIsrael هَلwhether يُرجىis hoped for مَسيحُكُمُyour Messiah
يا آلَ إِسرالَ هَل يُرجى مَسيحُكُمُ
هَيهاتَfar from it! قَدalready مَيَّزَdiscerned الأَشياءَthe things مَنthe one who خُلِباwas beguiled
هَيهاتَ قَد مَيَّزَ الأَشياءَ مَن خُلِبا
O house of Israel, is your Messiah hoped for?
O Children of Israel! Can your Messiah be hoped for!
Far from it! He who was beguiled has discerned things.
Far from it! He who formed things distinguished them.
قُلناwe said أَتاناhe came to us وَلَمand was not يُصلَبcrucified وَقَولُكُمُand your saying
قُلنا أَتانا وَلَم يُصلَب وَقَولُكُمُ
ماnot جاءَhe came بَعدُyet وَقالَتand said أُمَّةٌa community صُلِباhe was crucified
ما جاءَ بَعدُ وَقالَت أُمَّةٌ صُلِبا
We said, 'He came to us and was not crucified'; and you say,
We said he came but was not crucified, yet you say
'He has not yet come'; and a community said, 'He was crucified.'
One came after and a nation cried "Crucify!"
جَلَبتُمُyou brought باطِلَthe falsehood of التَوراةِthe Torah عَنfrom شَحَطٍfar away
جَلَبتُمُ باطِلَ التَوراةِ عَن شَحَطٍ
وَرُبَّand many a شَرٍّevil بَعيدٍfar-off لِلفَتىfor a young man جُلَباwas brought
وَرُبَّ شَرٍّ بَعيدٍ لِلفَتى جُلَبا
You brought the Torah's falsehood from far away,
You brought the Torah's falsehood through distortion
and many a far-off evil has been brought upon a young man.
And much evil is attracted by the youth.
كَمhow often يُقتَلُare killed الناسُpeople ماnot هَمُّthe concern of الَّذيthe one who عَمَدَتaimed
كَم يُقتَلُ الناسُ ما هَمُّ الَّذي عَمَدَت
يَداهُhis two hands لِلقَتلِfor killing إِلّاexcept أَخذُهُhis taking السَلَباthe spoils
يَداهُ لِلقَتلِ إِلّا أَخذُهُ السَلَبا
How often people are killed! The sole aim of one who sets
How many are killed though their hands never spilled blood
his two hands to killing is to seize the spoils.
Save seizing plunder and rapine.
بِالخُلفِthrough contradiction قامَstood عَمودُthe pillar of الدينِreligion طائِفَةٌa faction
بِالخُلفِ قامَ عَمودُ الدينِ طائِفَةٌ
تَبنيbuilds الصُروحَlofty edifices وَأُخرىand another تَحفُرُdigs القُلُباthe wells
تَبني الصُروحَ وَأُخرى تَحفُرُ القُلُبا
Through contradiction the pillar of religion stands: one faction
Religion's pillar is upheld by later generations
builds lofty edifices, while another digs wells.
Building palaces while others dig graves.
Sol 6.1