أَنَسيتَhave you forgotten? حَقَّthe due اللَهِGod أَمor أَهمَلتَهُyou neglected it
أَنَسيتَ حَقَّ اللَهِ أَم أَهمَلتَهُ
شَرٌّworse مِنَthan الناسيthe one who forgets هُوَhe المُتَناسيthe one who feigns forgetting
شَرٌّ مِنَ الناسي هُوَ المُتَناسي
Have you forgotten God's due, or neglected it?
Have you forgotten Allah's right or neglected it?
Worse than one who forgets is one who feigns forgetting.
More evil than the forgetful man is he who is unmindful
نَبغيwe seek الطَهارَةَpurity فيin الحَياةِlife وَإِنَّماand yet only
نَبغي الطَهارَةَ في الحَياةِ وَإِنَّما
أَجسادُناour bodies جُمَلٌaggregates مِنَof الأَدناسِimpurities
أَجسادُنا جُمَلٌ مِنَ الأَدناسِ
We seek purity in life, yet
Purity in life is necessary, though indeed
Our bodies are merely aggregates of impurities.
Our bodies are bundles of filth
سُبحانَglory be to جامِعِهاHim who gathers them إِلىto غَبرائِهاtheir dusty earth
سُبحانَ جامِعِها إِلى غَبرائِها
فيin حَيِّزِthe domain of الأَنواعِspecies وَالأَجناسِand genera
في حَيِّزِ الأَنواعِ وَالأَجناسِ
Glory to Him who gathers them to their dusty earth
Glory to Him who will gather them to their decay
Within the realm of species and genera.
In the sphere of types and species
إِنif صَحَis sound عَقلُكَyour mind فَالتَفَرُّدُthen solitude نِعمَةٌa blessing
إِن صَحَ عَقلُكَ فَالتَفَرُّدُ نِعمَةٌ
وَنَوىand separation from الأَوانِسِcompanionable women غايَةُthe height of الإيناسِsolace
وَنَوى الأَوانِسِ غايَةُ الإيناسِ
If your mind is sound, solitude is a blessing,
If your mind is sound, then solitude is a blessing
And distance from companionable women is the utmost solace.
And the fellowship of intimates is the height of intimacy
أَبلَستُI despaired مِنbecause of وَساوِسِwhisperings حَليٍّjewelry خِلتُهُI thought it
أَبلَستُ مِن وَساوِسِ حَليٍّ خِلتُهُ
إِبليسَIblis وَسوسَwhispered فيin صُدورِthe breasts of الناسِpeople
إِبليسَ وَسوسَ في صُدورِ الناسِ
I despaired at jewelry's whisperings, taking it for
I have worn myself out from the whisperings of a sweet but deadly companion
Iblis, who whispered in people's breasts.
Iblis whispered in the breasts of mankind
ماnot شِمتَyou glimpsed مِنany شَمّاءَa high-nosed woman قَبلُbefore وَهَلand has نَأَتdrawn away
ما شِمتَ مِن شَمّاءَ قَبلُ وَهَل نَأَت
خَنساءُa snub-nosed woman عَنfrom شَيطانِهاher devil الخَنّاسِthe slinking one
خَنساءُ عَن شَيطانِها الخَنّاسِ
You have never glimpsed a high-nosed woman before; and has
Never before have you sensed from a slanderer, has any
A snub-nosed woman drawn away from her slinking devil?
Vile woman refrained from her sneaky devil?
أَوor لاnot وَأَلهِand distract العِرسَthe wife عَنfrom غَزَلٍflirtation لَهاof hers
أَو لا وَأَلهِ العِرسَ عَن غَزَلٍ لَها
بِالغَزلِwith spinning فَهِيَfor she شَقيقَةُsister of العِرناسِthe lion (ʿirnās)
بِالغَزلِ فَهِيَ شَقيقَةُ العِرناسِ
Or not? And distract the wife (ʿirs) from her flirtation
Or, by God, has the bride’s companion ever desisted from wooing her?
With spinning, for she is sister to the lion (ʿirnās).
With wooing she is the sister of wickedness
زيدَتwere added بِهاto her name أَلفٌan alif وَنونٌand a nūn إِنَّindeed مَنone who
زيدَت بِها أَلفٌ وَنونٌ إِنَّ مَن
فَرسَbroke الرِقابِnecks نَطَقَتit uttered بِالفِرناسِas firnās (lion)
فَرسَ الرِقابِ نَطَقَت بِالفِرناسِ
An alif and a nūn were added to her name; indeed, one who
To her have been added a thousand and fifty; indeed whoever
Broke necks has been called firnās, the lion.
Breaks necks has brayed like a mule
يَرميhe casts الضَرّاءَthe thickets بِسيدِهِwith his wolf مُتَخَتِّلاًscheming stealthily
يَرمي الضَرّاءَ بِسيدِهِ مُتَخَتِّلاً
كَيماso that يَصيدَhe may catch لَهُfor him رَبيبَa nursling of كِناسِa gazelle's covert
كَيما يَصيدَ لَهُ رَبيبَ كِناسِ
He sends his wolf into the thickets, scheming stealthily,
He hurls adversity at his master while pretending
To catch for him a gazelle reared in its covert.
So that he might snare for himself a beloved flirt
نُسِخَwere transformed المَعاشِرُthe communities فَالغَضَنفَرُso the lion ثَعلَبٌa fox
نُسِخَ المَعاشِرُ فَالغَضَنفَرُ ثَعلَبٌ
فيin لُؤمِهِits baseness وَالناسُand people كَالنَسناسِlike the nasnās (ape-like creatures)
في لُؤمِهِ وَالناسُ كَالنَسناسِ
Communities have been transformed: the lion is a fox
Manners are copied so the short lizard is a cunning fox
In its baseness, and people resemble the ape-like nasnās.
In its hideousness, and people are aping apes
وَتَفَكَّرَتand it reflected نَفسُthe soul of اللَبيبِthe discerning one وَقَدand already رَأَتit saw
وَتَفَكَّرَت نَفسُ اللَبيبِ وَقَد رَأَت
أَشُخوصُare these figures جِنٍّjinn أَمor شُخوصُfigures إِناسِhumans
أَشُخوصُ جِنٍّ أَم شُخوصُ إِناسِ
And the discerning one's soul pondered at the sight:
The mind of the sensible has reflected and seen
Are these figures of jinn, or figures of humans?
The forms of Jinn or the forms of humans
عُربٌArabs وَعُجمٌand non-Arabs دائِلونَtaking turns in power وَكُلُّناand all of us
عُربٌ وَعُجمٌ دائِلونَ وَكُلُّنا
فيin الظُلمِinjustice أَهلُpeople of تَشابُهٍresemblance وَجِناسِand sameness in kind
في الظُلمِ أَهلُ تَشابُهٍ وَجِناسِ
Arabs and non-Arabs take turns in power, and all of us
Arabs and non-Arabs confused while all of us
In injustice are alike and of one kind.
In darkness are a people of resemblance and kinship
فَلَقيتُso I encountered مِنfrom زَيدٍZayd وَعَمرٍوand ʿAmr مِثلَthe like of ماwhat
فَلَقيتُ مِن زَيدٍ وَعَمرٍو مِثلَ ما
لاقَيتَyou encountered مِنfrom ذِنكٍDhink وَمِنand from أَشناسِAshnās
لاقَيتَ مِن ذِنكٍ وَمِن أَشناسِ
So from Zayd and ʿAmr I experienced just what
So I have gotten from Zayd and ‘Amr the likes of what
You experienced from Dhink and Ashnās.
You have gotten from Dhink and Ashaan
Sol 6.1