وَجَدتُI found الناسَpeople كَالأَرضَينِlike the lands شَتّىvaried
وَجَدتُ الناسَ كَالأَرضَينِ شَتّى
فَمِنso among them دَمِثٍsoft soil يُرَيِّعُyields crops أَوor حِرارِstony lava-fields
فَمِن دَمِثٍ يُرَيِّعُ أَو حِرارِ
I found people as varied as the lands:
I found people to be as diverse as the lands
Some soft soil that yields, others stony lava-fields.
Some are fertile, some are barren and dry
جَليسُa companion الخَيرِgoodness كَالداريlike a perfumer أَلقىcast
جَليسُ الخَيرِ كَالداري أَلقى
لَكَto you الرَيّاfragrance كَمُنتَسَمِlike a whiff of العَرارِarar, a fragrant plant
لَكَ الرَيّا كَمُنتَسَمِ العَرارِ
A good companion is like a perfumer who casts
A righteous companion is like a fertile land
Fragrance your way, like a whiff of arar.
That gives you steady rain like aromatic plants
وَلَكِنbut ضِدُّهُhis opposite فيin الرَبعِthe dwelling قَينٌa blacksmith
وَلَكِن ضِدُّهُ في الرَبعِ قَينٌ
أَطارَsent flying إِلَيكَtoward you مُفتَرِقَscattered الشَرارِsparks
أَطارَ إِلَيكَ مُفتَرِقَ الشَرارِ
But his opposite in the dwelling is a blacksmith,
But the opposite in the region is an enemy
Who sends scattered sparks flying toward you.
Who sends you scattered embers in fury
يُباكِرُrises early ظالِمٌan oppressor جَنَفاًinjustice وَعَرّاًand harm
يُباكِرُ ظالِمٌ جَنَفاً وَعَرّاً
كَماjust as بَكَرَrose early الظَليمُthe male ostrich عَلىto العِرارِthe ostrich's cry
كَما بَكَرَ الظَليمُ عَلى العِرارِ
An oppressor rises early to injustice and harm,
An unjust oppressor wrongs and defames
As the male ostrich rises early to its cry.
As the unjust attacked the innocent viciously
وَحُبُّand love of العَيشِlife أَعبَدَenslaved كُلَّevery حُرٍّfree man
وَحُبُّ العَيشِ أَعبَدَ كُلَّ حُرٍّ
وَعَلَّمَand taught ساغِباًa hungry person أَكلَeating المُرارِbitter herbs
وَعَلَّمَ ساغِباً أَكلَ المُرارِ
And love of life has enslaved every free man,
The love of life enslaved every free soul
And taught the hungry to eat bitter herbs.
And taught the greedy to eat what is bitter
يُوَقِّرُهُweighs him down الكَرىdrowsiness فَيَقَرُّso he rests طَوراًfor a time
يُوَقِّرُهُ الكَرى فَيَقَرُّ طَوراً
وَيَمنَعُهُand prevents him الحِذارُfear مِنَfrom القَرارِrepose
وَيَمنَعُهُ الحِذارُ مِنَ القَرارِ
Drowsiness weighs him down, so he rests a while,
It honors him, so he settles for a while
And fear prevents him from repose.
But fear keeps him from settling permanently
أَلاحَgrew fearful فَلَمand so did not يَعُجheed بِغَرارِa snatch of نَومٍsleep
أَلاحَ فَلَم يَعُج بِغَرارِ نَومٍ
لِبَيضاتٍfor eggs وَضِعنَwere laid عَلىupon غِرارِGhirar
لِبَيضاتٍ وَضِعنَ عَلى غِرارِ
He grew fearful, shunning even a snatch of sleep,
He shone but was not stirred from his dormant sleep
For eggs laid upon Ghirar.
By eggs laid on the heated sands
فَماso why لِلمَينِfor falsehood يُنطَقُis spoken بِالتَناديwith loud calls
فَما لِلمَينِ يُنطَقُ بِالتَنادي
وَماand why لِلحَقِّfor truth يُهمَسُis whispered فيin السَرارِsecrecy
وَما لِلحَقِّ يُهمَسُ في السَرارِ
Why, then, is falsehood proclaimed aloud,
So why does the crooked speak in pretense
And why is truth whispered in secrecy?
And truth whispered secretly in dens
أَصاحِO friend كَأَنَّas though هَذاthis الدَهرَage شَهرٌa month
أَصاحِ كَأَنَّ هَذا الدَهرَ شَهرٌ
خُلِقناwe were created مِنهُof it فيin لَيلِthe night of السِرارِthe moonless month's end
خُلِقنا مِنهُ في لَيلِ السِرارِ
O friend, it is as though this age were a month,
Speak up as if this life is but a month
In whose moonless night we were created.
We were created in its dark concealment
وَكَمand many an عادٍʿAd أَبادَit destroyed وَكَمand many a ثَمودٍThamud
وَكَم عادٍ أَبادَ وَكَم ثَمودٍ
أَتاهاcame to them صالِحٌSalih ذاتَthe female bearer of المِرارِtwisted ropes
أَتاها صالِحٌ ذاتَ المِرارِ
And many an ʿAd it has destroyed, and many a Thamud
How many ‘Aad were destroyed and how many Thamud
To whom Salih came with the rope-bearing she-camel.
Were warned by the pious Saleh the bitter fate
فَمَهلاًso take it gently ياO مُتَمِّمُMutammim إِنَّindeed فِهراًFihr
فَمَهلاً يا مُتَمِّمُ إِنَّ فِهراً
حَوَتhas taken مِنfrom ماMa- (in Malik) لِكٍ-lik (in Malik) دِيَةَblood-money الفُرارِa lamb
حَوَت مِن ما لِكٍ دِيَةَ الفُرارِ
So take it gently, Mutammim, for Fihr
Slow down O fulfiller, a few days
Has taken from Malik the blood-price of a lamb.
Contained the wergild of fleeing in fear
عِتابُكَyour reproach of خالِدٌKhalid لَمdid not يُجدِavail شَيئاًanything
عِتابُكَ خالِدٌ لَم يُجدِ شَيئاً
وَلاnor نَصُّdirecting المَلامِblame إِلىtoward ضِرارِDirar
وَلا نَصُّ المَلامِ إِلى ضِرارِ
Your reproach of Khalid has availed nothing,
Your rebuke is eternal, nothing was found
Nor has directing blame at Dirar.
No use to blame and cause harm
لَجَأتُI took refuge إِلىin السُكوتِsilence مِنَfrom التَلاحيquarrelling
لَجَأتُ إِلى السُكوتِ مِنَ التَلاحي
كَماjust as لَجَأَtook refuge الجَبانُthe coward إِلىin الفِرارِflight
كَما لَجَأَ الجَبانُ إِلى الفِرارِ
I took refuge in silence from quarrelling,
I resorted to silence instead of wailing
As a coward takes refuge in flight.
As the coward resorts to fleeing in fear
وَيَجمَعُand joins مِنِّيَof me الشَفَتَينِthe two lips صَمتيmy silence
وَيَجمَعُ مِنِّيَ الشَفَتَينِ صَمتي
وَأَبخَلُand I am sparing فيin المَحافِلِgatherings بِاِفتِراريwith my smile
وَأَبخَلُ في المَحافِلِ بِاِفتِراري
And my silence draws my lips together,
My silence seals my lips
And I am sparing with my smile at gatherings.
And I become miserly spreading my thoughts
وَكانَand was تَأَنُّسيmy taking comfort بِهِمُin their company قَديماًlong ago
وَكانَ تَأَنُّسي بِهِمُ قَديماً
عِثاراًa stumble حُمَّwas decreed فيin شَأوِthe course of اِغتِراريmy deluded trust
عِثاراً حُمَّ في شَأوِ اِغتِراري
And the comfort I once took in their company was
While my friendship with them was long ago
A stumble decreed in the course of my deluded trust.
A stumbling block that marred my reasoning
يَئِستُI despaired مِنof اِكتِسابِgaining الخَيرِgood لَمّاwhen
يَئِستُ مِن اِكتِسابِ الخَيرِ لَمّا
رَأَيتُI saw الخَيرَgood وُفُّرَwas lavished لِلشِرارِupon the wicked
رَأَيتُ الخَيرَ وُفُّرَ لِلشِرارِ
I despaired of gaining good when
I despaired of gaining any good when
I saw good lavished upon the wicked.
I saw good abundantly bestowed upon the wicked
وَلَمand did not نَحلُلwe settle بِدُنياناin our world اِختِياراًby choice
وَلَم نَحلُل بِدُنيانا اِختِياراً
وَلَكِنbut جاءَcame about ذاكَthat عَلىunder اِضطِرارِcompulsion
وَلَكِن جاءَ ذاكَ عَلى اِضطِرارِ
And we did not enter this world of ours by choice,
Our worldly position was not by choice
But that came about through compulsion.
But it came to us out of necessity
Sol 6.1