أَمتارُI procure provisions مِنfrom هَذاthis الأَنامِhumankind وَكَيفَand how ليfor me
أَمتارُ مِن هَذا الأَنامِ وَكَيفَ لي
وَمِنَand from الزَمانِtime وَشَرِّهِand its evil أَمتارُcords
وَمِنَ الزَمانِ وَشَرِّهِ أَمتارُ
I seek provisions from these people—but how can I,
How many yards are between me and these days?
with bonds from time and its evil?
And from time and its evils, how many yards?
سِترٌconcealment وَبُخلٌand stinginess وَالتَجَنُّبُand avoidance وَالنَوىand separation
سِترٌ وَبُخلٌ وَالتَجَنُّبُ وَالنَوى
أَستارُveils مِثلِكَone like you دونَناbetween us إِستارُa set of four
أَستارُ مِثلِكَ دونَنا إِستارُ
Concealment, stinginess, avoidance, and separation
Concealment, stinginess, avoidance, and desire,
are the veils of one like you—four stand between us.
Veils like you below us, are veils.
لَوif تَترُكُleaves الدُنياthe world الفَتىthe youth وَمرادَهُand his desire
لَو تَترُكُ الدُنيا الفَتى وَمرادَهُ
لَوَجَدتَهُyou would find him يَشتَطُّhe oversteps bounds أَوor يَختارُhe chooses
لَوَجَدتَهُ يَشتَطُّ أَو يَختارُ
Were the world to leave a youth to his desires,
If this youth were to leave the world and his wishes,
you would find him overstepping bounds or making his choice.
You would find him rebelling or hesitating.
أَمسىhe has become يَذِمُّhe condemns الخاتِرينَthe treacherous مُحَقِّقاًwith certainty
أَمسى يَذِمُّ الخاتِرينَ مُحَقِّقاً
وَاللَهُand God يَشهَدُbears witness أَنَّهُthat he is خَتّارُhabitually treacherous
وَاللَهُ يَشهَدُ أَنَّهُ خَتّارُ
He has come to condemn the treacherous with conviction,
In the evening he condemns the cowardly, asserting,
while God bears witness that he is utterly treacherous.
And God is witness that he is a coward.
وَإِذاand if الغِنىwealth لَزِمَpersisted in الغَنِيُّthe wealthy man لِأَجلِهِfor its sake
وَإِذا الغِنى لَزِمَ الغَنِيُّ لِأَجلِهِ
طَلَبَseeking المُعينِthe helper فَذَلِكَthen that is الإِقتارُpoverty
طَلَبَ المُعينِ فَذَلِكَ الإِقتارُ
And if, for wealth's sake, the wealthy man persists in
And when wealth obliges the wealthy for its sake,
seeking a helper, then that is poverty.
He seeks the helper, and that is poverty.
وَلَرُبَّand indeed many a ومُشتارٍand a honey-gatherer تَرَقّىhe climbed فيin الذُرىthe summits
وَلَرُبَّ ومُشتارٍ تَرَقّى في الذُرى
فَجَنىso he reaped المَنِيَّةَdeath فيin الَّذيthat which يَشتارُhe gathers as honey
فَجَنى المَنِيَّةَ في الَّذي يَشتارُ
And many a honey-gatherer climbed the heights,
And how often an estimable and eminent man ascended,
only to reap death in the honey he gathered.
Then met his death in that which he chose.
Sol 6.1