إِذاif دَرَجَتdies out فيamong العالَمينَmankind قَبيلَةٌa tribe
إِذا دَرَجَت في العالَمينَ قَبيلَةٌ
فَخَيرٌthen better لَهاfor it مِنthan أَنthat تَئِثَّmultiply خُروجُهاits boils
فَخَيرٌ لَها مِن أَن تَئِثَّ خُروجُها
If a tribe dies out among mankind,
When a tribe declines in both worlds,
That is better for it than for its boils to multiply.
It is better for it that its decline should be concealed.
فَماfor ... not أَمِنَتwere safe نِسوانُwomen قَومa people أَعِزَّةٍmighty
فَما أَمِنَت نِسوانُ قَوم أَعِزَّةٍ
عَلىdespite عِزِّهاtheir might أَنthat تُستَباحَbe violated فُروجُهاtheir private parts
عَلى عِزِّها أَن تُستَباحَ فُروجُها
For the women of a mighty people were not safe,
The women of a proud people never felt secure,
Despite their might, from violation of their private parts.
About its honour, from its thresholds being violated.
وَماand not تَمنَعُprotect الخَودَthe delicate maiden الحَصانَchaste حُصونُهاher fortresses
وَما تَمنَعُ الخَودَ الحَصانَ حُصونُها
وَلَوeven if أَنَّthat أَبراجَthe towers السَماءِof heaven بُروجُهاher towers
وَلَو أَنَّ أَبراجَ السَماءِ بُروجُها
Nor do her fortresses protect the delicate, chaste maiden,
Fortresses do not prevent the plundering of cheeks,
Even if the towers of heaven were her towers.
Even if the citadels of the sky are their strongholds.
فَماso ... not عَرَّجَتpaused فيin شَأوِهاher course أُمُّmother of جُندَبٍJundab
فَما عَرَّجَت في شَأوِها أُمُّ جُندَبٍ
وَلاnor عَقَلَتهاrestrained her شَاؤُهاher sheep وَعُروجُهاand her camel herds
وَلا عَقَلَتها شَاؤُها وَعُروجُها
So Umm Jundab did not pause in her course,
The mother of Jundab never strutted about in its glory,
Nor did her sheep and her camel herds restrain her.
Nor did its glory and its climbing up restrain her.
تُذالُare brought low كَراسِيَّthrones المُلوكِof kings وَطالَماand for so long
تُذالُ كَراسِيَّ المُلوكِ وَطالَما
غَدَتwere وَهِيَwhile they تُحمىwere guarded بِالعَواليwith tall spears مُروجُهاtheir meadows
غَدَت وَهِيَ تُحمى بِالعَوالي مُروجُها
Kings' thrones are brought low, though for so long
Thrones are being abased, while once
Their meadows were guarded by tall spears,
Their pastures were protected by lofty mountains.
عَلىon الإِبلِcamels حَتّىuntil ماتُقِلُّcould no longer carry رِجالَهاtheir men
عَلى الإِبلِ حَتّى ماتُقِلُّ رِجالَها
وَبِالخَيلِand on horses حَتّىuntil أَثقَلَتهاweighed them down سُروجُهاtheir saddles
وَبِالخَيلِ حَتّى أَثقَلَتها سُروجُها
On camels, until they could no longer carry their men,
On camels, until its men are weakened,
And on horses, until their saddles weighed them down.
And on horses, until their trappings have burdened them.
وَماand ... not عَلِمَتknew رَوحٌa soul بِجِسميin my body دُخولَهاits entry
وَما عَلِمَت رَوحٌ بِجِسمي دُخولَها
إِلَيهِinto it فَهَلso, will ...? يُخفىbe hidden عَلَيهِfrom it خُروجُهاits departure
إِلَيهِ فَهَل يُخفى عَلَيهِ خُروجُها
And the soul in my body did not know of its entry
No soul knew when it entered my body,
Into it; will its departure, then, be hidden from it?
So how could its exit be concealed from it?
Sol 6.1