إِنif يُرسِلِlets loose النَفسَthe soul فيin اللَذّاتِthe pleasures صاحِبُهاits owner
إِن يُرسِلِ النَفسَ في اللَذّاتِ صاحِبُها
فَماthen not يُخَلَّدنَthey make immortal صُعلوكاًa pauper وَلاnor مَلِكاa king
فَما يُخَلَّدنَ صُعلوكاً وَلا مَلِكا
If the soul's owner lets it loose amid pleasures,
If a man lets his soul indulge in pleasures,
then they will make neither pauper nor king immortal.
He shall be neither glorious nor kingly.
وَمَنand whoever يُطَهِّرpurifies بِخَوفِthrough fear of اللَهِGod مُهجَتَهُhis soul
وَمَن يُطَهِّر بِخَوفِ اللَهِ مُهجَتَهُ
فَذاكَthen that one إِنسانُa man قَومٍof a people يُشبِهُresembles المَلَكاthe angel
فَذاكَ إِنسانُ قَومٍ يُشبِهُ المَلَكا
And whoever purifies his soul through fear of God,
But he who purifies his soul with the fear of God,
then that man among his people resembles an angel.
Is of a people whose likeness is angelic.
وَشارِبُand the drinker of الخَمرِwine يُلفىis found مِنfrom غَوايَتِهhis delusion
وَشارِبُ الخَمرِ يُلفى مِن غَوايَتِه
كَأَنَّas though مارِدَa rebellious spirit جَنّانٍof the jinn بِهِwithin him سَلَكاentered
كَأَنَّ مارِدَ جَنّانٍ بِهِ سَلَكا
And the wine-drinker, in his delusion, seems
The drinker of wine is lost in his drunkenness,
as though a rebellious jinn had entered him.
As if a fiery demon has taken hold of him,
تُغَيِّرُit alters العَقلَthe mind حَتّىuntil يَستَجيزَhe deems possible بِهِthrough it
تُغَيِّرُ العَقلَ حَتّى يَستَجيزَ بِهِ
مَدَّstretching out اليَمينِthe right hand لِكَيماso that تَقبِضَit may grasp الفَلَكاthe celestial sphere
مَدَّ اليَمينِ لِكَيما تَقبِضَ الفَلَكا
It alters the mind until, through it, he deems it possible
It changes his reason until he deems it permissible,
to stretch out his right hand so it may grasp the celestial sphere.
To extend his hand to seize the stars.
تَبيتُyou spend the night عَنهاfrom it عَديمَwithout الزادِprovisions مُخفِقَهُhaving failed to obtain them
تَبيتُ عَنها عَديمَ الزادِ مُخفِقَهُ
وَقَدand indeed تَوَهَّمتَyou imagined أَنَّthat الخافِقَينِthe East and West لَكاyours
وَقَد تَوَهَّمتَ أَنَّ الخافِقَينِ لَكا
You pass the night without provisions, having gained none from it,
You spend the night far from it, without provision,
though you had imagined that East and West were yours.
Yet imagine the two settings are yours.
عُمرُlifespan الغَريزَةِthe natural constitution عُشرونَtwenty اِقتَفَتfollowed مائَةًa hundred
عُمرُ الغَريزَةِ عُشرونَ اِقتَفَت مائَةً
هَيهاتَfar beyond reach! أَيُّwhat a لِجامٍbit قَلَّماseldom أَلِكاchewed
هَيهاتَ أَيُّ لِجامٍ قَلَّما أَلِكا
The natural lifespan is twenty years beyond a hundred.
The life of instinct is but twenty, though it pursues a hundred.
Far beyond reach! What a bit, so seldom chewed!
Alas! What drinker attains such an age!
وَماand never أُسائِلُI inquire عَنabout شَخصٍa person لِمَولِدِهِsince his birth
وَما أُسائِلُ عَن شَخصٍ لِمَولِدِهِ
عَشرٌten وَتِسعونَand ninety إِلّاexcept that قيلَit was said قَدalready هَلِكاhe died
عَشرٌ وَتِسعونَ إِلّا قيلَ قَد هَلِكا
And I never ask about someone whose birth was
I do not ask about one whose birth was ninety years ago,
ten and ninety years ago without being told, 'He has died.'
Except to be told, “He has passed away!”
تَمَسَّخَتbecame disfigured فيin أُمورٍmatters غَيرَof no طائِلَةٍbenefit
تَمَسَّخَت في أُمورٍ غَيرَ طائِلَةٍ
سُهدٍsleeplessness وَنَومٍand sleep وَوَفَّتand paid out fully نِصفَهاhalf of them حَلَكاdarkness
سُهدٍ وَنَومٍ وَوَفَّت نِصفَها حَلَكا
Those years were marred by matters of no benefit—
You have wasted yourself on fruitless matters,
sleeplessness and sleep—and paid half their span to darkness.
Sleep and slumber, halves of which are sufficient.
وَالمَرءُand man يَحرِصُis greedy إِمّاeither ضارِباًspurring فَرَساًa horse
وَالمَرءُ يَحرِصُ إِمّا ضارِباً فَرَساً
إِلىtoward المَنونِdeath وَإِمّاor else راكِباًriding فُلُكاships
إِلى المَنونِ وَإِمّا راكِباً فُلُكا
And man is greedy, whether spurring a horse
Man strives either striking his horse forward,
toward death or riding aboard ships.
Towards death, or mounting his ship.
Sol 6.1