لَقَدindeed وَضَعَتshe bore حَوّاءُEve أُمُّكَyour mother بِكرَهاher firstborn
لَقَد وَضَعَت حَوّاءُ أُمُّكَ بِكرَها
بِدارِin the abode of الرَزاياcalamities مِنof عَوانٍrecurring ones وَمِنand of بِكرِnew ones
بِدارِ الرَزايا مِن عَوانٍ وَمِن بِكرِ
Indeed Eve, your mother, bore her firstborn
Indeed Eve, your mother, placed her virginity
in the abode of calamities, recurring and new.
In the abode of chastity, protected and sheltered,
وَلَمand not يَتَناوَلattain دُرَّةَthe pearl of الحَقِّtruth غائِصٌa diver
وَلَم يَتَناوَل دُرَّةَ الحَقِّ غائِصٌ
مِنَamong الناسِhumankind إِلّاexcept بِالرَوِيَّةِthrough deliberation وَالفِكرِand thought
مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا بِالرَوِيَّةِ وَالفِكرِ
And no diver has attained the pearl of truth
And none could grasp the pearl of truth, submerged,
among humankind except through deliberation and thought.
Among the people except with intuition and reflection.
صُروفُthe vicissitudes of اللَياليthe nights إِنif سَمَحنَthey grant لِماجِدٍto a noble man
صُروفُ اللَيالي إِن سَمَحنَ لِماجِدٍ
بِذِكرٍwith a remembrance جَميلٍfair عُدنَthey return يَعصِفنَthey rage بِالذِكرِagainst the remembrance
بِذِكرٍ جَميلٍ عُدنَ يَعصِفنَ بِالذِكرِ
The vicissitudes of the nights, if they grant a noble man
The nights go by - if they allow glory
a fair remembrance, return to sweep that remembrance away.
To have a beautiful mention, they violently shake with memory,
مَكرنَthey have schemed بِكُلِّagainst all المُدرَكاتِperceived things جُسومُهاtheir bodies
مَكرنَ بِكُلِّ المُدرَكاتِ جُسومُها
وَأَعراضُهاand their attributes فَليَلحَقِso let it join المَكرُdeceit بِالمَكرِwith deceit
وَأَعراضُها فَليَلحَقِ المَكرُ بِالمَكرِ
They have schemed against all perceived things—their bodies
Deceiving with all comprehensions, their countenances,
and their attributes; so let deceit join deceit.
So let deception meet with deception.
نَهارٌa day كَذيlike one possessing اللُبِّintellect العَديمِdestitute وَلَيلَةٌand a night
نَهارٌ كَذي اللُبِّ العَديمِ وَلَيلَةٌ
كَإِحدىlike one of بَناتِthe daughters of الزِنجِthe Zanj يَلعَبنَthey play بِالدَكرِat dakr, a game
كَإِحدى بَناتِ الزِنجِ يَلعَبنَ بِالدَكرِ
A day like a destitute man of understanding, and a night
A day like an empty heart, and a night
like one of the daughters of the Zanj, playing dakr.
Like one of the daughters of the Negroes playing with the tom-tom,
فَهَلso does ...? عَلِمَتshe knows شَغواءُa crooked-beaked eagle فيon النيقِthe mountain peak أَنَّهاthat she
فَهَل عَلِمَت شَغواءُ في النيقِ أَنَّها
سَيَخلِجُهاwill snatch her رَيبُthe vicissitudes of المَنونِdeath مِنَfrom الوَكرِthe nest
سَيَخلِجُها رَيبُ المَنونِ مِنَ الوَكرِ
So does a crooked-beaked eagle on the peak know that
Does the delirious one in luxury know
death's vicissitudes will snatch her from the nest?
That the pang of death will wring her from the den?
فَإِنso if جَهِلَتshe is unaware of ذاكَthat المُصابَcalamity فَراحَةٌthen ease
فَإِن جَهِلَت ذاكَ المُصابَ فَراحَةٌ
وَإِنand if أَيقَنَتهُshe knows it for certain فَهيَthen she فيamid نَبَإٍnews نُكرِdreadful
وَإِن أَيقَنَتهُ فَهيَ في نَبَإٍ نُكرِ
So if she is unaware of that calamity, she is at ease;
If she is ignorant of that misfortune, it is respite,
and if she knows it for certain, she faces dreadful news.
And if she is certain of it, then she is in odious news.
دَعِforgo النَسلَoffspring إِنَّindeed النَسلَoffspring عُقباهُits end مَيتَةٌa death
دَعِ النَسلَ إِنَّ النَسلَ عُقباهُ مَيتَةٌ
وَيُهجَرُand is shunned طيبُthe sweetness of الراحِwine خَوفاًfor fear مِنَof السِكرِdrunkenness
وَيُهجَرُ طيبُ الراحِ خَوفاً مِنَ السِكرِ
Forgo offspring, for offspring's end is death,
Leave offspring - offspring whose outcome is death
and the sweetness of wine is shunned for fear of drunkenness.
And the joy of spirit is abandoned for fear of drunkenness.
عَلىupon الذَمِّcensure بِتناwe spent the night مُجمِعينَresolved وَحالُناand our state
عَلى الذَمِّ بِتنا مُجمِعينَ وَحالُنا
مِنَin respect of الرُعبِterror حالُthe state of المُجمِعينَthose resolved عَلىupon الشُكرِgratitude
مِنَ الرُعبِ حالُ المُجمِعينَ عَلى الشُكرِ
We spent the night resolved on censure, and our state
We meet for blame while our state
in terror was that of those resolved on gratitude.
Is the state of those who meet for thanksgiving.
وَهَلand can ...? يُصبِحُbecome الساديُthe striding camel الجَديلِيُّof Jadīl's stock بازِلاًfully mature
وَهَل يُصبِحُ الساديُ الجَديلِيُّ بازِلاً
إِذاif لَمhas not يَجُزpassed beyond فيin سِنِّهِits age عُصُرَthe stage of البَكرِthe young camel
إِذا لَم يَجُز في سِنِّهِ عُصُرَ البَكرِ
And can the striding Jadīlī camel become fully mature,
Can the formidable, stalwart one become weak
if it has not passed, in age, the stage of a young camel?
If the prime of his age does not pass?
أُراعُI am frightened فَلاso not أَرعىI graze وَمِثليand like me مَعاشِرٌgroups of people
أُراعُ فَلا أَرعى وَمِثلي مَعاشِرٌ
تَنامُthey sleep فَلاbut not تَنميthey grow وَتَكرىand they doze فَلاbut not تُكريthey increase
تَنامُ فَلا تَنمي وَتَكرى فَلا تُكري
I am frightened, so I do not graze; and there are folk like me
I herd but do not graze, and the likes of me
who sleep but do not grow, and doze but do not thrive.
Sleep but do not slumber, and hire but do not rent.
Sol 6.1