كَأَنَّas though مُنَجِّمَthe astrologer الأَقوامِthe peoples أَعمىblind
كَأَنَّ مُنَجِّمَ الأَقوامِ أَعمى
لَدَيهِbefore him الصُحُفُthe pages يَقرَؤُهاhe reads them بِلَمسِby touch
لَدَيهِ الصُحُفُ يَقرَؤُها بِلَمسِ
It is as though the peoples’ astrologer were blind,
The fortune teller of people is as though blind,
The pages before him, he reads them by touch.
With scrolls before him which he reads by touch.
لَقَدindeed طالَhas lasted long العَناءُthe toil فَكَمso how often يُعانيhe labors over
لَقَد طالَ العَناءُ فَكَم يُعاني
سُطوراًlines عادَreturned كاتِبُهاtheir writer بِطَمسِwith erasure
سُطوراً عادَ كاتِبُها بِطَمسِ
The toil has lasted long indeed—how often he labors over
How wearying it is! How much he suffers!
lines whose writer returned to efface them.
Lines crossed out, erased again by smudge.
دَعاpreached موسىMoses فَزالَthen departed وَقامَand arose عيسىJesus
دَعا موسى فَزالَ وَقامَ عيسى
وَجاءَand came مُحَمَّدٌMuhammad بِصَلاةِwith prayer خَمسِfive
وَجاءَ مُحَمَّدٌ بِصَلاةِ خَمسِ
Moses preached, then departed, and Jesus arose,
Moses called and was done, Jesus arose,
and Muhammad came with five prayers.
And Muhammad came with his prayers, a five.
وَقيلَand it was said يَجيءُwill come دينٌa religion غَيرُother than هَذاthis
وَقيلَ يَجيءُ دينٌ غَيرُ هَذا
وَأَودىand perished الناسُthe people بَينَbetween غَدٍtomorrow وَأَمسِand yesterday
وَأَودى الناسُ بَينَ غَدٍ وَأَمسِ
And it was said: a religion other than this will come;
It's said another faith will come, not this,
and people perished between tomorrow and yesterday.
And people wander 'twixt tomorrow and yesteryeves.
وَمَنand who ليfor me أَنthat يَعودَreturn الدينُreligion غَضّاًfresh
وَمَن لي أَن يَعودَ الدينُ غَضّاً
فَّيَنقَعَّso he may slake his thirst مَنwhoever تَنَسَّكَbecame devout بَعدَafter خِمسِa five-day watering interval
فَّيَنقَعَّ مَن تَنَسَّكَ بَعدَ خِمسِ
And who can assure me that religion will be fresh again,
Would that religion become verdant again
so the ascetic may slake his thirst after a five-day wait?
To spatter those feigning devotion of late!
وَمَهماand whatever كانَmay be فيin دُنياكَyour world أَمرٌa matter
وَمَهما كانَ في دُنياكَ أَمرٌ
فَماso ... not تُخليكَit leaves you free مِنof قَمَرٍa moon وَشَمسِand a sun
فَما تُخليكَ مِن قَمَرٍ وَشَمسِ
And whatever may happen in your world,
But no matter what happens in your world
it never leaves you free of moon and sun.
You'll not be devoid of moonlight or sunlight.
وَآخِرُهاand its end بِأَوَّلِهاto its beginning شَبيهٌsimilar
وَآخِرُها بِأَوَّلِها شَبيهٌ
وَتُصبِحُand you enter the morning فيamid عَجائِبِهاits wonders وَتُمسيand you enter the evening
وَتُصبِحُ في عَجائِبِها وَتُمسي
Its end resembles its beginning,
The end's like the start, the strange familiar,
and you pass morning and evening amid its wonders:
Marvels appear at dawn and eve both.
قُدومُarrival أَصاغِرٍlittle ones وَرَحيلُand departure شيبٍthe gray-haired
قُدومُ أَصاغِرٍ وَرَحيلُ شيبٍ
وَهِجرَةُand departure from مَنزِلٍa dwelling وَحُلولُand settling in رَمسِa grave
وَهِجرَةُ مَنزِلٍ وَحُلولُ رَمسِ
the arrival of little ones and the departure of the gray-haired,
Small ones arrive and old ones depart,
and leaving a home and settling in a grave.
Homes are deserted, new tents pitched.
لَحاهاmay he curse it اللَهُGod داراًas a dwelling ماnot تُداريyou appease
لَحاها اللَهُ داراً ما تُداري
بِمِثلِwith the like of المَينِfalsehood فيin لُجَجٍdeep waters وَقَمسِand plunging
بِمِثلِ المَينِ في لُجَجٍ وَقَمسِ
May God curse it—a dwelling nothing appeases
God has clad it in a garment—see how
like falsehood, amid deep waters and plunging.
It cannot be torn, drenched in mire and bleak!
إِذاwhen قُلتُI say المُحالَthe absurd رَفَعتُI raise صَوتيmy voice
إِذا قُلتُ المُحالَ رَفَعتُ صَوتي
وَإِنand if قُلتُI say اليَقينَcertainty أَطَلتُI prolong هَمسيmy whispering
وَإِن قُلتُ اليَقينَ أَطَلتُ هَمسي
When I speak absurdity, I raise my voice;
When I say what's impossible I raise my voice,
and if I speak certain truth, I whisper at length.
When I speak certainty I whisper meek.
Sol 6.1