ياO أُمَّةًa people ماnot لَهاwho have عُقولٌminds
يا أُمَّةً ما لَها عُقولٌ
وَفَقدُand the loss of أَلبابِهاtheir understanding دَهاهاruined them
وَفَقدُ أَلبابِها دَهاها
O people with no reason,
the loss of your understanding has ruined you.
تَسَلَّتِfound consolation النَفسُthe soul كُلَّfor every شَيءٍthing
تَسَلَّتِ النَفسُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ
إِلّاexcept نُهاهاits reason وَماand what نَهاهاrestrained it
إِلّا نُهاها وَما نَهاها
The soul has found consolation for everything
except its reason and what restrains it.
فَحَدِّثونيso tell me بِغَيرِwithout مَينٍfalsehood
فَحَدِّثوني بِغَيرِ مَينٍ
عَنِabout الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades وَعَنand about سُهاهاSuha
عَنِ الثُرَيّا وَعَن سُهاها
So tell me, without falsehood,
about the Pleiades and about Suha.
أَتَعلَمُdoes she know الأَرضُthe earth وَهيَwhile she is أُمٌّa mother
أَتَعلَمُ الأَرضُ وَهيَ أُمٌّ
خَفَّgrew frivolous زَمانٌan age فَماyet did not اِزدَهاهاbeguile her
خَفَّ زَمانٌ فَما اِزدَهاها
Does the earth know, though she is a mother,
that an age grew frivolous yet did not beguile her?
بِأَيِّfor what جُرمٍcrime وَأَيِّand by what حُكمٍjudgment
بِأَيِّ جُرمٍ وَأَيِّ حُكمٍ
سُلِّطَwas set لَيثٌa lion عَلىupon مَهاهاher oryx
سُلِّطَ لَيثٌ عَلى مَهاها
For what crime, and by what judgment,
was a lion set upon her oryx?
وَعُذِّرَتand was excused حاجَةٌa longing بِعُسرٍdespite hardship
وَعُذِّرَت حاجَةٌ بِعُسرٍ
عَلىfor عَليلٍan ailing man قَدِwho had اِشتَهاهاdesired it
عَلى عَليلٍ قَدِ اِشتَهاها
And a longing was excused despite the hardship
it brought an ailing man who desired it.
وَظالِمٌand a tyrant عِندَهُhas in his possession كُنوزٌtreasures
وَظالِمٌ عِندَهُ كُنوزٌ
مِنfrom أُمِّMother دَفرٍStench وَمِنand from لُهاهاher pleasures
مِن أُمِّ دَفرٍ وَمِن لُهاها
Yet a tyrant has treasures
from Mother Stench and from her pleasures.
كانَhe used to إِذاwhen ماever دَجاdeepened ظَلامٌdarkness
كانَ إِذا ما دَجا ظَلامٌ
صاحَhe cried بِأَجمالِهِto his camels وَهاهاand “Wahāhā!”
صاحَ بِأَجمالِهِ وَهاها
Whenever darkness deepened, he would
cry to his camels, “Wahāhā!”
Sol 6