بَنيO sons الأَرضِthe earth ماno one تَحتَbeneath التُرابِthe dust مُوَفَّقٌgranted success
بَني الأَرضِ ما تَحتَ التُرابِ مُوَفَّقٌ
لِرُشدٍin sound judgment وَلاnor فَوقَabove التُرابِthe dust سِوىexcept فَسلِa worthless person
لِرُشدٍ وَلا فَوقَ التُرابِ سِوى فَسلِ
O sons of the earth, none beneath the dust is guided
O people of the earth, what lies beneath the soil succeeds
To sound judgment, nor above the dust is there any but a wretch.
Only in guidance, and nothing above the soil except ruin.
أَكانَwas ...? أَبوكُمyour father آدَمٌAdam فيin الَّذيwhat أَتىhe did
أَكانَ أَبوكُم آدَمٌ في الَّذي أَتى
نَجيباًnoble فَتَرجونَso you hope النَجابَةnobility لِلنَسلِfor the offspring
نَجيباً فَتَرجونَ النَجابَة لِلنَسلِ
Was your father Adam, in what he did,
Was your father Adam, who came honorable,
Noble, that you hope for nobility in his descendants?
And you hope for salvation for your progeny?
أَسَكَنَO dwellers الثَرىthe soil لاnot يَبعَثونَthey send رِسالَةًa message
أَسَكَنَ الثَرى لا يَبعَثونَ رِسالَةً
إِلَيناto us وَلَستُمand you are not سامِعيhearers of كَلِمِwords الرُسلِthe messengers
إِلَينا وَلَستُم سامِعي كَلِمِ الرُسلِ
O dwellers of the dust, no message is sent
They made the earth their dwelling, they send us no message,
To us, and you do not hear the messengers' words.
And you are not listeners to the words of the messengers.
وَلاnor تَسلُforgets نَفسيmy soul عَنكُمُabout you بِاِختِيارِهاby its own choice
وَلا تَسلُ نَفسي عَنكُمُ بِاِختِيارِها
وَلَكِنَّbut الدَهرَtime يُنهِلُgives a draught أَوor يُسليconsoles
وَلَكِنَّ الدَهرَ يُنهِلُ أَو يُسلي
Nor does my soul forget you of its own will,
My soul does not ask about you of its own accord,
But time gives a draught, or brings solace.
Rather time gives drink or withholds.
تَفَرَّعَتِbranched out الأَشياءُthings وَالأَصلُand the origin واحِدٌone
تَفَرَّعَتِ الأَشياءُ وَالأَصلُ واحِدٌ
وَمِنand from حَلَبِmilk drawn الغَيثِthe rain الَّذيthat which دَرَّflowed مِنof رِسلِmilk
وَمِن حَلَبِ الغَيثِ الَّذي دَرَّ مِن رِسلِ
Things have branched out, though their origin is one;
Things branched out yet the origin is one,
And the milk that flows is drawn from the rain.
And from the pouring rain that flowed from the messengers.
وَماand not بَرَدَتgrew cold أَعضاءُthe limbs of مَيتٍa dead man مُكَرَّمٍhonored
وَما بَرَدَت أَعضاءُ مَيتٍ مُكَرَّمٍ
وَإِنand even if عَزَّhe was cherished حَتّىuntil أُغلِيَwas boiled الماءُthe water لِلغَسلِfor washing
وَإِن عَزَّ حَتّى أُغلِيَ الماءُ لِلغَسلِ
And the limbs of an honored dead man do not grow cold,
The limbs of no revered dead have ever cooled,
However cherished, until water is boiled for washing.
Though he be mighty until the water boils for washing.
وَكَمand how many بَرَّwas dutiful to مِثلَlike البَبرِthe tiger نَجلٌa son أَباًa father لَهُof his
وَكَم بَرَّ مِثلَ البَبرِ نَجلٌ أَباً لَهُ
وَكانَand he was لَهُto him كَالضَبِّlike the spiny-tailed lizard يَغدُرُbetrays بِالحِسلِagainst the young lizard
وَكانَ لَهُ كَالضَبِّ يَغدُرُ بِالحِسلِ
And how many a son, like the tiger, has been dutiful to his father,
And how much rain like the rain falls, a son on a father of his,
While his father was to him like the spiny-tailed lizard, betraying its young.
And is to him like the hyena, betraying the washing.
Sol 6.1