ياO أُمَّmother of دَفرٍstench إِنَّماonly أَكرِمتِyou were honored عَنout of
يا أُمَّ دَفرٍ إِنَّما أَكرِمتِ عَن
أَمَهٍforgetfulness وَحَقُّكِand your due أَنthat يُقالَbe said دَفارِStinker
أَمَهٍ وَحَقُّكِ أَن يُقالَ دَفارِ
O Umm Dafr—Mother of Stench—you were honored only through
forgetfulness; you deserve to be called 'Stinker.'
وَإِذاand when اِلتَثَمتِyou veiled yourself ظُنِنتِyou were thought ذاتَpossessing نَضارَةٍfresh beauty
وَإِذا اِلتَثَمتِ ظُنِنتِ ذاتَ نَضارَةٍ
وَمَتىand whenever سَفَرتِyou unveiled yourself قُبِحتِyou were deemed ugly فيin الإِسفارِunveiling
وَمَتى سَفَرتِ قُبِحتِ في الإِسفارِ
And when you veil yourself, you are thought radiant;
whenever you unveil, you are judged ugly in unveiling.
غَلَبَprevailed السِفاهُfolly فَكَمso how many تَلَقَّبَassumed a title مَعشَرٌa company
غَلَبَ السِفاهُ فَكَم تَلَقَّبَ مَعشَرٌ
بِالمُؤمِنينَas believers وَهُمwhile they مِنَamong الكُفّارِthe unbelievers
بِالمُؤمِنينَ وَهُم مِنَ الكُفّارِ
Folly has prevailed: how many a company has taken the title
'believers,' though they are among the unbelievers!
وَمِنَand among البَليَّةِafflictions أَنthat يُسَمّىbe called صادِقاًtruthful
وَمِنَ البَليَّةِ أَن يُسَمّى صادِقاً
مَنone who وَصفُهُhis description الأَولىmore fitting كَذوبٌhabitual liar فارِfabricator
مَن وَصفُهُ الأَولى كَذوبٌ فارِ
And it is an affliction that one should be called truthful
whose more fitting description is 'lying fabricator.'
طَلَبَsought اللَئيمُthe base man مِنَfrom اللِئامِthe base تَحَرُّماًsacred protection
طَلَبَ اللَئيمُ مِنَ اللِئامِ تَحَرُّماً
وَالخافِرونَand the protectors أَتوهُcame to him بِالإِخفارِwith broken pledges
وَالخافِرونَ أَتوهُ بِالإِخفارِ
The base man sought sacred protection from the base,
but his protectors came to him with broken pledges.
وَرَمَيتُand I cast أَعواميmy years وَرائيbehind me مِثلَlike ماwhat
وَرَمَيتُ أَعوامي وَرائي مِثلَ ما
رَمَتِcast behind المَطيُّriding beasts مَهامِهَtrackless deserts السُفّارِtravelers
رَمَتِ المَطيُّ مَهامِهَ السُفّارِ
And I cast my years behind me, just as
mounts leave the travelers' trackless deserts behind.
بَذَلَoffered الكَريمُthe generous man عَتائِراًsacrificial beasts مِنfrom سارِحِgrazing livestock
بَذَلَ الكَريمُ عَتائِراً مِن سارِحِ
فَأَفادَand thus gained مِنfrom شُكرٍgratitude عَتائِرَmusk morsels فارِmusk-pods
فَأَفادَ مِن شُكرٍ عَتائِرَ فارِ
The generous man offered sacrificial beasts from his grazing herd,
and gained, in thanks, morsels of musk from musk-pods.
وَرَكِبتُand I rode مِنهاof them أَربَعينَforty مَطيَّةًa mount
وَرَكِبتُ مِنها أَربَعينَ مَطيَّةً
لَمdid not تَخلوbe free مِنfrom عَنَتٍhardship وَسوءِand badness نِفارِshying
لَم تَخلو مِن عَنَتٍ وَسوءِ نِفارِ
And I rode forty mounts from among those years,
none free from hardship and vicious shying.
حادِثconverse with كِتابَكَyour book فَهُوَfor it آمَنُsafer جانِباًin company
حادِث كِتابَكَ فَهُوَ آمَنُ جانِباً
مِنthan أَهَلِpeople of تَسبيدٍhead-shaving وَأَهلِand people of وِفارِear-length locks
مِن أَهَلِ تَسبيدٍ وَأَهلِ وِفارِ
Converse with your book: it is safer company
than people with shaven heads and those with ear-length locks.
وَفَوائِدُand the benefits الأَسفارِbooks جُمعُplural of السِفرِthe book فيin الدُthe world (first part)
وَفَوائِدُ الأَسفارِ جُمعُ السِفرِ في الدُ
نِياworld (completion) تَفوقُsurpass فَوائِدَthe benefits الأَسفارِjourneys
نِيا تَفوقُ فَوائِدَ الأَسفارِ
And the benefits of books—asfār, the plural of sifr—in this
world surpass the benefits of journeys.
وَالعَيسُand the pale camels تُؤَثَرُare favored بِالنُضارِwith gold وَتَمتَريand milk out
وَالعَيسُ تُؤَثَرُ بِالنُضارِ وَتَمتَري
نَضرَfreshness المَعيشَةِlivelihood فيin فَلاdeserts وَجِفارِand broad hollows
نَضرَ المَعيشَةِ في فَلا وَجِفارِ
And the pale camels are favored with gold, and milk out
a flourishing livelihood in wastes and broad hollows.
حَسَّستِthey brushed off الظَلامَthe darkness فآضَthen it became تَعصُرُهُwringing it الضُحىthe forenoon
حَسَّستِ الظَلامَ فآضَ تَعصُرُهُ الضُحى
مِنfrom بَينِbetween أَعطافٍflanks لَهاbelonging to them وَذَفارِand behind-ear hollows
مِن بَينِ أَعطافٍ لَها وَذَفارِ
They brushed off the darkness; morning then began wringing it
from between their flanks and the hollows behind their ears.
وَالطِرفُand the noble steed أَجفَرَهُmade him impotent القَضاءُfate فَخَصَّهُso singled him out
وَالطِرفُ أَجفَرَهُ القَضاءُ فَخَصَّهُ
بِالرُخصِfor cheapness ماwhat فيهِin him مِنَof الإِجفارِimpotence
بِالرُخصِ ما فيهِ مِنَ الإِجفارِ
And fate made the noble steed impotent, so he was singled out
for cheapness by the impotence within him.
وَالآلُand the mirage شَخصُthe form of الحَيِّthe living person أَينَwherever لَقيتَهُyou meet him
وَالآلُ شَخصُ الحَيِّ أَينَ لَقيتَهُ
فَكَأَنَّهُso it is like فيin المَينِfalsehood آلُa mirage قِفارِbarren wastes
فَكَأَنَّهُ في المَينِ آلُ قِفارِ
The living person's form is a mirage, wherever you meet him;
in its deception, it is like a mirage of barren wastes.
شَبَحٌa shape يَعودُreturns إِلىto التُرابِdust فَيَنطَويthen folds away
شَبَحٌ يَعودُ إِلى التُرابِ فَيَنطَوي
كَهَشيمِlike dry remains of رُغلٍsaltbush أَوor حُطامِbroken stalks صُفارِṣufār (a plant)
كَهَشيمِ رُغلٍ أَو حُطامِ صُفارِ
A shape returning to dust, then folding away,
like dry saltbush or the broken stalks of ṣufār.
أَينَwhere الخَليطُthe companions لَقَدindeed تَأَبَّدَbecame a wilderness رَبعُهُtheir campsite
أَينَ الخَليطُ لَقَد تَأَبَّدَ رَبعُهُ
وَالحَيُّand the tribe أَجمَعَall of it حَلَّsettled فيin إِحفارِburial pits
وَالحَيُّ أَجمَعَ حَلَّ في إِحفارِ
Where are the companions? Their campsite has become a wilderness,
and the whole tribe has settled in burial pits.
أَمَلٌa hope تَعَلَّقَclung بِالنُجومِto the stars فَلاso do not تَقُلsay
أَمَلٌ تَعَلَّقَ بِالنُجومِ فَلا تَقُل
عِندَby النَعامِthe ostriches وَلاnor مَعَwith الأَغفارِyoung ibex
عِندَ النَعامِ وَلا مَعَ الأَغفارِ
A hope that clings to the stars—do not say
it is by ostriches or among young ibex.
رُمناwe sought المَآرِبَour aims بِالسِفاهِthrough folly وَلَمand did not تَكُنbe
رُمنا المَآرِبَ بِالسِفاهِ وَلَم تَكُن
لتُنالَto be attained إِلّاexcept بِاِنتِضاءِby drawing شِفارِblades
لتُنالَ إِلّا بِاِنتِضاءِ شِفارِ
We sought our ends through folly, though they could not
be attained except by drawing blades.
أَلقاكَI meet you عَنafter عُفرٍan interval apart وَجِسميand my body بَنيَّةٌa structure
أَلقاكَ عَن عُفرٍ وَجِسمي بَنيَّةٌ
عَفريَّةٌof dust وَالزَندُand the fire-stick غَيرُnot عَفارِʿafār wood
عَفريَّةٌ وَالزَندُ غَيرُ عَفارِ
I meet you after an interval; my body is a structure
of dust, and my fire-stick is not of ʿafār wood.
شَذَّis an exception التَقيُّthe devout man فَماso not يُقاسُbe measured عَلىagainst أَبيAbū
شَذَّ التَقيُّ فَما يُقاسُ عَلى أَبي
ذُرٍّDharr وَشيمَتُهُand his character رِجالُthe men of غِفارِGhifār
ذُرٍّ وَشيمَتُهُ رِجالُ غِفارِ
The devout man is an exception; one cannot judge by Abū
Dharr and his character the men of Ghifār.
أَرَأَيتَhave you seen أَسَدَlions الجِزعِthe valley بَعدَafter فَريسِهاtheir prey
أَرَأَيتَ أَسَدَ الجِزعِ بَعدَ فَريسِها
تَعتامُselect بِالأَظفارِwith claws جَزَعَonyx ظَفارِẒafār
تَعتامُ بِالأَظفارِ جَزَعَ ظَفارِ
Have you seen the valley's lions, after taking their prey,
choose Ẓafār onyx with their claws?
وَالصُبحُand the morning قَدhas indeed غَسَلَwashed الدُجىthe darkness بِمَعينِهِwith its flowing water
وَالصُبحُ قَد غَسَلَ الدُجى بِمَعينِهِ
إِلّاexcept بَقيَّةَthe remainder إِثمِدِantimony kohl الأَشفارِthe eyelashes
إِلّا بَقيَّةَ إِثمِدِ الأَشفارِ
And morning has washed the darkness with its flowing water,
save for the antimony still left upon the eyelashes.
غُفرانَforgiveness رَبِّكَof your Lord قَلَّماrarely فَعَلَdid الفَتىa man
غُفرانَ رَبِّكَ قَلَّما فَعَلَ الفَتى
ماwhat لَيسَis not مُحوِجَهُmaking him need إِلىto اِستِغفارِasking forgiveness
ما لَيسَ مُحوِجَهُ إِلى اِستِغفارِ
Seek your Lord's forgiveness: seldom does a man do
what does not leave him needing to ask forgiveness.
Sol 6.1