مِنamong صِفَةِthe qualities of الدُنياthe world الَّتيwhich أَجمَعَunanimously agreed الناthe peo- (first part of الناس)
مِن صِفَةِ الدُنيا الَّتي أَجمَعَ النا
سُ-ple (completion of الناس) عَلَيهاupon it أَنَّهاthat it ماnot صَفَتwas unclouded
سُ عَلَيها أَنَّها ما صَفَت
One trait of the world, agreed upon by peo-
The nature of this world that all people agree on
ple, is that it has never been unclouded.
Is that it never stays the same
كَمhow many عَفَّةٍa chaste woman ماnot عَفَّrefrained عَنهاfrom her الرَدىdeath
كَم عَفَّةٍ ما عَفَّ عَنها الرَدى
وَكَمand how many دِيارٍdwellings لِأُناسٍbelonging to people عَفَتvanished
وَكَم دِيارٍ لِأُناسٍ عَفَت
How many a chaste woman death has not spared,
How many virtuous people has time not spared?
and how many people's dwellings have vanished!
And how many homes for people have perished?
إِلتَفَّتentwined themselves الآمالُthe hopes مِنّاfrom us بِهاaround it
إِلتَفَّت الآمالُ مِنّا بِها
وَقَدand already مَضىpassed on آمَلُهاits most hopeful seeker ماnot اِلتَفَتlooked back
وَقَد مَضى آمَلُها ما اِلتَفَت
Our hopes entwined themselves around it,
Our hopes were fixed on it
yet its most hopeful seeker passed on without looking back.
But the hopes we pinned on it did not last
ياO شَفَّةًa lip هَمَّتyearned بِرَشفٍfor a sip لَهاof it
يا شَفَّةً هَمَّت بِرَشفٍ لَها
فَاِنتَزَعَتthen it seized أَكؤُسَهاits goblets ماnot شَفَتbrought relief
فَاِنتَزَعَت أَكؤُسَها ما شَفَت
O lip that yearned for a sip of it—
O lips that intended to take a sip from it
then it seized its goblets, yet brought no relief.
But had their cups snatched away before they could sip
خَفَّتhastened لَهاtoward it نَفسُthe soul of الفَتىthe young man جاهِداًstriving hard
خَفَّت لَها نَفسُ الفَتى جاهِداً
وَبَينَماand while يَدأَبُhe toils فيهاin it خَفَتhe fell silent
وَبَينَما يَدأَبُ فيها خَفَت
The young man's soul hastened toward it as he strove,
The soul of the young man strove hard for it
and while he toiled in it, he fell silent.
Yet while he labored for it, his soul departed
لَوif أَنَّهاthat it تَسكُنُdwells فيin مِثلِهاits like
لَو أَنَّها تَسكُنُ في مِثلِها
لَكُلِّفَتit would be burdened فَوقَbeyond الَّذيwhat كَلَّفَتit imposed as a burden
لَكُلِّفَت فَوقَ الَّذي كَلَّفَت
If it dwelt in another world like itself,
If it were to settle in the likes of itself
it would be burdened beyond the burdens it imposed.
It would be tasked beyond what it has been tasked
وَالأَرضُand the earth غَذَّتناnourished us بِأَلطافِهاwith its kindly gifts
وَالأَرضُ غَذَّتنا بِأَلطافِها
ثُمَّthen تَغَذَّتناfed on us فَهَلso, did...? أَنصَفَتit act fairly
ثُمَّ تَغَذَّتنا فَهَل أَنصَفَت
And the earth nourished us with its kindly gifts,
The earth nourished us with its blessings
then fed on us—has it been fair?
Then nourished itself - did it deal justly?
تَأكُلُit devours مِنwhoever (read as مَن) دُبٍّcrept (read as دَبَّ) عَلىupon ظَهرَهاits back
تَأكُلُ مِن دُبٍّ عَلى ظَهرَها
وَهِيَand it عَلىwith رُغبَتِهاits appetite ماnot اكتَفَتhad enough
وَهِيَ عَلى رُغبَتِها ما اكتَفَت
It devours whoever creeps upon its back,
It eats from a worm on its back
and, with all its appetite, it has never had enough.
Yet in its greed it did not refrain
أَتَنتَفيdoes it dissociate itself? مِنّاfrom us لِآثامِناbecause of our sins
أَتَنتَفي مِنّا لِآثامِنا
وَخِلتُهاand I thought it لَوif نَطَقَتit spoke لَاِنتَفَتit would dissociate itself
وَخِلتُها لَو نَطَقَت لَاِنتَفَت
Does it disown us because of our sins?
Does it spare us for our sins?
And I thought, if it spoke, it would disown us.
If it could speak, it would confess and relent
Sol 6.1