النَفسُthe soul فيin العالَمِthe world العُلوِيِّupper مَركَزُهاits seat
النَفسُ في العالَمِ العُلوِيِّ مَركَزُها
وَلَيسَand there is not فيin الجَوِّthe air لِلأَجسادِfor bodies مُزدَرَعُa planting-ground
وَلَيسَ في الجَوِّ لِلأَجسادِ مُزدَرَعُ
The soul has its seat in the world above,
The soul's center in the highest world dwells
And bodies have no planting-ground in the air.
While no abode for bodies in thin air found
تَفَرَّعَbranched الناسُpeople عَنfrom أَصلٍa root بِهِin it دَرَنٌgrime
تَفَرَّعَ الناسُ عَن أَصلٍ بِهِ دَرَنٌ
فَالعالَمونَso the world's people إِذاwhen مَيَّزتَهُمyou distinguish them شَرَعُequal
فَالعالَمونَ إِذا مَيَّزتَهُم شَرَعُ
Humankind branched from a root tainted with grime;
Though from one root mankind diversified fells
So all people, when you distinguish among them, are equal.
The learned, if distinguished, in law are bound
وَالجَدُّand the forefather آدَمُAdam وَالمَثوىand the resting place أَديمُthe surface of ثَرىًsoil
وَالجَدُّ آدَمُ وَالمَثوى أَديمُ ثَرىً
وَإِنand though تَخالَفَتِdiffer الأَهواءُdesires وَالشِرَعُand religious laws
وَإِن تَخالَفَتِ الأَهواءُ وَالشِرَعُ
And our forefather is Adam, and our resting place the face of the soil,
Adam's the root, and the home but inches of ground
Even though desires and religious laws differ.
Though wills and laws be at variance and repel
ماnot رَبَّةُmistress of التاجِthe crown وَالقُرطَينِand the two earrings مارِيَةٌMariya
ما رَبَّةُ التاجِ وَالقُرطَينِ مارِيَةٌ
إِلّاexcept كَمارِيَةٍlike a white wild cow فيin إِثرِهاher wake ذَرَعُa calf
إِلّا كَمارِيَةٍ في إِثرِها ذَرَعُ
Mariya, mistress of the crown and the two earrings, is no different
No queen with crown and ear-rings is Mary
From a white wild cow with a calf following in her tracks.
Except like goat pursued by kid free-bounding
وَإِنَّand indeed خَنساءَKhansa إِذwhen تُزجيshe sends forth قَصائِدَهاher poems
وَإِنَّ خَنساءَ إِذ تُزجي قَصائِدَها
نَظيرُthe equal of خَنساءَa snub-nosed wild cow يَدعوsummons ظِمأَهاher thirst الكرَعُpooled rainwater
نَظيرُ خَنساءَ يَدعو ظِمأَها الكرَعُ
And indeed Khansa, when she sends forth her poems,
When Khansa elegies recites clear and airy
Is the equal of a snub-nosed wild cow whose thirst pooled rainwater summons.
The match of Khansa her thirst with drafts drowning
ماhow أَكثَرَabundant الوَرَعَpiety المَزؤودَfear-stricken مِنfrom جُبُنٍcowardice
ما أَكثَرَ الوَرَعَ المَزؤودَ مِن جُبُنٍ
فيناamong us وَإِنand though قَلَّis scarce فيamong أَشياعِناour fellows الوَرَعُpiety
فينا وَإِن قَلَّ في أَشياعِنا الوَرَعُ
How abundant is fear-stricken piety born of cowardice
Abundant the devotion from cowardice flowing
Among us, though piety is scarce among our fellows!
Amongst us, though rare in our ranks the devout
وَلابِسُand the wearer of المِغفَرِthe helmet الدَرعيِّmade of chain mail جاءَcame بِهِwith it
وَلابِسُ المِغفَرِ الدَرعيِّ جاءَ بِهِ
كَالسيِّدِlike a wolf أَدرَعَdark-headed and pale-bodied فيin لَيلٍa night لَهُit has دُرَعُnights dark first, moonlit later
كَالسيِّدِ أَدرَعَ في لَيلٍ لَهُ دُرَعُ
And the wearer of the chain-mail helmet came clad in it,
Clad in forgiveness' coat of mail he came
Like a dark-headed, pale-bodied wolf in a night dark at first, then moonlit.
Like a lord armed on night of assault endowed
وَالعَيشُand life ماءُwater مُزادٍwaterskins راحَset off يَحمِلُهُcarrying it
وَالعَيشُ ماءُ مُزادٍ راحَ يَحمِلُهُ
طاويone traversing الفَلاةِthe wilderness وَأَنفاسُand the breaths of الفَتىthe young man جُرَعُdraughts
طاوي الفَلاةِ وَأَنفاسُ الفَتى جُرَعُ
And life is water in waterskins, carried away
Life's water carried in desert-roamer's supply
By one crossing the wilderness; the young man's breaths are draughts.
Necks of youths gulp whilst lips of wanderer parched
إِذاwhen دُعيتُI am called لِأَمرٍto an undertaking عادَنيbrings me بِأَذىًwith harm
إِذا دُعيتُ لِأَمرٍ عادَني بِأَذىً
أَوor رُزءِloss of دينٍfaith فَإِبطائيthen my delay هُوَitself السَرَعُspeed
أَو رُزءِ دينٍ فَإِبطائي هُوَ السَرَعُ
When I am called to an undertaking that brings me harm
If called to a thing that hurts or faith decried
Or loss to my faith, then my delay is speed itself.
My hanging back is best speed forward marched
غَدَتhave come جُيوشُthe armies of المَناياdeaths حَولَaround واحِدَةٍa single one
غَدَت جُيوشُ المَنايا حَولَ واحِدَةٍ
مِنَof النُفوسِthe souls عَلَيهاover it الجَيشُthe host يَقتَرِعُcasts lots
مِنَ النُفوسِ عَلَيها الجَيشُ يَقتَرِعُ
The armies of death have gathered around a single
Towards one soul armies of death draw nigh
Soul; over it the host casts lots.
On it hosts batter, assault and tear
إِذاif أُبيدَتit is annihilated فَماthen there is no عِنديwith me إِذاwhen أُخِذَتit is taken
إِذا أُبيدَت فَما عِندي إِذا أُخِذَت
فَرعٌoffspring يَنوبُstands in its place وَلاand no عَذراءُvirgin تُفتَرَعُis deflowered
فَرعٌ يَنوبُ وَلا عَذراءُ تُفتَرَعُ
If it is annihilated, then, when it is taken, I have no
If destroyed, what have I, if seized and caught?
Offspring to stand in its place, nor a virgin to be deflowered.
No foal remains, no calf suckled or reared
وَإِنand if حَبانِيَgrants me سَعداًgood fortune مَنthe one who بِهِin whom ثِقَتيmy trust
وَإِن حَبانِيَ سَعداً مَن بِهِ ثِقَتي
فَلَيسَthen it is not يُنقَصُis diminished حَظّيmy share أَنَّنيthat I am ضَرَعُweak
فَلَيسَ يُنقَصُ حَظّي أَنَّني ضَرَعُ
And if the one in whom I trust grants me good fortune,
If Sa'd's gladdened me, in whom my trust was wrought
Then my share is not diminished by my being weak.
No loss for me that I was milked and drained
تَشابَهَare alike الإِنسُhumankind إِلّاexcept أَنthat يَشُذَّmay stand apart حِجىًan intellect
تَشابَهَ الإِنسُ إِلّا أَن يَشُذَّ حِجىً
وَالطَيرُand birds شَتّىdiverse وَمِنهاand among them الفُتخُbroad-winged eagles وَالمُرَعُand small marsh birds
وَالطَيرُ شَتّى وَمِنها الفُتخُ وَالمُرَعُ
Human beings are alike, save that an intellect may stand apart;
Mankind's similar, unique eccentric when deemed
And birds are diverse; among them are broad-winged eagles and small marsh birds.
Diverse birds, among them bald coots and cranes
Sol 6.1