العالَمُthe world العاليthe upper بِرَأيِin the opinion of مَعاشِرٍgroups of people
العالَمُ العالي بِرَأيِ مَعاشِرٍ
كَالعالَمِlike the world الهاويthe lower يُحِسُّperceives وَيَعلَمُand knows
كَالعالَمِ الهاوي يُحِسُّ وَيَعلَمُ
The upper world, in the view of certain folk,
The lofty world in the view of a society
is like the world below: it feels and knows.
Is like a lowly world that feels and knows
زَعَمَتclaimed رِجالٌmen أَنَّthat سَيّاراتِهِits planets
زَعَمَت رِجالٌ أَنَّ سَيّاراتِهِ
تَسِقُcontain العُقولَintellects وَأَنَّهاand that they تَتَكَلَّمُspeak
تَسِقُ العُقولَ وَأَنَّها تَتَكَلَّمُ
Men have claimed that its planets
Men claimed that their cars
bear intellects, and that they speak.
Quench minds and that they speak
فَهَلِthen, are الكَواكِبُthe stars مِثلُناlike us فيin دينِهاtheir religion
فَهَلِ الكَواكِبُ مِثلُنا في دينِها
لاnot يَتَّفِقنَthey agree فَهائِدٌso, a Jew أَوor مُسلِمُa Muslim
لا يَتَّفِقنَ فَهائِدٌ أَو مُسلِمُ
Are the stars, then, like us in their religion,
Do the planets have a religion like us
not in agreement—one a Jew, another a Muslim?
Where signs don't align or a Muslim concurs?
وَلَعَلَّand perhaps مَكَّةَMecca فيin السَماءِheaven كَمَكَّةٍlike Mecca
وَلَعَلَّ مَكَّةَ في السَماءِ كَمَكَّةٍ
وَبِهاand in it نِضادِNiḍād وَيَذبُلٌand Yadhbul وَيَلَملَمُand Yalamlam
وَبِها نِضادِ وَيَذبُلٌ وَيَلَملَمُ
And perhaps Mecca in heaven is like Mecca here,
And perhaps Mecca in the sky is like Mecca
with Niḍād, Yadhbul, and Yalamlam in it.
With a slaughterhouse, debris, and throngs
وَالنورُand light فيin حُكمِthe judgment of الخَواطِرِthoughts مُحدَثٌcreated
وَالنورُ في حُكمِ الخَواطِرِ مُحدَثٌ
وَالأَوَّلِيُّand the primordial هُوَit is الزَمانُtime المُظلِمُdark
وَالأَوَّلِيُّ هُوَ الزَمانُ المُظلِمُ
And light, in the judgment of thought, is created;
Light, by whims' rule, is modern
and dark time is what is primordial.
And the early is the dark time
وَالخَيرُand goodness بَينَamong الناسِpeople رَسمٌa trace دائِرٌeffaced
وَالخَيرُ بَينَ الناسِ رَسمٌ دائِرٌ
وَالشَرُّand evil نَهجٌa clear path وَالبَرِيَّةُand humankind مَعلَمُa landmark
وَالشَرُّ نَهجٌ وَالبَرِيَّةُ مَعلَمُ
And goodness among people is an effaced trace;
Good amongst people is a fleeting symbol
evil is a clear path, and humankind its signpost.
And evil a path, the wilderness a guide
طَبعٌa natural disposition خُلِقتَyou were created عَلَيهِwith it لَيسَis not بِزائِلٍpassing away
طَبعٌ خُلِقتَ عَلَيهِ لَيسَ بِزائِلٍ
طولَthroughout الحَياةِlife وَآخَرٌand another مُتَعَلَّمُlearned
طولَ الحَياةِ وَآخَرٌ مُتَعَلَّمُ
A nature you were created with does not pass away
A nature you're created with that doesn't change
throughout life; another is learned.
For life, and the other learned
إِنif جارَتِacted unjustly الأُمَراءُthe rulers جاءَcame مُؤَمَّرٌan appointed ruler
إِن جارَتِ الأُمَراءُ جاءَ مُؤَمَّرٌ
أَعتىmore tyrannical وَأُجورُand more unjust يَستَضيمُoppresses وَيَكلِمُand wounds
أَعتى وَأُجورُ يَستَضيمُ وَيَكلِمُ
If rulers act unjustly, an appointed ruler comes,
If rulers feud, a schemer comes
more tyrannical and more unjust, oppressing and wounding.
Fiercer whose hire grieves and talks
كَحَمائِمٍlike doves ظَلَمَتdid wrong فَنادىthen cried out أَجدَلٌa falcon
كَحَمائِمٍ ظَلَمَت فَنادى أَجدَلٌ
إِنif كُنتِyou are ظالِمَةًunjust فَإِنّيthen I am أَظلَمُmore unjust
إِن كُنتِ ظالِمَةً فَإِنّي أَظلَمُ
Like doves that did wrong, whereupon a falcon cried:
Like doves in the dark, so a nightjar called
"If you are unjust, then I am more unjust."
"If you've wronged, I've wronged still more"
أَرَأَيتَhave you seen أَظفارَthe claws الضَراغِمِof lions عُوِّدَتhave been accustomed
أَرَأَيتَ أَظفارَ الضَراغِمِ عُوِّدَت
فِرَةًfull growth وَأَظفارَand the nails الأَنيسِof humans تُقَلَّمُare clipped
فِرَةً وَأَظفارَ الأَنيسِ تُقَلَّمُ
Have you seen how lions' claws are left
Have you seen how claws of beasts of prey were trained
to grow long, while human nails are clipped?
To claw, and claws of companions trimmed?
وَكَذاكَand likewise حُكمُthe decree الدَهرِof Time فيconcerning سُكّانِهِits dwellers
وَكَذاكَ حُكمُ الدَهرِ في سُكّانِهِ
عَيرٌa wild ass لَهُit has أُذُنٌan ear وَهَيقٌand an ostrich أَصلَمُearless
عَيرٌ لَهُ أُذُنٌ وَهَيقٌ أَصلَمُ
And such is Time's decree concerning its dwellers:
So too is the way of fate with its dwellers
a wild ass has ears, while an ostrich is earless.
A blind ass whose handler is blind
إِنif شِئتَyou wish أَنto تُكفىbe spared الحِمامَdeath فَلاthen do not تَعِشlive
إِن شِئتَ أَن تُكفى الحِمامَ فَلا تَعِش
هَذيthis الحَياةُlife إِلىto المَنِيَّةِdeath سُلَّمُa ladder
هَذي الحَياةُ إِلى المَنِيَّةِ سُلَّمُ
If you wish to be spared death, then do not live;
If you want to avoid anguish don't live
this life is a ladder to death.
This life leads straight to demise
ماذاwhat أَفَدتَhave you gained بِأَنَّfrom the fact that دَهرَكَyour days خافِضٌeasy
ماذا أَفَدتَ بِأَنَّ دَهرَكَ خافِضٌ
وَغِناكَand your wealth مُنبَسِطٌabundant وَعِرسُكَand your wife غَيلَمُa beautiful woman
وَغِناكَ مُنبَسِطٌ وَعِرسُكَ غَيلَمُ
What have you gained from your days being easy,
What good that your days are low
your wealth abundant, and your wife beautiful?
While your means ample and lineage sublime?
أَحسِنhow fine بِدُنياthe world of القَومِhumankind لَوif only كانَwere الفَتىa man
أَحسِن بِدُنيا القَومِ لَو كانَ الفَتى
لاnot يُقتَضىis claimed as a debt وَأَديمُهُand his skin لاnot يَحلُمُis eaten by vermin
لا يُقتَضى وَأَديمُهُ لا يَحلُمُ
How fine the world of humankind would be, if a man
Do good in people's world, if only youth
were not claimed by death, nor his skin eaten by vermin!
Weren't fleeting, its hide didn't rip
وَكَأَنَّماand as though الأُخرىthe next life تَيَقُّظُawakening نائِمٍa sleeper
وَكَأَنَّما الأُخرى تَيَقُّظُ نائِمٍ
وَكَأَنَّماand as though الأولىthis life مَنامٌa dream يُحلَمُis dreamed
وَكَأَنَّما الأولى مَنامٌ يُحلَمُ
And it is as though the next life were a sleeper's awakening,
As if the next life wakes a sleeping one
and as though this life were a dream being dreamed.
And the first is a dream dreamt in sleep
يَتَشَبَّهُmodels himself الطاغيthe tyrant بِطاغٍon a tyrant مِثلِهِlike himself
يَتَشَبَّهُ الطاغي بِطاغٍ مِثلِهِ
وَأَخوand one blessed with السَعادَةِgood fortune بَينَهُمamong them مَنthe one who يَسلَمُremains unharmed
وَأَخو السَعادَةِ بَينَهُم مَن يَسلَمُ
The tyrant models himself on a tyrant like himself;
The tyrant takes after a tyrant like him
and the fortunate among them is the one who remains unharmed.
And a brother of fortune between them concedes
فيamong الناسِpeople ذوpossessed of حِلمٍforbearance يُسَفِّهُmakes foolish نَفسَهُhimself
في الناسِ ذو حِلمٍ يُسَفِّهُ نَفسَهُ
كَيماso that يُهابَhe is feared وَجاهِلٌand an ignorant man يَتَحَلَّمُfeigns forbearance
كَيما يُهابَ وَجاهِلٌ يَتَحَلَّمُ
Among people is a forbearing man who makes himself foolish,
Among people a wise man acts foolish
so he may be feared, and an ignorant man who feigns forbearance.
So he's feared, and a fool poses wise
وَكِلاهُماand both of them تَعِبٌweary يُحارِبُfights شيمَةًa disposition
وَكِلاهُما تَعِبٌ يُحارِبُ شيمَةً
غَلَبَتhas prevailed فَآضَso he ended up بِحَربِهاfrom fighting it يَتَأَلَّمُsuffering
غَلَبَت فَآضَ بِحَربِها يَتَأَلَّمُ
And both are weary, battling a disposition
Both tired, warring with a nature
that has prevailed; they end up suffering from fighting it.
That prevailed, so they painfully warp
فَاِلزَمso keep to ذَراكَyour shelter وَإِنeven if تَشَعَّثَbecomes dilapidated جُدرُهُits walls
فَاِلزَم ذَراكَ وَإِن تَشَعَّثَ جُدرُهُ
فَالعِسُّfor the drinking bowl قَدmay يَرويكَquench your thirst وَهوَthough it is مُثَلَّمُchipped
فَالعِسُّ قَد يَرويكَ وَهوَ مُثَلَّمُ
So keep to your shelter, even if its walls crumble;
So tend your own plot, and if its walls crumble
for a bowl may quench your thirst, though it is chipped.
Hardship may water you, and it has holes
Sol 6.1