لاno خَيرَgood فيin المالِwealth أُعطاهُI am given it وَأَجمَعُهُand I accumulate it
لا خَيرَ في المالِ أُعطاهُ وَأَجمَعُهُ
إِذاwhen عَريتُI became bare فَمِمّاthen of what حُزتُI acquired عُرّيتُI was stripped
إِذا عَريتُ فَمِمّا حُزتُ عُرّيتُ
There is no good in wealth I am given and accumulate,
No good is there in wealth when given, amassed,
When I am left bare, stripped of what I acquired.
If I'm made bare then with what I gained clothed was I.
وَماand what اِنتِفاعيmy benefit إِذاif أَصبَحتُI became ذاpossessed of فِرَةٍwealth
وَما اِنتِفاعي إِذا أَصبَحتُ ذا فِرَةٍ
وَإِنَّماand only أَناI رِسلُmilk الضَرعِof the udder صُرّيتُI was held back
وَإِنَّما أَنا رِسلُ الضَرعِ صُرّيتُ
And what do I gain if I become wealthy,
Of no benefit is it when morn appears,
While I am only the udder's milk, held back?
If but a thread conceals me, then thread am I.
وَصاغَنيand fashioned me اللَهُGod مِنfrom ماءٍwater وَهاand behold أَناI ذاthis one
وَصاغَني اللَهُ مِن ماءٍ وَها أَنا ذا
كَالماءِlike water أَجريI flow بِقَدرٍby decree كَيفَhowever جُرّيتُI was made to flow
كَالماءِ أَجري بِقَدرٍ كَيفَ جُرّيتُ
God fashioned me from water, and here I am,
God made me of water, yet behold I flow,
Like water, flowing by decree, however I am made to flow.
As flows water, by decree directed was I.
بُريتُI was created لِلأَمرِfor the purpose لَمdid not أَعرِفI know حَقائِقَهُits realities
بُريتُ لِلأَمرِ لَم أَعرِف حَقائِقَهُ
فَلَيتَنيso would that I مِنfrom حِسابِthe reckoning of اللَهِGod بُرّيتُI was exempted
فَلَيتَني مِن حِسابِ اللَهِ بُرّيتُ
I was created for a purpose whose realities I did not know;
Created for a purpose I knew not true,
So would that I were exempt from God's reckoning.
Would that from God's reckoning exonerated was I!
أَرىI see خَيالَthe phantom of إِزارٍa waist-wrap حَمَّهُdecreed it قَدَرٌfate
أَرى خَيالَ إِزارٍ حَمَّهُ قَدَرٌ
ظَهَرتُI appeared مِنهُfrom it قَليلاًbriefly ثُمَّthen وُرّيتُI was hidden
ظَهَرتُ مِنهُ قَليلاً ثُمَّ وُرّيتُ
I see the phantom of a waist-wrap that fate decreed;
I see a loincloth's image, Fate has filled it out,
I appeared from it briefly, then was hidden.
Revealed from it a little, then hidden was I.
ماwhat ليwith me رَضيتُI was content بِماwith what أَنكَرتُهُI rejected it زَمَناًfor a time
ما لي رَضيتُ بِما أَنكَرتُهُ زَمَناً
وَخِلتُنيand I thought myself بِصُروفِto the vicissitudes of الدَهرِtime ضُرّيتُI was inured
وَخِلتُني بِصُروفِ الدَهرِ ضُرّيتُ
Why have I grown content with what I rejected for a time,
Why did I accept what once I disapproved?
And thought myself inured to time's vicissitudes?
And left was I to time's caprice confounded was I.
فَهَلso did دَرىknow اللَيثُthe lion إِذاwhen ضَمَّgathered الرَجاجَthe weak لَهُfor him
فَهَل دَرى اللَيثُ إِذا ضَمَّ الرَجاجَ لَهُ
فَمٌa mouth وَقُدِّرَand was ordained لِلشَدقَينِfor both mouth-corners تَهريتُwidening
فَمٌ وَقُدِّرَ لِلشَدقَينِ تَهريتُ
So did the lion know, when the weak were gathered for him
Does the lion know when clamped are jaws on him,
By a mouth, and its two corners were ordained to gape wide?
A mouth decreed to rend his cheeks was I?
كَأَنَّناas though we were فيin قِفارٍwastelands ضَلَّlost سالِكُهاtheir traveler
كَأَنَّنا في قِفارٍ ضَلَّ سالِكُها
نَهجَthe course of الطَريقِthe road وَماand there is no فيamong القَومِthe company خَرّيتُan expert guide
نَهجَ الطَريقِ وَما في القَومِ خَرّيتُ
As though we were in wastes whose traveler had lost
As if in empty plains a lost traveller were we,
The course of the road, with no expert guide among the company.
The path we missed, no guide among us was I.
لَوif يَنطُقُcould speak اللَيلُnight نادىit would cry كَمhow often فَرىcleft ظُلَميmy darknesses
لَو يَنطُقُ اللَيلُ نادى كَم فَرى ظُلَمي
فَجرٌa dawn وَأُدلِجتُand I was traversed early at night فيfor حاجٍneeds وَأُسريتُand I was traversed by night
فَجرٌ وَأُدلِجتُ في حاجٍ وَأُسريتُ
If night could speak, it would cry: 'How often my darkness has been cleft
Would night but speak, he'd call how much in gloom saw he!
By dawn! I was traversed on errands early in the night, and journeyed through by night,
Dawn came, imprisoned in needs, compelled was I.
وَأَعملَتنيand put me to work رِجالٌmen فيfor مَآرِبِهاtheir purposes
وَأَعملَتني رِجالٌ في مَآرِبِها
كَأَنَّنيas though I were جَملٌa camel لِلإِنسِfor humankind أُبريتُI was fitted with a nose-ring
كَأَنَّني جَملٌ لِلإِنسِ أُبريتُ
And men put me to work for their purposes,
And men made me serve in their treacherous affairs,
As though I were a camel, nose-ringed for humankind.'
As if a camel for mankind enslaved was I.
لاnot يَصبِرونَthey endure فَقيرٌa poor man تَحتَbeneath فاقَتِهhis want
لا يَصبِرونَ فَقيرٌ تَحتَ فاقَتِه
إِنَّindeed السَباريتَthe barren wastes جابَتهاtraversed them السَباريتُthe destitute
إِنَّ السَباريتَ جابَتها السَباريتُ
They do not endure; a poor man is burdened by his want.
No patience for a pauper beneath his want,
Indeed, the barren wastes have been traversed by the destitute.
Raiders raided but by raiders plundered was I!
ناسٌpeople إِذاwhen نَسَكواthey worshipped عُدّواthey were counted as مَلائِكَةًangels
ناسٌ إِذا نَسَكوا عُدّوا مَلائِكَةً
وَإِنand if طَغَواthey transgressed فَهُمُthen they are جِنٌّjinn عَفاريتُfiends
وَإِن طَغَوا فَهُمُ جِنٌّ عَفاريتُ
People, when they worship, are counted as angels;
Folk when devout are angels numbered,
And if they transgress, they are jinn—fiends.
But rebels when transgressing, evil spirits was I.
لاdo not تَطرِيَنّيlavish praise on me فَليfor I have نَفسٌa soul مُجَرَّبَةٌtested
لا تَطرِيَنّي فَلي نَفسٌ مُجَرَّبَةٌ
تُسِرُّit conceals وَجداًgrief إِذاwhen بِالمَينِwith lies أُطريتُI was lavishly praised
تُسِرُّ وَجداً إِذا بِالمَينِ أُطريتُ
Do not lavish praise on me, for I have a tested soul,
Flatter me not, I've a soul that's tried,
Which conceals grief when I am praised with lies.
Pleased when blamed, when praised embarrassed was I.
وَإِنand if مُدِحتُI was praised بِخَيرٍfor goodness لَيسَis not مِنamong شِيَميmy traits
وَإِن مُدِحتُ بِخَيرٍ لَيسَ مِن شِيَمي
حَسِبتُنيI thought myself بِقَبيحِby vile الذَمِّreproach فُرّيتُI was torn apart
حَسِبتُني بِقَبيحِ الذَمِّ فُرّيتُ
And if I am praised for goodness not among my traits,
And if praised for good that's not my way,
I think myself torn apart by vile reproach.
I'm counted among the ugly damned was I.
Sol 6.1