ماwhat بالُهاher condition ناوِيَةًintending شُقَّةًa distant journey
ما بالُها ناوِيَةً شُقَّةً
توديbrings death بِشَخصِto the body of الناقَةِthe she-camel الناوِيَهthe plump one
تودي بِشَخصِ الناقَةِ الناوِيَه
What ails her, intent on a distant journey
What makes her intent on heading to peril,
that brings the plump she-camel's body to ruin?
Taking the camel that's heading that way?
لَمdid not تَأوِshow pity لِلعيسِfor the pale camels وَلاand no بُّدَّescape مِنfrom
لَم تَأوِ لِلعيسِ وَلا بُّدَّ مِن
قَبرٍa grave إِلَيهِto it أَوَتtook refuge الآوِيَهthe shelter-seeker
قَبرٍ إِلَيهِ أَوَت الآوِيَه
She has not pitied the pale camels; and there is no escape from
She won't stay put, there's no alternative
a grave where the shelter-seeker has taken refuge.
To a grave, the place where all are laid.
وَتَقدَمُand arrive at الأَرضَthe earth نُفوسٌsouls أَتَتhave come
وَتَقدَمُ الأَرضَ نُفوسٌ أَتَت
مَخلوقَةًcreated مِنfrom أَنفُسٍsouls تاوِيَهperished
مَخلوقَةً مِن أَنفُسٍ تاوِيَه
And souls arrive upon the earth, having been
And souls preceded, born of souls
created from souls that have perished.
Like smoke, all doomed to pass away.
وَالدَهرُand time كَالحَيّوتِlike the serpent فيin
وَالدَهرُ كَالحَيّوتِ في
إِهلاكِهِits destruction ماwhat حَوَتِcontained الحاوِيَهthe enclosing vessel
إِهلاكِهِ ما حَوَتِ الحاوِيَه
And Time is like the serpent in
Fortune's like snakes in the havoc they wreak
its destruction of all that the enclosing vessel holds.
On all that is held or sways.
إِنif تَعمَرِis inhabited الدُنياthe world فَلاthen no بُدَّescape مِنfrom
إِن تَعمَرِ الدُنيا فَلا بُدَّ مِن
يَومِa day of رَدىًdeath يَترُكُهاleaves it خاوِيَهempty
يَومِ رَدىً يَترُكُها خاوِيَه
If the world is inhabited, there is no escape from
Though you give your life to make the world thrive,
a day of death that leaves it empty.
Comes a day you will leave it to decay.
فَاِهرُبso flee مِنَfrom الإِنسِhumankind إِلىto الوَحشِthe wild beasts كَيso that
فَاِهرُب مِنَ الإِنسِ إِلى الوَحشِ كَي
تَسكُنَyou may dwell فيin الدَوِيَّةِthe wilderness الداوِيَهthe echoing one
تَسكُنَ في الدَوِيَّةِ الداوِيَه
So flee from humankind to the wild beasts, that you may
So shun mankind, take to the wilds, and find
dwell in the echoing wilderness.
In a ruined abode your stay.
إِنif يَسمَعواthey hear شَرّاًevil تَوافَواthey gather لَهُfor it
إِن يَسمَعوا شَرّاً تَوافَوا لَهُ
حِفظاًmemorization وَمِثلُand like الشاعِرِthe poet الراوِيَهthe reciter
حِفظاً وَمِثلُ الشاعِرِ الراوِيَه
If they hear evil, they gather for it,
If they hear evil, thronging they come,
to memorize it; the reciter is like the poet.
Like poets keeping their tales at play.
ماhow أَنفَعَuseful السَيفَthe sword لِمَنto whoever شامَهُdraws it
ما أَنفَعَ السَيفَ لِمَن شامَهُ
أَخضَرَgreen ماnot رَوَّضَتهُgrazed it ذاوِيَهa gaunt she-camel
أَخضَرَ ما رَوَّضَتهُ ذاوِيَه
How useful the sword is to whoever draws it,
No use is the sword to the neck it girds
green, never grazed by a gaunt she-camel!
If the tribe did not temper its way.
ذُبابُهُits point إِنif يَشدُsings يَحدُثarises لَهُfor him
ذُبابُهُ إِن يَشدُ يَحدُث لَهُ
جِدٌّearnestness يُوازيmatches لَعِبَthe play of الغاوِيَهthe wanton woman
جِدٌّ يُوازي لَعِبَ الغاوِيَه
If its point sings, there arises for him
His slightest sting, if drawn out, will bring
earnestness matching a wanton woman's play.
A fact as grave as fools at play.
يَقتَسِرُforcibly subdues الدُنياthe world لِأَخلافِهِfor his descendants
يَقتَسِرُ الدُنيا لِأَخلافِهِ
مُحتَلِباًmilking أَخلافَهاits teats الصاوِيَهthe dried-up ones
مُحتَلِباً أَخلافَها الصاوِيَه
He subdues the world for his descendants,
He makes the world too narrow for descendants,
milking its dried-up teats.
While successors wander astray.
أَلوىwithered نَباتُthe vegetation of الأَرضِthe earth وَهوَand it الَّذيwhich
أَلوى نَباتُ الأَرضِ وَهوَ الَّذي
لَمdid not يُلوِcarry away بَلrather أَلوَتmade off بِهِwith it اللاوِيَهthe calamity
لَم يُلوِ بَل أَلوَت بِهِ اللاوِيَه
The earth's vegetation has withered, though it
Earth's verdure is warped, yet it's the earth that's blamed
has carried nothing away; rather, calamity has carried it away.
Though traits the warping display.
هاوِيَةٌloving نَفسُكَyour soul ماwhat ساءَهاharms it
هاوِيَةٌ نَفسُكَ ما ساءَها
فَلتَخشَso fear أَنthat تُلقىyou be cast إِلىinto الهاوِيَهthe abyss
فَلتَخشَ أَن تُلقى إِلى الهاوِيَه
Your soul loves what harms it;
Your soul's an abyss, so beware the precipice,
so fear being cast into the abyss.
Lest you tumble in disarray.
مَنِwhoever اِتَّقىfears اللَهَGod فَأُسدُthen the lions of الشَرىal-Shara
مَنِ اِتَّقى اللَهَ فَأُسدُ الشَرى
لَدَيهِto him مِثلُlike الأَكلُبِthe dogs العاوِيَهthe howling ones
لَدَيهِ مِثلُ الأَكلُبِ العاوِيَه
Whoever fears God—the lions of al-Shara
He who's godfearing has lions revere him,
are to him like howling dogs.
Like dogs that fawn and obey.
Sol 6.1