إِذاwhen مَدَحواthey praise آدَمِيّاًa mortal مَدَحpraised (continued in line 2)
إِذا مَدَحوا آدَمِيّاً مَدَح
تُI (verb ending) مَولىthe Master of المَواليthe masters وَرَبَّand the Lord of الأُمَمthe nations
تُ مَولى المَوالي وَرَبَّ الأُمَم
When they praise a mortal, I praise
When they praise a human being, they praise
the Master of masters and Lord of nations.
The Master of masters and Lord of nations
وَذاكَand that One الغَنِيُّthe self-sufficient One عَنِof المادِحينَthose who praise
وَذاكَ الغَنِيُّ عَنِ المادِحينَ
وَلَكِنbut لِنَفسيfor my own sake عَقَدتُI concluded الذِمَمcovenants
وَلَكِن لِنَفسي عَقَدتُ الذِمَم
And He has no need of those who praise,
While He is self-sufficient, without need for praise
but for my own sake I have made covenants.
Yet I blame myself
لَهُto Him سَجَدَbowed down الشامِخُthe lofty one المُشمَخِرُّthe towering one
لَهُ سَجَدَ الشامِخُ المُشمَخِرُّ
علَىdespite ماwhat بِعرينِهِin his nose (probable intended reading) مِنof شَمَمproud elevation
علَى ما بِعرينِهِ مِن شَمَم
To Him the lofty, towering one bowed down,
To Him bowed the towering, perfumed one
despite the proud tilt of his nose.
Despite what his den contained of stench
وَمَغفِرَةُand the forgiveness of اللَهِGod مَرجُوَّةٌhoped for
وَمَغفِرَةُ اللَهِ مَرجُوَّةٌ
إِذاwhen حُبِسَتare confined أَعظُميmy bones فيamong الرِمَمdecayed remains
إِذا حُبِسَت أَعظُمي في الرِمَم
And God's forgiveness is hoped for
And God's forgiveness is hoped for
when my bones are confined among decayed remains,
When my bones are buried in the sand
مُجاوِرَdwelling beside قَومٍa people تَمَشّىcrept الفَناdecay (continued in line 10)
مُجاوِرَ قَومٍ تَمَشّى الفَنا
ءُcompletion of 'decay' ماthe space بَينَbetween أَقدامِهِمtheir feet وَالقِمَمand the crowns of their heads
ءُ ما بَينَ أَقدامِهِم وَالقِمَم
beside a people through whom decay has crept
Associating with a people whom death walked among
between their feet and the crowns of their heads.
Between their feet and graves
فَياso, oh لَيتَنيwould that I هامِدٌlifeless لاnot أَقومُI rise
فَيا لَيتَني هامِدٌ لا أَقومُ
إِذاwhen نَهَضواthey rise يَنفُضونَthey shake out اللِمَمlocks of hair
إِذا نَهَضوا يَنفُضونَ اللِمَم
Oh, would that I lay lifeless, never to rise,
Oh, if only I were laid down, unable to rise
when they rise, shaking out their locks,
When they rise, shaking off the burdens
وَنادىand calls out المُناديthe herald عَلىin غَفلَةٍheedlessness
وَنادى المُنادي عَلى غَفلَةٍ
فَلَمso not يَبقَremains فيin أُذُنٍan ear مِنany صَمَمdeafness
فَلَم يَبقَ في أُذُنٍ مِن صَمَم
and the herald calls out, taking them unawares,
And the caller called out in heedlessness
so no deafness remains in any ear.
So no ear retained deafness
وَجاءَتand arrive صَحائِفُscrolls قَدalready ضُمِّنَتwere made to contain
وَجاءَت صَحائِفُ قَد ضُمِّنَت
كَبائِرَmajor offenses آثامِهِمtheir sins وَاللِمَمand minor offenses
كَبائِرَ آثامِهِم وَاللِمَم
And scrolls arrive, already filled with
And the pages came inscribed
their major sins and their lesser offenses.
With their major sins and faults
فَلَيتَso, if only العُقوبَةَthe punishment تَحريقَةٌa single burning
فَلَيتَ العُقوبَةَ تَحريقَةٌ
فَصارواso they became رَماداًashes بِهاthrough it أَوor حُمَمcharcoal
فَصاروا رَماداً بِها أَو حُمَم
If only the punishment were a single burning,
If only the punishment were a burning
so they would become ash or charcoal through it.
So they would become ashes or charred embers through it
رَأَيتُI saw بَنيthe sons of الدَهرِtime فيin غَفلَةٍheedlessness
رَأَيتُ بَني الدَهرِ في غَفلَةٍ
وَلَيسَتand is not جَهالَتُهُمtheir ignorance بِالأُمَمat all slight
وَلَيسَت جَهالَتُهُم بِالأُمَم
I saw the sons of time in heedlessness,
I saw the people of life in heedlessness
and their ignorance is no small matter.
Their ignorance is not that of nations
فَنُسكُso the devotion of أُناسٍsome people لِضَعفِbecause of the weakness of العُقولِminds
فَنُسكُ أُناسٍ لِضَعفِ العُقولِ
وَنُسكُand the devotion of أُناسٍsome people لِبُعدِbecause of the far reach of الهِمَمaspirations
وَنُسكُ أُناسٍ لِبُعدِ الهِمَم
So some people's devotion comes from weakness of mind,
Some people's devotion is due to weak minds
and others' devotion from far-reaching aspirations.
Some people's devotion is due to lofty aspirations
Sol 6.1