لِمwhy لاnot أُؤَمِّلُI hope for رَحمَةًmercy مِنfrom قادِرٍone who is able
لِم لا أُؤَمِّلُ رَحمَةً مِن قادِرٍ
وَالسولُand the desired boon يُطَلَبُis sought فيin السَحابِthe clouds الأَسوَلِlow-hanging
وَالسولُ يُطَلَبُ في السَحابِ الأَسوَلِ
Why should I not hope for mercy from One who is able,
Why should I not hope for mercy from the Almighty
when the desired boon is sought in the low-hanging clouds?
When rain is sought in the darkest clouds?
وَالدَهرُand time أَكوانٌstates of being تَمُرُّpass سَريعَةًswiftly
وَالدَهرُ أَكوانٌ تَمُرُّ سَريعَةً
وَيَكونُand is آخِرُهاthe last of them نَظيرَlike الأَوَّلِthe first
وَيَكونُ آخِرُها نَظيرَ الأَوَّلِ
And time consists of swiftly passing states of being,
Fate's passing eras resemble each other
and the last of them is like the first.
The last being the same as the first.
وَيُؤَلِّفُand joins together الوَقتَtime المُديرُthe mover قِصارَهاtheir brief spans
وَيُؤَلِّفُ الوَقتَ المُديرُ قِصارَها
حَتّىuntil يُعَدَّis counted مِنَamong الزَمانِtime الأَطوَلِthe longest
حَتّى يُعَدَّ مِنَ الزَمانِ الأَطوَلِ
And the mover of time joins their brief spans,
Time the turner makes its circuits short
until it is counted among the longest stretches of time.
Until counted among the longest spans.
وَالعَقلُand the intellect يُزجَرُis checked وَالطِباعُand innate dispositions مَعَtogether with النُهىreason
وَالعَقلُ يُزجَرُ وَالطِباعُ مَعَ النُهى
كَالفيلِlike the elephant يُضرَبُis struck رَأسُهُits head بِالمِغوَلِwith the iron goad
كَالفيلِ يُضرَبُ رَأسُهُ بِالمِغوَلِ
And intellect is checked, and natural impulses, together with reason,
Reason rebukes while nature alongside prohibition
are like an elephant whose head is struck with an iron goad.
Is like the elephant struck on its head with a mallet.
دُنياكَyour world أُمٌّa mother قَدindeed أَجابَanswered مَليكُهاher sovereign
دُنياكَ أُمٌّ قَد أَجابَ مَليكُها
فيهاconcerning her مِنَfrom among الأَبناءِthe sons دِعوَةَthe prayer جِروَلِJirwal
فيها مِنَ الأَبناءِ دِعوَةَ جِروَلِ
Your world is a mother; her sovereign has answered
Your world answered its king’s call
the prayer against her of Jirwal, one of her sons.
Among its sons was the voice of the wretched.
وَتَجولُand she roams فَوقَabove الساكِنينَthe inhabitants كَأَنَّهاas though she were
وَتَجولُ فَوقَ الساكِنينَ كَأَنَّها
وَرهاءُa witless woman هاجِرَةٌraving غَدَتwent out فيin مِجوَلِa short tunic
وَرهاءُ هاجِرَةٌ غَدَت في مِجوَلِ
And she roams above the inhabitants, as though she were
It roams above the sedentary as though it were
a witless, raving woman who has gone out in a short tunic.
A pregnant camel turned loose in an enclosure.
وَالفَقرُand poverty أَروَحُmore restful فيin الحَياةِlife مِنَthan الغِنىwealth
وَالفَقرُ أَروَحُ في الحَياةِ مِنَ الغِنى
وَالمَوتُand death يَجعَلُmakes خائِلاًa servant كَمُخَوَّلِlike one endowed with wealth
وَالمَوتُ يَجعَلُ خائِلاً كَمُخَوَّلِ
And poverty is more restful in life than wealth,
Poverty in life is more fickle than wealth
and death makes a servant equal to one endowed with wealth.
And death leaves one as helpless as a lame she-camel.
إِنَّindeed اللِقاحَbreeding وَإِنand even if أَتاكَbrings you بِثَروَةٍwith wealth
إِنَّ اللِقاحَ وَإِن أَتاكَ بِثَروَةٍ
فَأَقَلُّyet less مِنهُthan it أَذىًharm حِيالُbarrenness الحُوَّلِthe unbred she-camels
فَأَقَلُّ مِنهُ أَذىً حِيالُ الحُوَّلِ
Indeed, even if breeding brings you wealth,
Even if stock came to you with riches
the barrenness of unbred she-camels causes less harm than it.
The least harmful is a shifty fox.
وَالمَرءُand a man يَعقِدُfastens بِالبَعيدِon what is distant رَجاءَهُhis hope
وَالمَرءُ يَعقِدُ بِالبَعيدِ رَجاءَهُ
كَالرِسلِlike milk رُجِّيَwas hoped for فيin النِياقِthe she-camels الشُوَّلِdry-uddered
كَالرِسلِ رُجِّيَ في النِياقِ الشُوَّلِ
And a man fastens his hope on what is far away,
One places hope in the distant
like milk hoped for in dry-uddered she-camels.
Like messengers, hoped for at the fires of Shuwal.
كَمhow often أَحرَزَsecured المالَwealth المُقيمُthe one staying at home بِجَدِّهِthrough his luck
كَم أَحرَزَ المالَ المُقيمُ بِجَدِّهِ
وَسَعىand strove الحَريصُthe eager man فَعادَthen he returned غَيرَnot مُمَوَّلِendowed with wealth
وَسَعى الحَريصُ فَعادَ غَيرَ مُمَوَّلِ
How often one who stays at home has gained wealth through his luck,
How much wealth did the settled gain with effort
while the eager man has striven, only to return without wealth!
While the eager strove and returned unrewarded.
وَرَأَيتُand I saw شَرَّthe evil of الجارِthe neighbor يَشمَلُengulfs جارَهُhis neighbor
وَرَأَيتُ شَرَّ الجارِ يَشمَلُ جارَهُ
كَرَحىlike a molar الفَمِthe mouth اِنتُزِعَتwas pulled out بِذَنبِfor the sin of المِقوَلِthe tongue
كَرَحى الفَمِ اِنتُزِعَت بِذَنبِ المِقوَلِ
And I have seen a neighbor's evil engulf his neighbor,
I have seen the worst of neighbors encompass his neighbor
like a molar torn from the mouth for the tongue's sin.
Like the grinding stone wrenched out with the tent peg.
Sol 6.1