ياO بَنىsons of الهالكينthose who perished هلis there? مِنْany وَقاءِprotection
يا بَنى الهالكين هل مِنْ وَقاءِ
لكمُfor you all منagainst مَصارعِthe deaths of الآباءِthe fathers
لكمُ من مَصارعِ الآباءِ
O sons of those who perished, is there any protection
for you against the deaths that befell your fathers?
وإذاand when ماemphatic particle الأصولُthe roots جَفَّتhave withered فماthen not يَطhopes (first part)
وإذا ما الأصولُ جَفَّت فما يَط
معhopes (last part) فرعٌa branch منfrom بعدِهاafter them بالبقاءfor survival
مع فرعٌ من بعدِها بالبقاء
And when the roots have withered, no
branch can hope to live on after them.
كلُّevery داءٍsickness لهfor it دَواءٌa cure وقدyet indeed أَعْhas defeated (first part)
كلُّ داءٍ له دَواءٌ وقد أَعْ
جَزhas defeated (last part) داءُthe sickness of المَنونِdeath كلَّevery دواءcure
جَز داءُ المَنونِ كلَّ دواء
Every sickness has a cure, yet
the sickness of death has defeated every cure.
سُلِّطتwas brought to bear حيلةُthe ingenuity of العقولminds علىon كُevery (first part)
سُلِّطت حيلةُ العقول على كُ
لّevery (last part) خَفىٍّhidden thing منamong غامضِobscure الأشياءthings
لّ خَفىٍّ من غامضِ الأشياء
The ingenuity of minds was brought to bear on every
hidden thing among matters obscure;
وتَناهَتْand strove to its utmost فيregarding الموتِdeath بَدْءاat first وعَوْداand again
وتَناهَتْ في الموتِ بَدْءا وعَوْدا
فأَقرَّتْthen it confessed بالعجزto helplessness والإعياءand exhaustion
فأَقرَّتْ بالعجز والإعياء
and strove to its utmost against death, time and again,
then confessed its helplessness and exhaustion.
كمhow many ثَوَىhave lain تحتَbeneath قبةِthe dome of الفَلَكthe celestial sphere الأعthe highest (first part)
كم ثَوَى تحتَ قبةِ الفَلَك الأع
لىthe highest (last part) منَof الْخَلْقcreation بينbetween ترْبdust وماءand water
لى منَ الْخَلْق بين ترْب وماء
How many have lain beneath the dome of the highest heaven,
from among creation, amid dust and water!
هلdo? ترىyou think غادرَتْhas spared يدُthe hand of الموتdeath مخلوa creature (first part)
هل ترى غادرَتْ يدُ الموت مخلو
قاa creature (last part) منamong ألأقوياءthe strong والضعفاءand the weak
قا من ألأقوياء والضعفاء
Do you think the hand of death has spared any
creature among the strong and the weak?
حيوانliving creatures منof كلِّevery جنسٍkind فماso not يُحْis counted (first part)
حيوان من كلِّ جنسٍ فما يُحْ
صَرis counted (last part) منهاof them الأَقلُّthe smallest portion بالإِحْصاءby enumeration
صَر منها الأَقلُّ بالإِحْصاء
Living creatures of every kind—not even
the smallest portion of them can be counted.
فيقولthen says الإنسانُman عَلَّىperhaps I am لذاكfor that الشthe person (first part)
فيقول الإنسانُ عَلَّى لذاك الش
خصِthe person (last part) دونَapart from الوَرَىhumankind منamong الأَكْفاءequals
خصِ دونَ الوَرَى من الأَكْفاء
Yet man says, 'Perhaps I am a match for that
person, unlike the rest of humankind.'
ولَعَمْرىand by my life لوif عاشتِhad lived on الْخَلْقُcreation طُرّاall without exception
ولَعَمْرى لو عاشتِ الْخَلْقُ طُرّا
ورمىand struck الموتُdeath واحداone بالفناءِwith extinction
ورمى الموتُ واحدا بالفناءِ
And, by my life, if all creatures had lived on,
and death had struck just one with extinction,
لاقتَضَىwould surely require الحزمprudence أنthat نخافwe fear إذِsince الممthe possible (first part)
لاقتَضَى الحزم أن نخاف إذِ المم
كِنُthe possible (last part) فيin العقلِreason جائزُcapable of الإمْضاءِbeing realized
كِنُ في العقلِ جائزُ الإمْضاءِ
prudence would require us to fear, since what is
possible to reason may be brought to pass.
كيفwhat then بالفاقدِof the bereaved المُضيفِwho adds إلىto الآthe fathers (first part)
كيف بالفاقدِ المُضيفِ إلى الآ
باءthe fathers (last part) فَقْدَthe loss of الإخوانِbrothers والأبناءand sons
باء فَقْدَ الإخوانِ والأبناء
What, then, of the bereaved who adds to the loss of his
fathers the loss of brothers and sons?
Sol 6.1