نقطعُwe pass الأوقاتَthe time بالكُلَفِwith burdens
نقطعُ الأوقاتَ بالكُلَفِ
وقُصاراناand our ultimate end إلىto التَّلَفِdestruction
وقُصارانا إلى التَّلَفِ
We pass the time in toil,
We while away time with burdens,
And our ultimate end is destruction.
Our lives hastening to ruin.
أملٌhope تَرْقَيrise مطامعُهits ambitions
أملٌ تَرْقَي مطامعُه
لاnot إلىto حَدٍّa limit ولاnor طَرَفِan end
لا إلى حَدٍّ ولا طَرَفِ
Hope's ambitions rise,
Hope's ambitions ascend,
Without limit or end.
Neither limited nor finite.
يُعْجِبdelights الإنسانَa human being مَكْسبُهhis gain
يُعْجِب الإنسانَ مَكْسبُه
وهْوand it is بابُthe door الهمِّworry والأَسفand sorrow
وهْو بابُ الهمِّ والأَسف
A man's gain delights him,
Man is pleased with his earnings,
And it is the door to worry and sorrow.
Though they be the door to grief and sorrow.
فهْوfor it is دَينٌa debt للزمانto time فلاso let not
فهْو دَينٌ للزمان فلا
يفرحrejoice المغرورُthe deluded one بالسَّلَفin the loan
يفرح المغرورُ بالسَّلَف
For it is a debt owed to time, so let not
Thus they are a debt to time, so
The deluded rejoice in the loan.
The arrogant rejoice not in provisions.
أَتُرَىdo you think الجَزّارَthe butcher عنout of كرمٍgenerosity
أَتُرَى الجَزّارَ عن كرمٍ
جُودُهhis generosity للشاةِto the sheep بالعَلَفwith fodder
جُودُه للشاةِ بالعَلَف
Do you think the butcher acts from generosity
Does the butcher in his generosity
In lavishing fodder on the sheep?
Feed the sheep with fodder out of kindness?
سِمَنُfattening المهزولِthe lean one مَهْلَكةٌa cause of death
سِمَنُ المهزولِ مَهْلَكةٌ
يُقْنِعmakes content المعجوفَthe emaciated one بالعَجَفwith leanness
يُقْنِع المعجوفَ بالعَجَف
The lean one's fattening is fatal;
The fat of the emaciated is destruction,
It makes the gaunt content with leanness.
The dough is satisfied with bran.
Sol 6.1