مِنَ المَرمَرِ المَسنونِ صاغوا مِثالَهُ

مِنَ المَرمَرِ المَسنونِ صاغوا مِثالَهُ

وَطافوا بِهِ مِن كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ زُمَر

وَطافوا بِهِ مِن كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ زُمَر

From polished marble they fashioned his likeness,

From polished marble they sculpted his image,

From polished marble they fashioned his likeness,

And in groups they circled it from every side.

And around it groups circulated from every side.

And circled around it from every side in throngs.

وَقالوا صَنَعناهُ لِتَخليدِ رَسمِهِ

وَقالوا صَنَعناهُ لِتَخليدِ رَسمِهِ

فَقُلتُ أَلا يَفنى كَما فَنِيَ الأَثَر

فَقُلتُ أَلا يَفنى كَما فَنِيَ الأَثَر

And they said, “We made it to immortalize his image.”

They said, “We made it to immortalize his form,”

They said, "We crafted it to immortalize his memory,"

So I said, “Will it not perish, as the trace has perished?”

I said, “Will it not perish as traces perish?”

I replied, "Will it not perish just as his legacy has perished?"

وَقالوا نَصَبناهُ اِعتِرافاً بِفَضلِهِ

وَقالوا نَصَبناهُ اِعتِرافاً بِفَضلِهِ

فَقُلتُ إِذَن مَن يَعرِفِ الفَضلَ لِلحَجَر

فَقُلتُ إِذَن مَن يَعرِفِ الفَضلَ لِلحَجَر

And they said, “We erected it in acknowledgment of his merit.”

They said, “We erected it in acknowledgement of his merit,”

They said, "We erected it in acknowledgment of his bounty,"

So I said, “Then who acknowledges the stone’s merit?”

I said, “Who then appreciates merit in stone?”

I replied, "Who, then, will acknowledge the bounty of the stone?"

وَقالوا غَنِيٌّ كانَ يَسخو بِمالِهِ

وَقالوا غَنِيٌّ كانَ يَسخو بِمالِهِ

فَقُلتُ لَهُم هَل كانَ أَسخى مِنَ المَطَر

فَقُلتُ لَهُم هَل كانَ أَسخى مِنَ المَطَر

And they said, “He was wealthy and gave freely of his wealth.”

They said, “He was a wealthy man who gave generously,”

They said, "A wealthy man, he was generous with his gold,"

So I said to them, “Was he more generous than the rain?”

I said to them, “Was he more generous than rain?”

I asked them, "Was he more generous than the rain?"

وَقالوا قَوِيٌّ عاشَ يَحمي ذِمارَنا

وَقالوا قَوِيٌّ عاشَ يَحمي ذِمارَنا

فَقُلتُ لَهُم هَل كانَ أَقوى مِنَ القَدَر

فَقُلتُ لَهُم هَل كانَ أَقوى مِنَ القَدَر

And they said, “He was strong; he lived to guard our honor.”

They said, “A strong man who lived protecting our reputations,”

They said, "A mighty man, he lived protecting our honor,"

So I said to them, “Was he stronger than fate?”

I said to them, “Was he stronger than fate?”

I asked them, "Was he mightier than Fate?"

أَكانَ غَنِيّاً أَم قَوِيّاً فَإِنَّهُ

أَكانَ غَنِيّاً أَم قَوِيّاً فَإِنَّهُ

بِمالِكُم اِستَغنى وَقُوَّتِكُم ظَفَر

بِمالِكُم اِستَغنى وَقُوَّتِكُم ظَفَر

Whether he was wealthy or strong, he

Whether he was wealthy or strong, he

Whether he was wealthy or mighty, the truth remains:

Grew rich through your wealth and triumphed through your strength.

Prevailed through your wealth and your might.

He grew rich through your wealth, and triumphed through your strength.

فَلَم يَتَعَشَّقُكُم وَلا هِمتُم بِهِ

فَلَم يَتَعَشَّقُكُم وَلا هِمتُم بِهِ

كَما خِلتُمُ لَكِنَّهُ النَفعُ وَالضَرَر

كَما خِلتُمُ لَكِنَّهُ النَفعُ وَالضَرَر

So he was not in love with you, nor were you enamored of him,

He did not idolize you nor did you care for him

He did not adore you, nor were you enamored with him,

As you imagined; rather, it was benefit and harm.

As you have for each other - but for profit and loss.

As you imagined; it was merely profit and loss.

وَلَم تَرفَعوا التِمثالَ لِلبَأسِ وَالنَدى

وَلَم تَرفَعوا التِمثالَ لِلبَأسِ وَالنَدى

وَلَكِن لِضَعفٍ في نُفوسِكُم اِستَتَر

وَلَكِن لِضَعفٍ في نُفوسِكُم اِستَتَر

And you did not raise the statue for valor and generosity,

You did not erect the statue for valor and munificence

You did not raise the statue for his might or his grace,

But because of a weakness that lay hidden in your souls.

But from weakness hidden in your souls.

But for a hidden weakness concealed within your souls.

فَلَستُم تُحِبّونَ الغَنِيَّ إِذا اِفتَقَر

فَلَستُم تُحِبّونَ الغَنِيَّ إِذا اِفتَقَر

وَلَستُم تُحِبّونَ القَوِيَّ إِذا اِندَحَر

وَلَستُم تُحِبّونَ القَوِيَّ إِذا اِندَحَر

For you do not love the wealthy man when he becomes poor,

Thus you do not love the wealthy when he becomes poor

For you do not love the rich man once he falls into poverty,

And you do not love the strong man when he is defeated.

Nor the strong when he is defeated.

Nor do you love the strong man once he is defeated.

رَأَيتُكُم لا تَعرِجونَ بِرَوضَةٍ

رَأَيتُكُم لا تَعرِجونَ بِرَوضَةٍ

إِذا لَم يَكُن في الرَوضِ فَيءٌ وَلا ثَمَر

إِذا لَم يَكُن في الرَوضِ فَيءٌ وَلا ثَمَر

I have seen that you do not stop at a garden

I have seen you do not frequent a meadow

I have seen that you do not turn aside for a garden,

If there is neither shade nor fruit in the garden.

When there is no shade or fruit in the meadow.

If that garden offers neither shade nor fruit.

وَلا تَعلِفونَ الشاةَ إِلّا لِتَسمَنوا

وَلا تَعلِفونَ الشاةَ إِلّا لِتَسمَنوا

وَلا تَقتَنونَ الخَيلَ إِلّا عَلى سَفَر

وَلا تَقتَنونَ الخَيلَ إِلّا عَلى سَفَر

And you feed the sheep only so that you may grow fat,

You only feed the sheep to fatten it

You do not feed the sheep except to fatten yourselves,

And you keep horses only for travel.

And own horses only for travel.

And you do not keep horses except for the sake of travel.

إِذا كانَ حُبُّ الفَضلِ لِلفَضلِ شَأنُكُم

إِذا كانَ حُبُّ الفَضلِ لِلفَضلِ شَأنُكُم

وَلَم تُخطِؤوا في الحِسِّ وَالسَمعِ وَالبَصَر

وَلَم تُخطِؤوا في الحِسِّ وَالسَمعِ وَالبَصَر

If loving virtue for its own sake is your way,

If appreciating virtue for virtue’s sake were your way

If loving virtue for virtue’s sake was truly your nature,

And you have not erred in perception, hearing, or sight,

And you were not remiss in sight, hearing, and perception,

And your senses, hearing, and sight were not mistaken,

فَما بالُكُم لَم تُكرِموا اللَيلَ وَالضُحى

فَما بالُكُم لَم تُكرِموا اللَيلَ وَالضُحى

وَلَم تَنصُبوا التِمثالَ لِلشَمسِ وَالقَمَر

وَلَم تَنصُبوا التِمثالَ لِلشَمسِ وَالقَمَر

Then why have you not honored the night and the morning light,

Why then did you not honor night and daybreak

Why then have you not honored the night and the morning light?

And why have you not erected a statue to the sun and the moon?

And erect a statue to the sun and the moon?

And why have you raised no statue for the sun and the moon?