زَعَمَclaimed المَرءُman إِنَّماnone other than هُوَhe رَبٌّa god
زَعَمَ المَرءُ إِنَّما هُوَ رَبٌّ
كَمhow often يَلوكُchews over الكَلامَwords هَذاthis الإِلَهُthe god
كَم يَلوكُ الكَلامَ هَذا الإِلَهُ
Man claimed he was none other than a god.
Man claimed that he alone is lord
Man claimed that he is a god,
How often this god chews over words!
How much this claim of godhood lies!
How often this deity chews on words!
يَلفُظُcasts forth البَحرُthe sea وَهوَwhile it is مُلحٌsalty أُجاجٌbitter
يَلفُظُ البَحرُ وَهوَ مُلحٌ أُجاجٌ
لُؤلُؤًpearls يُبهِرُdazzles العُيونَthe eyes سَناهُits radiance
لُؤلُؤً يُبهِرُ العُيونَ سَناهُ
The sea, though salty and bitter, casts forth
The sea spews out salt bitter brine
The sea casts forth, though salty and bitter,
pearls whose radiance dazzles the eyes.
Yet gives forth pearls that dazzle eyes
Pearls whose brilliance dazzles the eyes.
ماnot اِدَّعىclaimed الدُرُّthe pearl أَنَّةَthat it is صورَةُthe image البَحthe sea (first fragment)
ما اِدَّعى الدُرُّ أَنَّةَ صورَةُ البَح
رِend of 'the sea' وَلاnor قالَsaid إِنَّنيindeed I إِيّاهُit
رِ وَلا قالَ إِنَّني إِيّاهُ
The pearl never claimed to be the sea's image,
The pearl itself does not pretend
The pearl did not claim to be the image of the sea,
nor said, "I am the sea itself."
It is the sea’s wondrous guise
Nor did it say, "I am the sea itself."
لاno وَلاnor قالَsaid كُلُّevery شَيءٍthing إِلىtoward المَحobliteration (first fragment)
لا وَلا قالَ كُلُّ شَيءٍ إِلى المَح
وِend of 'obliteration' وَماand not خَصَّsingled out بِالخُلودِfor immortality سِواهُother than itself
وِ وَما خَصَّ بِالخُلودِ سِواهُ
No, nor did it say that all things are bound for obliteration,
Nor does all things to death portend
No, nor did it say that all things drift toward oblivion,
and that immortality is reserved for itself alone.
Except the One who never dies
And that eternity is reserved for it alone.
إِنif تَكُنyou are لِلخُلودِfor eternity ذاتَكَyour very self فيin الدُنthis world (first fragment)
إِن تَكُن لِلخُلودِ ذاتَكَ في الدُن
ياend of 'this world' فَماذاthen what الأَمرُthe state الَّذيthat تَهواهُyou desire it
يا فَماذا الأَمرُ الَّذي تَهواهُ
If you are to remain your earthly self for eternity,
If you yourself had eternity
If your essence is meant for eternity in this world,
what, then, is the state you long for?
What then is this you idolize?
Then what is it that you truly desire?
وَإِذاand if صِرتَyou become غَيرَother than شَخصِكَyour person فيin الءُthe hereafter (first fragment)
وَإِذا صِرتَ غَيرَ شَخصِكَ في الءُ
خرىend of 'the hereafter' فَهَذاthen this is الفَناannihilation الَّذيthat تَخشاهُyou fear it
خرى فَهَذا الفَنا الَّذي تَخشاهُ
And if you become other than yourself in the hereafter,
When you become another entity
And if you become other than yourself in the hereafter,
then this is the annihilation you fear.
Is not that the death you so despise?
Then that is the annihilation which you dread.
فيin التُرابِthe soil الَّذيthat تَدوسُyou tread عَلَيهِupon it
في التُرابِ الَّذي تَدوسُ عَلَيهِ
أَلفُa thousand دُنياworlds وَعالَمٍand a realm لاnot تَراهُyou see it
أَلفُ دُنيا وَعالَمٍ لا تَراهُ
In the soil upon which you tread
Beneath the soil your feet tread on
In the dust upon which you tread,
lie a thousand worlds and realms you do not see.
Are worlds you cannot realize
Are a thousand worlds and a universe you do not see.
أَنتَyou جُزءٌa part مِنَof الكَيانِexistence وَفيهِand in it
أَنتَ جُزءٌ مِنَ الكَيانِ وَفيهِ
كَثَراهُlike its soil كَنَبتِهِlike its plants كَحَصاهُlike its pebbles
كَثَراهُ كَنَبتِهِ كَحَصاهُ
You are part of existence, and within it,
You are a fragment of all that is
You are a part of existence, and within it,
like its soil, like its plants, like its pebbles,
As numerous as its grains of sand
Like its soil, like its plants, like its pebbles.
كَالوَردِlike the roses الَّتيthat تُحِبُّyou love شَذاهاtheir fragrance
كَالوَردِ الَّتي تُحِبُّ شَذاها
وَالبَعوضُand the mosquitoes الَّذيthat تَخافُyou fear أَذاهُtheir harm
وَالبَعوضُ الَّذي تَخافُ أَذاهُ
like the roses whose fragrance you love,
As the rose whose fragrance you treasure
Like the rose whose fragrance you love,
and the mosquitoes whose harm you fear.
As the gnat whose sting you despise
And the mosquito whose harm you fear.
ماno لِحَيٍّfor a living being بِالمَوتِthrough death عَنهُfrom it اِنفِصالٌseparation
ما لِحَيٍّ بِالمَوتِ عَنهُ اِنفِصالٌ
إِنَّindeed دُنياهُhis world هَذِهِthis أُخراهُhis hereafter
إِنَّ دُنياهُ هَذِهِ أُخراهُ
No living being is severed from it by death:
No separation of death can measure
No living thing is separated from existence by death,
indeed, this world of his is his hereafter.
For life itself is made of goodbyes
Indeed, this world of his is his hereafter.
Sol 6.1