العُمرُlife قَصرٌa palace نَحنُwe بَينَwithin رِحابِهِits courtyards
العُمرُ قَصرٌ نَحنُ بَينَ رِحابِهِ
وَالمَوتُand death مُنتَصِبٌstanding upright عَلىat أَبوابِهِits gates
وَالمَوتُ مُنتَصِبٌ عَلى أَبوابِهِ
Life is a palace; we are within its courtyards,
Life is short and we are in its expanse
And death stands at its gates.
While death stands guard at its doors
وَالمَرءُand a man إِنif يَفخَرboasts بِأَنسابٍof lineages لَهُbelonging to him
وَالمَرءُ إِن يَفخَر بِأَنسابٍ لَهُ
فَالتُرقُso the dust (uncertain reading) وَالديدانُand worms منamong أَنسابِهِhis kin
فَالتُرقُ وَالديدانُ من أَنسابِهِ
And if a man boasts of his ancestry,
If one boasts of his lineage
Then [dust?] and worms are among his kin.
Worms and decay are of his lineage
ماnot الجِسمُthe body فيin هذاthis الوُجودِexistence سِوىbut بَلىًdecay
ما الجِسمُ في هذا الوُجودِ سِوى بَلىً
تَمشيwalk العُصورُthe ages عَلىupon أَديمِthe surface of تُرابِهِits dust
تَمشي العُصورُ عَلى أَديمِ تُرابِهِ
The body in this existence is nothing but decay;
This body in existence is but ruin
The ages tread upon the surface of its dust.
Eras march on its dust
مِنsince عَهدِthe time of آدَمَAdam وَالضَريحُand the grave مهيّأprepared
مِن عَهدِ آدَمَ وَالضَريحُ مهيّأ
وَجَميعُand all هذاthis الخَلقِcreation رَهنُhostage to طِلابِهِits pursuit
وَجَميعُ هذا الخَلقِ رَهنُ طِلابِهِ
Since Adam's time, the grave has stood ready,
Since the time of Adam the grave was prepared
And all this creation is hostage to its pursuit.
And all of creation is hostage to its request
كُلٌّeverything يُغَيبهُmakes it vanish الزَمانُtime إِلىinto الهباdust
كُلٌّ يُغَيبهُ الزَمانُ إِلى الهبا
وَكَذاand likewise الزَمانُtime يَحينُcomes due يَومُthe day of غِيابِهِits disappearance
وَكَذا الزَمانُ يَحينُ يَومُ غِيابِهِ
Time makes everything vanish into dust,
Everyone is made absent by time to the tomb
And time, too, will have its day of vanishing.
And so shall time itself meet its absence
وَالكائِناتُand all beings لَدىfor الرَدىdeath أُلعوبَةٌa plaything
وَالكائِناتُ لَدى الرَدى أُلعوبَةٌ
حَتّىeven الخُلودُimmortality يَصيرُbecomes منamong أَلعابِهِits playthings
حَتّى الخُلودُ يَصيرُ من أَلعابِهِ
And all beings are a plaything for death;
All things to oblivion are but playthings
Even immortality becomes one of its playthings.
Even eternity becomes of its games
ماnot مُذهبُthe creed of الدَهرِيُّthe materialist ذاthis لكنَّماbut rather
ما مُذهبُ الدَهرِيُّ ذا لكنَّما
هوit مذهبthe creed of العَقلِthe mind الحَكيمِwise النابِهِdiscerning
هو مذهب العَقلِ الحَكيمِ النابِهِ
This is not the materialist's creed; rather,
Not so the creed of the sage aware
It is the creed of the wise, discerning mind.
It is the creed of reason clear and keen
كَمhow many مِنof عُصورٍages قَبلَbefore آدمAdam أَدبَرَتpassed away
كَم مِن عُصورٍ قَبلَ آدم أَدبَرَت
وَمَضىand departed بِهاwith them النِسيانُoblivion عِندَupon إِيابِهِits return
وَمَضى بِها النِسيانُ عِندَ إِيابِهِ
How many ages before Adam have passed away,
How many eras before Adam passed
And oblivion carried them away upon its return.
Which time made vanish upon its return
وَعَقيدَةُand the belief of الإِنسانِman راسِخَةٌfirmly rooted بِهِin him
وَعَقيدَةُ الإِنسانِ راسِخَةٌ بِهِ
حَتّىuntil يُحجّبَهveils him الرَدىdeath بِحِجابِهِwith its veil
حَتّى يُحجّبَه الرَدى بِحِجابِهِ
And man's belief is firmly rooted in him,
And man's faith is firm in it
Until death veils him with its veil.
Until oblivion veils him with its screen
لَوif كانَwere يَقرَأُreading فيin الأَثيرِthe ether كِتابَهhis book
لَو كانَ يَقرَأُ في الأَثيرِ كِتابَه
لَرَأىhe would see الحَقيقَةَthe truth فيin سُطورِthe lines of كِتابِهِhis book
لَرَأى الحَقيقَةَ في سُطورِ كِتابِهِ
If he were to read his book in the ether,
If he would read in the ether the book
He would see the truth in the lines of his book.
He would see the truth in lines of its script
كَمhow many منof دِياناتٍreligions تَمَشَّتwalked فيamong الوَرىhumankind
كَم من دِياناتٍ تَمَشَّت في الوَرى
ذَهبَdeparted الزَمانُtime بِهاwith them قُبَيلَshortly before ذَهابِهِits departure
ذَهبَ الزَمانُ بِها قُبَيلَ ذَهابِهِ
How many religions have walked among humankind,
How many religions marched in the land
Which time carried away shortly before its own departure!
Time took them away before its departure
وَلَسَوفَand surely will أَديانٌreligions تَخَرَّبdestroy دينَناour religion
وَلَسَوفَ أَديانٌ تَخَرَّب دينَنا
وَتَقومُand stand لِلأَيّامِfor ages فَوقَupon خَرابِهِits ruins
وَتَقومُ لِلأَيّامِ فَوقَ خَرابِهِ
And religions will surely lay our faith to waste,
And religions yet shall our faith corrupt
And stand for ages upon its ruins.
And rise above its wreckage for days to come
ماnot هذِهthis الدُنياworld سِوىbut بَحرa sea طَمىoverflowed
ما هذِه الدُنيا سِوى بَحر طَمى
صدفُthe shells of الحَياةِlife تَعومfloat فَوقَupon عبابِهِits billows
صدفُ الحَياةِ تَعوم فَوقَ عبابِهِ
This world is nothing but a sea in flood;
This world is but a tumultuous sea
Life's shells float upon its billows.
The shells of life floating atop its swell
هذاthis one يحفُّgathers بِهِaround him الغِنىwealth فيin راحَةٍease
هذا يحفُّ بِهِ الغِنى في راحَةٍ
وَيَعُمُّand engulfs ذاthat one فَقرٌpoverty جزاas recompense for أَتعابِهِhis toil
وَيَعُمُّ ذا فَقرٌ جزا أَتعابِهِ
This one is surrounded by wealth, living in ease,
This one riches cover in comfort
And poverty engulfs that one as the reward for his toil.
While that in poverty, reward for his toil
إِنif كانَis جَبّارُthe mighty ruler of الطَبيعَةِnature عادِلاًjust
إِن كانَ جَبّارُ الطَبيعَةِ عادِلاً
أَينَwhere المُساواةُthe equality الَّتيthat is بِحِسابِهِin his reckoning
أَينَ المُساواةُ الَّتي بِحِسابِهِ
If nature's mighty ruler is just,
If the tyrant of nature is just
Where is the equality in his reckoning?
Where is the equality of his calculation?
أَتَراهُdo you suppose he قَدindeed خَلَقَcreated العَوالِمَthe worlds وَاِكتَفىand was content
أَتَراهُ قَد خَلَقَ العَوالِمَ وَاِكتَفى
بِصَنيعِهِwith his handiwork فَاِرتاحَthen rested فَوقَupon وِثابِهِhis couch
بِصَنيعِهِ فَاِرتاحَ فَوقَ وِثابِهِ
Do you suppose he created the worlds and was content
Does he create the worlds then rest
With his handiwork, then rested upon his couch?
Content with his making atop his throne?
Sol 6.1