أرِحِgive rest to النفسَthe soul قليلاًa little
أرِحِ النفسَ قليلاً
كمْhow much كذاlike this قالاًtalk وقيلاand hearsay
كمْ كذا قالاً وقيلا
Give the soul a little rest.
Give the soul some rest,
How much of this talk and hearsay!
From so much that's been said and told,
إنَّindeed للألسنِfor the tongues فيماin what
إنَّ للألسنِ فيما
سطَّرواthey wrote down سبحاًa swim طويلاًlong
سطَّروا سبحاً طويلاً
Indeed, tongues have, in what
For in what they've composed,
they have written, a long course to swim.
The tongues have rambled on far too long.
ماتَdied أهلُthe people العلمِof learning ماليwhy do I
ماتَ أهلُ العلمِ مالي
لاnot أرىI see إلاّexcept جهولاًan ignoramus
لا أرى إلاّ جهولاً
The people of learning have died—why do I
The learned are dead, what do I see?
see none but the ignorant?
Naught but ignorant fools all around.
أيهاO you الطالبُthe seeker صدقاًhonesty
أيها الطالبُ صدقاً
قدْindeed طلبْتَyou have sought المستحيلاthe impossible
قدْ طلبْتَ المستحيلا
O seeker of honesty,
O seeker of truth, indeed
You have indeed sought the impossible.
You've yearned for the impossible.
لمْdid not تجدْyou find إلاexcept قؤولاًa great talker
لمْ تجدْ إلا قؤولاً
للتقىof piety ليسis not فعولاa doer
للتقى ليس فعولا
You have found none but a great talker
You'll find none but imposters,
of piety, not a doer.
Of piety there are no doers.
إنَّindeed أهلَthe people العصرِof the age عنديin my view
إنَّ أهلَ العصرِ عندي
هكذاlike this إلاexcept قليلاa few
هكذا إلا قليلا
Indeed, the people of this age, in my view,
The people of this age, in my eyes,
are like this, except for a few.
Are nothing more than this, save a few.
Sol 6.1