ماhow أَخشنَharsh الدَّهرَtime علىdespite لينهِits gentleness
ما أَخشنَ الدَّهرَ على لينهِ
وأَخدعَand how it deceives المرءَa man بتلوينِهwith its changing colors
وأَخدعَ المرءَ بتلوينِه
How harsh time is, despite its gentleness,
How cruel time can be in its gentleness,
and how it deceives a man with its changing colors!
And how it deceives man with its changes,
ينقُلmoves الإِنسانَa person منfrom عِزِّهhis glory
ينقُل الإِنسانَ من عِزِّه
أَسْرَعَmost swiftly ماwhen كانit was إِلىto هُونِهhis abasement
أَسْرَعَ ما كان إِلى هُونِه
It moves a man from his glory
It moves man from his glory,
as swiftly as can be into his abasement.
To his abasement with utmost speed.
ويفجأُand startles المرَa man بتحريكهby stirring him
ويفجأُ المرَ بتحريكه
أَوْثَقَmost trusting ماwhen كانhe was بتسكِينهِin keeping him still
أَوْثَقَ ما كان بتسكِينهِ
And it startles a man by stirring him
And it surprises man by stirring him,
when he most trusted it to keep him still.
When he feels most secure in its tranquility.
ولاand not يساوِيequals بعْضَsome of تقبيحِهits disfiguring
ولا يساوِي بعْضَ تقبيحِه
إِلىtoward البراياcreatures كُلُّall of تحسِينهِits beautifying
إِلى البرايا كُلُّ تحسِينهِ
Not even part of the ugliness it inflicts
And none of its vileness equals,
on creatures is matched by all the beauty it bestows.
Any of its adornment to the wilds.
كلُّevery one of بنيthe sons of الدنياthis world يُرَىis seen جائراًunjust
كلُّ بني الدنيا يُرَى جائراً
تخْييرُهُdeeming him good علَّةُthe cause of تَجْبِينِهbranding him cowardly
تخْييرُهُ علَّةُ تَجْبِينِه
Every son of this world is deemed unjust;
All the people of this world are seen as unjust,
calling him good is cause to brand him a coward.
The cause of their injustice being their human weakness.
وأَشْكَلَand grew obscure الأَمْرُthe matter إِلىuntil أَنْthat غَداit became
وأَشْكَلَ الأَمْرُ إِلى أَنْ غَدا
إِشكالُهits obscurity غايَةَthe utmost extent of تَبْيِينِهits clarification
إِشكالُه غايَةَ تَبْيِينِه
And the matter grew obscure, until at last
And the matter has become so confusing,
its obscurity became its fullest explanation.
That its confusion has become clarification.
وإِنand indeed للأَلْبابِfor discerning minds لوif فكَّرَتْthey reflected
وإِن للأَلْبابِ لو فكَّرَتْ
سِتْراًa veil يَشِفُّshines through الحقُّthe truth منfrom دُونِهbeneath it
سِتْراً يَشِفُّ الحقُّ من دُونِه
And indeed, for discerning minds, if they reflect,
If minds reflect, they find,
there is a veil through which the truth shines.
A veil through which truth appears.
منwho ذاthat one الذيwho أَدْرَكَattained تأمِيلهُhis hope
من ذا الذي أَدْرَكَ تأمِيلهُ
مِنْfrom دَعَةِease الدْهرِtime وتأْمِينهand its assurance of safety
مِنْ دَعَةِ الدْهرِ وتأْمِينه
Who is there who has attained his hope
Who has ever grasped his desires,
from time's ease and its assurance of safety?
From the submissiveness and security of time?
ماnot أُمِنَتْwere guarded against منهfrom it سُطاهُits assaults علىupon
ما أُمِنَتْ منه سُطاهُ على
أَمينهِits confidant الماضيdeparted ومأَمونهِand its trusted one
أَمينهِ الماضي ومأَمونهِ
There was no safety from its assaults upon
It was never safe from its tyranny,
its departed confidant and trusted one.
For one who trusted its past and present.
إِنَّاwe indeed إِلىto اللهِGod بشخصٍfor a person مَضَىwho passed away
إِنَّا إِلى اللهِ بشخصٍ مَضَى
حفاظُهhis loyalty غايةُthe utmost extent of تَهْجِينهِdisparaging him
حفاظُه غايةُ تَهْجِينهِ
We turn to God for a man who has passed away,
We belong to Allah through one who passed away,
whose loyalty was the worst that could be said against him.
Guarding him being the goal of its humiliation.
قدindeed وفَّرbestowed abundantly الأَجْرَreward علىupon أَهْلِهhis family
قد وفَّر الأَجْرَ على أَهْلِه
توفيرَthe abundant bestowal of راضِيone content with الحُكْمِthe judgment مَغْبُونِهِone cheated by it
توفيرَ راضِي الحُكْمِ مَغْبُونِهِ
He has heaped up reward for his family,
He has granted the reward to his people,
with the bounty of one content with the judgment, though cheated by it.
Like one whose judgment makes the contented aggrieved.
وإِنَّهُand indeed he أَبكىmade weep علىover فَقْدِهhis loss
وإِنَّهُ أَبكى على فَقْدِه
عيونَthe eyes of حُورِthe houris of الخُلْدeternity مَعalong with عِيْنِهِits wide-eyed beauties
عيونَ حُورِ الخُلْد مَع عِيْنِهِ
And indeed his loss brought tears to
He made the eyes of the immortal Houri weep over his loss,
the eyes of eternity's houris and its wide-eyed beauties.
Along with his own eyes.
واختارَand chose حُجْبَthe veils of التُّربِdust منout of رَغبةٍdesire
واختارَ حُجْبَ التُّربِ من رَغبةٍ
فيfor سَتْرهconcealing him عنَّاfrom us وتَصْوِينِهِand protecting him
في سَتْره عنَّا وتَصْوِينِهِ
And he chose the veils of dust, out of desire
And he chose the veil of dust out of a desire,
to be hidden from us and kept inviolate.
To conceal himself from us and be isolated.
وكُلُّand every قلبٍheart واجِدٌis grieving بَعْدَهafter him
وكُلُّ قلبٍ واجِدٌ بَعْدَه
كأَنَّهas though it were فيin عِقْدِthe decade of تِسْعِينهits nineties
كأَنَّه في عِقْدِ تِسْعِينه
And every heart grieves after him,
And every heart after him,
as though it were in its nineties.
Is as if bound with chains.
وكُلُّand every طَرْفٍeye صَارَhas become مَبذُولَهُwhat it gives freely
وكُلُّ طَرْفٍ صَارَ مَبذُولَهُ
مالمwhat has not يَزَلْceased to يُسْمَىbe called بمَخْزُونِهas its hidden store
مالم يَزَلْ يُسْمَى بمَخْزُونِه
And every eye now gives freely
And every eye whose possession he was,
what had always been called its hidden store.
Has now become offered for free.
ياO سيِّداًmaster يدعوهcalls to him خِلٌّa close friend لهof his
يا سيِّداً يدعوه خِلٌّ له
دُعاءَthe plea of باكيone weeping in العينthe eye محزونِهِhis grief-stricken friend
دُعاءَ باكي العين محزونِهِ
O master, a friend of yours calls to you
O Master, called Khall by a friend of his,
with the plea of one tearful-eyed and grief-stricken.
With the prayer of one with tearful, grieving eyes.
تعزَّtake comfort أَوor قابِلْface it حفاظاًout of loyalty ولاand do not
تعزَّ أَو قابِلْ حفاظاً ولا
تستقبلْmeet الخَطْبَthe calamity بِتَهْوِينهِby belittling it
تستقبلْ الخَطْبَ بِتَهْوِينهِ
Take comfort, or face it out of loyalty, and do not
Be patient or accept those who guard you,
meet the calamity by making light of it.
And do not face this calamity with weakness.
ولاand do not تَلُمْblame دَمْعَكَyour tears فيfor سَكْبِهtheir pouring forth
ولا تَلُمْ دَمْعَكَ في سَكْبِه
فإِنَّهfor indeed they وافاكcame to you فيat حِينهِtheir due time
فإِنَّه وافاك في حِينهِ
And do not blame your tears for pouring forth,
Do not blame your flowing tears,
for they came to you at their proper time.
For they have come to you at the right time.
فسيّدُfor the master of الخلقcreation بكىwept for عمَّهُhis uncle
فسيّدُ الخلق بكى عمَّهُ
ولمand did not يَكُنْhe was قطُّever علىfollowing دينهِhis faith
ولم يَكُنْ قطُّ على دينهِ
For the master of creation wept for his uncle,
The Master of creation wept for his uncle,
though his uncle had never shared his faith.
Yet he was never deficient in his faith.
Sol 6.1