تدّعِيyou claim العقْلَreason وهْوَand it is أَشرفُthe noblest ماwhat فِيكَwithin you
تدّعِي العقْلَ وهْوَ أَشرفُ ما فِيكَ
فلمْthen why صَارَhas become دَاخِلاًentering تَحْتَunder حِسِّكْyour senses
فلمْ صَارَ دَاخِلاً تَحْتَ حِسِّكْ
You claim to have reason, the noblest thing within you;
You claim reason though it is the noblest in you
then why has it become subject to your senses?
Why has it then become confined under your passions?
وكذاand likewise حَبْسُكyour imprisonment الحياةlife وقدand already أَصْstart of 'you have become'
وكذا حَبْسُك الحياة وقد أَصْ
بَحْتend of 'you have become' لاnot تشْتهيyou desire سوَىexcept طُولduration حَبْسِكْyour confinement
بَحْت لا تشْتهي سوَى طُول حَبْسِكْ
And life, too, is your prison, yet you have already
And so is your imprisonment of life, though it has
come to desire nothing but a longer confinement.
Become where you desire nothing but the length of your imprisonment
وتُرجِّيand you hope for البقاءَsurvival فيin يَوْمِكyour day الآstart of 'the coming'
وتُرجِّي البقاءَ في يَوْمِك الآ
تيend of 'the coming' ولمand did not تَتَّعِظْyou take warning بذاهِبfrom the bygone أَمْسِكْyour yesterday
تي ولم تَتَّعِظْ بذاهِب أَمْسِكْ
And you hope to live on in your day to
And you hope for survival in your coming days
come, yet have taken no warning from your vanished yesterday.
Yet are not admonished by your passing yesterdays
طَلِّقْdivorce النَّفْسَthe self فهيfor she is أَخْوَنُmost faithless عُرْstart of 'your spouse'
طَلِّقْ النَّفْسَ فهي أَخْوَنُ عُرْ
سِكْend of 'your spouse' أَليْسَتْis she not هيshe المشيرُthe adviser بعُرْسِكْfor your wedding
سِكْ أَليْسَتْ هي المشيرُ بعُرْسِكْ
Divorce the self, for she is your most faithless
Set free the soul for it is the most cunning of your enemies
spouse—is she not the one who counsels you to wed?
Is it not the advisor of your passions?
واجعلand make الدهرtime مأتماًa mourning gathering لنرىso we may see فيin الthe
واجعل الدهر مأتماً لنرى في ال
قبرgrave يومday المماتdeath ليلةnight عرسكyour wedding
قبر يوم الممات ليلة عرسك
And make your lifetime a funeral, so we may see in the
And make the days of your life a mourning ceremony that we may see
grave, on the day of death, your wedding night.
On the day of death, the night of your wedding
وَإِذاand if رُمْتyou seek أَنْto تُمَارىَbe disputed with فاسْكُتْthen be silent
وَإِذا رُمْت أَنْ تُمَارىَ فاسْكُتْ
وإِذاand if شِئْتyou wish أَنto تُلاحيquarrel فأَمْسِكْthen hold back
وإِذا شِئْت أَن تُلاحي فأَمْسِكْ
And if you seek a dispute, be silent;
And if you desire to contend, then be silent
and if you wish to quarrel, hold back.
And if you want to reproach, then refrain
وإِذاand if اختالstruts proudly فوقupon أَرْضِكَyour earth مِنْكof yours الthe
وإِذا اختال فوق أَرْضِكَ مِنْك ال
عِطْفُflank فاذكُرْthen remember هَوَانَهُits abasement تَحْتَbeneath رَمْسِكْyour grave
عِطْفُ فاذكُرْ هَوَانَهُ تَحْتَ رَمْسِكْ
And if, upon your earth, proudly struts your
And if kindness strays above your land because of you
flank, recall its abasement beneath your grave.
Remember its humiliation beneath your footsteps
لاdo not تغالِطْuse sophistry فماfor not تنالُyou attain رضَىapproval
لا تغالِطْ فما تنالُ رضَى
الرحمنِthe All-Merciful حقّاًtruly إِلاَّexcept بإِغْضَابby angering نَفْسِكyour self
الرحمنِ حقّاً إِلاَّ بإِغْضَاب نَفْسِك
Do not resort to sophistry, for you cannot gain the approval of
Do not be fooled, for you will never truly attain
the All-Merciful in truth, except by angering your self.
The satisfaction of the Most Merciful except by angering your soul
ماnot أَهانَhas humbled الوَرَىhumankind ولاnor مَلَكَhas mastered الدُّنْstart of 'the world'
ما أَهانَ الوَرَى ولا مَلَكَ الدُّنْ
يَاend of 'the world' ولاnor حَازَهاpossessed it سوىexcept المُتنَسِّكthe ascetic
يَا ولا حَازَها سوى المُتنَسِّك
None has humbled humankind, nor mastered the
None has disgraced the world nor owned it
world, nor possessed it, except the ascetic.
Except he who resists his passions
Sol 6.1