دَهرٌan age بِهِin which العُميانُthe blind احسَنُbetter حالةًin condition
دَهرٌ بِهِ العُميانُ احسَنُ حالةً
منthan مُبصرينsighted people يَرونَthey see ماwhat هوَit فيهِin it
من مُبصرين يَرونَ ما هوَ فيهِ
An age in which the blind fare better
than the sighted, who see what it holds:
منof كلevery ذيone possessing ظفرٍa claw كشفرةlike the blade of مِنجَلٍa sickle
من كل ذي ظفرٍ كشفرة مِنجَلٍ
امسىhas come to بِقُفّازwith a glove of الحريرsilk يَقيهِhe protects it
امسى بِقُفّاز الحرير يَقيهِ
every man with a claw like a sickle's blade
now shields it with a glove of silk,
وَغداand has become يُلَقَّبis titled بالمكرَّمas the honored one والوجيand the eminent one (continued)
وَغدا يُلَقَّب بالمكرَّم والوجي
هِ(completes 'eminent') وَفاضلٍand virtuous وَمهذَّبٍand refined وَنَبيهِand intelligent
هِ وَفاضلٍ وَمهذَّبٍ وَنَبيهِ
and is now styled honored and eminent,
and virtuous, refined, and intelligent,
حَتىّuntil لَيَعجَبُindeed marvels نفسُهُhis soul منat نفسِهِhis own soul
حَتىّ لَيَعجَبُ نفسُهُ من نفسِهِ
وَيَقولُand he says ياO عَجَباwonder منat التَمويهِthe deception
وَيَقولُ يا عَجَبا من التَمويهِ
until even his own soul marvels at itself,
and he says, 'How astonishing this deception is!'
وإِذاand when تأَمَّلhe contemplates نَفسهُhis soul وخلاand is alone بهاwith it
وإِذا تأَمَّل نَفسهُ وخلا بها
ضَحِكَتit laughs فيضحَكُso he laughs ضِحكةَthe laugh of المَعتوهِthe imbecile
ضَحِكَت فيضحَكُ ضِحكةَ المَعتوهِ
And when he contemplates his soul and is alone with it,
it laughs, and he laughs an imbecile's laugh.
وإِذاand when مَشىhe walks لمdid not يدرِknow يَمشيhe walks مثلماjust as
وإِذا مَشى لم يدرِ يَمشي مثلما
قَدalready كانَhe was امor يَختالُhe struts مشيةَwith a gait of تيهِarrogance
قَد كانَ ام يَختالُ مشيةَ تيهِ
And when he walks, he cannot tell whether he walks as
he once did, or struts with a haughty gait.
فَيُصيبُهُso it befalls him مَثَلُthe proverbial example of الغُرابthe crow وَهَكَذاand thus
فَيُصيبُهُ مَثَلُ الغُراب وَهَكَذا
يَبغيhe seeks التشبُّهَimitation وهوthough he is غيرُnot شَبيهِsimilar
يَبغي التشبُّهَ وهو غيرُ شَبيهِ
So he meets the fate of the proverbial crow, and thus
he seeks to imitate, though he bears no likeness.
ماhow أَحوَجgreatly in need الدنياthe world لأُستاذٍof a teacher يُعلteaches (continued)
ما أَحوَج الدنيا لأُستاذٍ يُعل
لِمُ(completes 'teaches') هؤلاءِthese people قواعدَthe rules of التَشبيهِsimile
لِمُ هؤلاءِ قواعدَ التَشبيهِ
How sorely the world needs a teacher to teach
these people the rules of simile!
Sol 6.1