مَاذَاwhat يُريدُwants مِنَfrom الحقِيقَةِtruth مُسْقِطٌone who casts off
مَاذَا يُريدُ مِنَ الحقِيقَةِ مُسْقِطٌ
تَكْلِيفَهَاits imposed duty عَنْfrom نَفْسِهِhimself بِتَوَهُّمِthrough delusion
تَكْلِيفَهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ بِتَوَهُّمِ
What does one seek of truth who casts off
What does he who casts reality from himself desire, only imagining?
its demands on him through delusion?
What does the sleeper desire of sublimities, while the star shines for other than sleep?
مّاذَاwhat يُريدُwants مِنَfrom المَعَالِيlofty heights نَائِمٌa sleeper
مّاذَا يُريدُ مِنَ المَعَالِي نَائِمٌ
وَالنَّجْمُand the star مُزْدَهِرٌshining لِغَيْرِfor other than النَّوْمِsleep
وَالنَّجْمُ مُزْدَهِرٌ لِغَيْرِ النَّوْمِ
What does a sleeper seek of lofty heights,
Let us live the life of our time and seize the opportunities for success, we race for it or submit.
while the star shines for those not asleep?
Classical Arabic will not return to what it was in ancient times,
لِنَعِشْlet us live مَعَاشَthe life زَمَانِنَاof our age وَلنَنْتَهِزْand let us seize
لِنَعِشْ مَعَاشَ زَمَانِنَا وَلنَنْتَهِزْ
فُرَصَopportunities النَّجَاحِsuccess نَفُزْwe may win بِهِthrough it أَوْor نَسْلَمُwe remain safe
فُرَصَ النَّجَاحِ نَفُزْ بِهِ أَوْ نَسْلَمُ
Let us live the life of our age, and seize
Unless that time and its people return, and the custom and morals, even their blindness.
opportunities for success: we may attain it or remain safe.
The tongue of the ignorant is eloquent, and who can deny the eloquence of seasoned Arabic?
لَنْwill not تَرْجِعَreturn العَرَبِيَّةُArabic الفُصْحَىclassical إِلَىto
لَنْ تَرْجِعَ العَرَبِيَّةُ الفُصْحَى إِلَى
مَاwhat كَانَwas مِنْهَاof it فِيin الزَّمَانِthe age الأَقْدَمِthe earliest
مَا كَانَ مِنْهَا فِي الزَّمَانِ الأَقْدَمِ
Classical Arabic will not return to
Verily, renewal is the life of language, and who can revive it but the progressive?
what it was in the earliest age,
In our age, the Đ has a brilliant opening, it has increased pride, is there any sin?
مَاas long as لَمْnot يَعُدْreturns ذَاكَthat الزَّمَانُthe age وَأَهْلُهُand its people
مَا لَمْ يَعُدْ ذَاكَ الزَّمَانُ وَأَهْلُهُ
وَالعَادُand customs وَالأَخْلاقُand morals حَتَّىeven جُرْهُمِJurhum
وَالعَادُ وَالأَخْلاقُ حَتَّى جُرْهُمِ
unless that age and its people return,
Who separated the two brothers competing through paths to uplift it, is he not a criminal?
and its customs and morals—even Jurhum.
لِلْجَاهِلِيِّfor the pre-Islamic speaker لِسَانُهُhis tongue وَمَنِand who الَّذِيwho
لِلْجَاهِلِيِّ لِسَانُهُ وَمَنِ الَّذِي
يَنْفِيexcludes مِنَfrom الفُصْحَىClassical Arabic لِسانَthe tongue of مُخَضْرَمِone spanning pre-Islamic and Islamic times
يَنْفِي مِنَ الفُصْحَى لِسانَ مُخَضْرَمِ
The pre-Islamic speaker has his tongue; and who
would exclude from Classical Arabic the tongue of one spanning pre-Islamic and Islamic times?
إِنَّindeed التَّجَدُّدَrenewal لِلِّسَانِfor the language حَياتُهُits life
إِنَّ التَّجَدُّدَ لِلِّسَانِ حَياتُهُ
وَمَنِand who الَّذِيwho يُحْيِيهِrevives it غَيْرُother than المُقْدَمِthe bold
وَمَنِ الَّذِي يُحْيِيهِ غَيْرُ المُقْدَمِ
Indeed, renewal is the life of a language;
and who revives it but the bold?
فِيin عَصْرِنَاour age لِلضَّادِfor ḍād (Arabic) فَتْحٌa triumph بَاهِرٌbrilliant
فِي عَصْرِنَا لِلضَّادِ فَتْحٌ بَاهِرٌ
زَيدَتْwas increased بِهِthrough it فَخْراًin pride فَهَلْso is there مِنْany مَأْثَمِsin
زَيدَتْ بِهِ فَخْراً فَهَلْ مِنْ مَأْثَمِ
In our age, the tongue of ḍād has a brilliant triumph;
its pride has grown thereby—is there any sin in that?
مَنْwhoever فَرَّقَseparated الأَخَوَيْنِthe two brothers يَسْتَبِقَانِthe two race مِنْalong
مَنْ فَرَّقَ الأَخَوَيْنِ يَسْتَبِقَانِ مِنْ
طُرُقٍpaths لِرِفْعَتِهَاfor its elevation أَلَيْسَis he not بِمُجْرِمِa criminal
طُرُقٍ لِرِفْعَتِهَا أَلَيْسَ بِمُجْرِمِ
Whoever separates the two brothers as they race along
paths toward its elevation—is he not a criminal?
Partial English translation: 9 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1