لِلَّهِto God نافِلَةُbounty الأَجَلِّthe noblest الأَفضَلِthe most excellent
لِلَّهِ نافِلَةُ الأَجَلِّ الأَفضَلِ
وَلَهُand to Him العُلىthe heights وَأَثيثُand the abundance of كُلِّevery مُؤَثَّلِfirmly established thing
وَلَهُ العُلى وَأَثيثُ كُلِّ مُؤَثَّلِ
To God belongs the noblest, most excellent bounty;
For Allah is the best bonus of life
And His are the heights and the abundance of every firmly established thing.
And to Him belong the Supreme and furnishings of every adorned palace
لاnot يَستَطيعُcan الناسُpeople مَحوَthe erasure of كِتابِهِHis writ
لا يَستَطيعُ الناسُ مَحوَ كِتابِهِ
أَنّىhow could they? وَلَيسَand is not قَضائُهُHis decree بِمُبَدَّلِsubject to alteration
أَنّى وَلَيسَ قَضائُهُ بِمُبَدَّلِ
People cannot erase His writ;
People cannot erase His book
How could they, when His decree cannot be changed?
How so when His decree does not change
سَوّىHe fashioned فَأَغلَقَthen sealed دونَbeneath غُرَّةِthe radiance of عَرشِهِHis throne
سَوّى فَأَغلَقَ دونَ غُرَّةِ عَرشِهِ
سَبعاًseven طِباقاًin tiers فَوقَabove فَرعِthe crest of المَنقَلِthe mountain pass
سَبعاً طِباقاً فَوقَ فَرعِ المَنقَلِ
He fashioned, then sealed beneath His throne's radiance,
He leveled and then closed without the dome of His throne
Seven heavens in tiers above the mountain pass's crest.
Seven heavens above the pillar of the litter
وَالأَرضَand the earth تَحتَهُمُbeneath them مِهاداًa resting-bed راسِياًfirmly settled
وَالأَرضَ تَحتَهُمُ مِهاداً راسِياً
ثَبَتَتstood firm خَوالِقُهاits smooth expanses بِصُمِّwith solid الجَندَلِrock
ثَبَتَت خَوالِقُها بِصُمِّ الجَندَلِ
And the earth beneath them as a firmly settled bed;
And the earth beneath them as a steady cradle
Its smooth expanses were anchored with solid rock.
Its mountains established by the grip of peg
وَالماءُand water وَالنيرانُand fires مِنamong آياتِهِHis signs
وَالماءُ وَالنيرانُ مِن آياتِهِ
فيهِنَّin them مَوعِظَةٌan admonition لِمَنfor whoever لَمdid not يَجهَلِact ignorantly
فيهِنَّ مَوعِظَةٌ لِمَن لَم يَجهَلِ
And water and fires are among His signs;
And the water and fire are among His signs
In them is an admonition for whoever is not ignorant.
In them is an admonition for those who do not ignore
بَلrather كُلُّall سَعيِكَyour striving باطِلٌfutile إِلّاexcept التُقىpiety
بَل كُلُّ سَعيِكَ باطِلٌ إِلّا التُقى
فَإِذاthen when اِنقَضىhas passed شَيءٌsomething كَأَنas though لَمhad not يُفعَلِbeen done
فَإِذا اِنقَضى شَيءٌ كَأَن لَم يُفعَلِ
Rather, all your striving is vain except piety;
Rather, all your efforts are in vain except piety
So when a thing has passed, it is as though it had never been done.
So when a thing ends it is as if it never happened
لَوكانَif ... were شَيءٌanything خالِداًeverlasting لَتَواءَلَتit would surely have found refuge
لَوكانَ شَيءٌ خالِداً لَتَواءَلَت
عَصماءُa white-forelegged wild goat مُؤلِفَةٌaccustomed to ضَواحِيَthe outer slopes of مَأسَلِMa'sal
عَصماءُ مُؤلِفَةٌ ضَواحِيَ مَأسَلِ
If anything were everlasting, it would surely have found refuge—
If something were everlasting, the protected
A white-forelegged wild goat, at home on Ma'sal's outer slopes.
Ones would roam the pastures freely
بِظُلوفِهاby her cloven hooves وَرَقُthe leaves of البَشامِthe balsam tree وَدونَهاand below her
بِظُلوفِها وَرَقُ البَشامِ وَدونَها
صَعبٌa rugged crag تَزِلُّis slippery سَراتُهُits ridge بِالأَجدَلِunder the falcon
صَعبٌ تَزِلُّ سَراتُهُ بِالأَجدَلِ
At her cloven hooves are balsam leaves, and below her
With their shade and leaves of basil, and beneath
A rugged crag whose ridge makes the falcon slip.
A rugged mountain their yards slipping with smooth stone
أَوor ذوone with زَوائِدَtufts of hair لاnot يُطافُis traversed بِأَرضِهِthrough his territory
أَو ذو زَوائِدَ لا يُطافُ بِأَرضِهِ
يَغشىhe charges المُهَجهَجَthe one shouting him away كَالذَنوبِlike a full bucket المُرسَلِlet drop
يَغشى المُهَجهَجَ كَالذَنوبِ المُرسَلِ
Or a lion with shaggy tufts, whose territory no one traverses,
Or one with extensions, no land surrounding
He charges the man shouting him away, like a full bucket let drop.
Covering the confused like unleashed sins
فيin نابِهِhis fang عِوَجٌa curve يُجاوِزُextends beyond شِدقَهُthe corner of his mouth
في نابِهِ عِوَجٌ يُجاوِزُ شِدقَهُ
وَيُخالِفُand crosses الأَعلىthe upper fang وَراءَbehind الأَسفَلِthe lower fang
وَيُخالِفُ الأَعلى وَراءَ الأَسفَلِ
His fang has a curve that extends past his mouth's corner,
In its fang a curve exceeding its cheek
And the upper fang crosses behind the lower.
And opposing the highest behind the lowest
فَأَصابَهُthen struck him رَيبُthe calamity of الزَمانِtime فَأَصبَحَتand they became
فَأَصابَهُ رَيبُ الزَمانِ فَأَصبَحَت
أَنيابُهُhis fangs مِثلَlike الزِجاجِspear-butt spikes النُصَّلِdetached
أَنيابُهُ مِثلَ الزِجاجِ النُصَّلِ
Then time's calamity struck him, and they became—
So the corruption of time afflicted it
His fangs—like spear-butt spikes detached from their shafts.
And its fangs became like fragmented glass
وَلَقَدand indeed رَأىsaw صُبحٌSubh سَوادَthe dark shape of خَليلِهِhis friend
وَلَقَد رَأى صُبحٌ سَوادَ خَليلِهِ
مِنfrom بَينِbetween قائِمِthe hilt of سَيفِهِhis sword وَالمِحمَلِand the baldric
مِن بَينِ قائِمِ سَيفِهِ وَالمِحمَلِ
And Subh indeed saw his friend's dark shape
Dawn had seen the darkness of his friend
From between his sword's hilt and the baldric.
Among the standing of his sword and scabbard
صَبَّحنَthey came at dawn صُبحاًSubh حينَwhen حُقَّwas justified حِذارُهُhis fear
صَبَّحنَ صُبحاً حينَ حُقَّ حِذارُهُ
فَأَصابَthen struck صُبحاًSubh قائِفٌa tracker لَمdid not يَغفَلِneglect his watch
فَأَصابَ صُبحاً قائِفٌ لَم يَغفَلِ
They came upon Subh at dawn, when his fear proved justified;
They bid farewell a farewell when his separation was right
Then a tracker, never heedless, struck Subh.
So the departing one met farewell who did not neglect
فَاِلتَفَّthen closed together صَفقُهُماtheir two flanks وَصُبحٌand Subh تَحتَهُbeneath it
فَاِلتَفَّ صَفقُهُما وَصُبحٌ تَحتَهُ
بَينَbetween التُرابِthe dust وَبَينَand between حِنوِthe curve of الكَلكَلِthe chest
بَينَ التُرابِ وَبَينَ حِنوِ الكَلكَلِ
Then their flanks closed together, with Subh underneath,
Their embrace folded and dawn beneath
Between the dust and the curve of the chest.
Between the dust and the tilting of the skull
وَلَقَدand indeed جَرىsped on لُبَدٌLubad فَأَدرَكَthen overtook جَريَهُhis course
وَلَقَد جَرى لُبَدٌ فَأَدرَكَ جَريَهُ
رَيبُthe calamity of الزَمانِtime وَكانَand he was غَيرَnot مُثَقَّلِburdened
رَيبُ الزَمانِ وَكانَ غَيرَ مُثَقَّلِ
And Lubad indeed sped on, but his course was overtaken by
And Lu'bud had certainly flowed, so the corruption of time overtook his flow
Time's calamity, though he was unburdened.
And he had not been burdened
لَمّاwhen رَأىsaw لُبَدُLubad النُسورِthe vultures تَطايَرَتtook flight
لَمّا رَأى لُبَدُ النُسورِ تَطايَرَت
رَفَعَhe lifted القَوادِمَthe primary feathers كَالفَقيرِlike a broken-backed man الأَعزَلِunarmed
رَفَعَ القَوادِمَ كَالفَقيرِ الأَعزَلِ
When Lubad saw the vultures take to flight,
When Lu'bud saw the eagles take flight
He lifted his primary feathers like a broken-backed, unarmed man.
He lifted the newcomers like a poor unarmed man
مِنfrom تَحتِهِbeneath him لُقمانُLuqman يَرجوhopes for نَهضَهُhis rising
مِن تَحتِهِ لُقمانُ يَرجو نَهضَهُ
وَلَقَدand indeed رَأىsaw لُقمانُLuqman أَنthat لاnot يَأتَليslackens
وَلَقَد رَأى لُقمانُ أَن لا يَأتَلي
Beneath him Luqman hoped that he would rise,
Beneath him Luqman hoped for its ascension
And Luqman indeed saw that he spared no effort.
And Luqman had seen he would not be idle
غَلَبَvanquished اللَياليthe nights خَلفَthe descendants of آلِthe house of مُحَرِّقٍMuharriq
غَلَبَ اللَيالي خَلفَ آلِ مُحَرِّقٍ
وَكَماand just as فَعَلنَthey dealt بِتُبَّعٍwith Tubba' وَبِهِرقَلِand with Heraclius
وَكَما فَعَلنَ بِتُبَّعٍ وَبِهِرقَلِ
The nights vanquished the descendants of Muharriq's house,
The nights overcame the progeny of Muharriq
Just as they dealt with Tubba' and Heraclius.
And as they did to Tubba and to Hiraql
وَغَلَبنَand they vanquished أَبرَهَةَAbraha الَّذيwhom أَلفَينَهُthey found him
وَغَلَبنَ أَبرَهَةَ الَّذي أَلفَينَهُ
قَدalready كانَhad خَلَّدَsettled for eternity فَوقَabove غُرفَةِthe chamber of مَوكِلِMawkil
قَد كانَ خَلَّدَ فَوقَ غُرفَةِ مَوكِلِ
And they vanquished Abraha, whom they found
And they overcame Abraha whom they befriended
Already settled for eternity above the chamber of Mawkil.
He had supposedly immortalized atop the pavilion of Ma'kil
وَالحارِثُand al-Harith الحَرّابُthe warlike خَلّىleft عاقِلاًAqil
وَالحارِثُ الحَرّابُ خَلّى عاقِلاً
داراًa dwelling أَقامَhe stayed بِهاin it وَلَمand did not يَتَنَقَّلِmove elsewhere
داراً أَقامَ بِها وَلَم يَتَنَقَّلِ
And al-Harith the warlike left Aqil,
And Al-Harith the warrior lived intelligently
A dwelling where he had stayed and never moved away.
In a house he resided and did not move
تَجريflow خَزائِنُهُhis treasuries عَلىto مَنwhoever نابَهُcame to him
تَجري خَزائِنُهُ عَلى مَن نابَهُ
مَجرىlike the flow of الفُراتِthe Euphrates عَلىalong فِراضِthe banks of الجَدوَلِthe watercourse
مَجرى الفُراتِ عَلى فِراضِ الجَدوَلِ
His treasures flowed to whoever came to him,
His treasures flowed upon who succeeded him
As the Euphrates flows along a watercourse's banks,
Like the Euphrates over the bed of a stream
حَتّىuntil تَحَمَّلَdeparted أَهلُهُhis household وَقَطينُهُand his retainers
حَتّى تَحَمَّلَ أَهلُهُ وَقَطينُهُ
وَأَقامَand remained سَيِّدُهُمtheir lord وَلَمand did not يَتَحَمَّلِdepart
وَأَقامَ سَيِّدُهُم وَلَم يَتَحَمَّلِ
Until his household and his retainers departed;
Until his family and leader bore it
But their lord remained and did not depart.
And their master stayed and did not burden
وَالشاعِرونَand the poets الناطِقونَthe speakers أَراهُمُI see them
وَالشاعِرونَ الناطِقونَ أَراهُمُ
سَلَكواthey followed سَبيلَthe path of مُرَقِّشٍMuraqqish وَمُهَلهِلِand Muhalhil
سَلَكوا سَبيلَ مُرَقِّشٍ وَمُهَلهِلِ
And the poets, the speakers—I see that they
And the eloquent poets I see them
Have followed the path of Muraqqish and Muhalhil.
Take the path of Muraqqish and Muhallil
Sol 6.1