لِكُلِّfor every حَيٍّliving being نَذِيرٌa warner مِنْfrom طَبِيعَتِهِits nature
لِكُلِّ حَيٍّ نَذِيرٌ مِنْ طَبِيعَتِهِ
يُوحِيreveals إِلَيْهِto it بِمَاwith what تَعْيَاare at a loss بِهِover it النُّذُرُthe warners
يُوحِي إِلَيْهِ بِمَا تَعْيَا بِهِ النُّذُرُ
Every living being has a warner in its own nature,
For every living being there is a warner in his nature
That reveals to it what warners cannot convey.
That gives him intimations of the dangers which beset his path.
يَرْجُوhe hopes for وَيَخْشَىand fears أُمُورَاًthings لَوْif تَدَبَّرَهَاhe pondered them
يَرْجُو وَيَخْشَى أُمُورَاً لَوْ تَدَبَّرَهَا
لَزَالَwould vanish مِنْfrom قَلْبِهِhis heart التَّأْمِيلُhope وَالْحَذَرُand apprehension
لَزَالَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ التَّأْمِيلُ وَالْحَذَرُ
He hopes for and fears things; were he to ponder them,
He cherishes hopes and fears things which, if pondered over,
Hope and apprehension would vanish from his heart.
Would relieve his heart of ambitious hopes and anxious fears.
تَرَاهُyou see him يَسْعَىstriving لِجَمْعِto amass الْمَالِwealth مُعْتَقِداًbelieving
تَرَاهُ يَسْعَى لِجَمْعِ الْمَالِ مُعْتَقِداً
أَنَّthat الْفَتَىthe young man مَنْone who لَدَيْهِin his possession السَّامُgold وَالشَّذَرُand gold beads
أَنَّ الْفَتَى مَنْ لَدَيْهِ السَّامُ وَالشَّذَرُ
You see him striving to amass wealth, believing
You see him striving to amass wealth, believing
That a worthy man is one who possesses gold and gold beads.
That the youth with riches is best graced.
وَكَيْفَand how تَنْقَىare cleansed ثِيابُthe clothes الْمَرْءِof a person مِنْof دَنَسٍfilth
وَكَيْفَ تَنْقَى ثِيابُ الْمَرْءِ مِنْ دَنَسٍ
وَقَلْبُwhile the heart لابِسِهَاof their wearer مِنْfrom غَدْرِهِhis treachery قَذِرُfilthy
وَقَلْبُ لابِسِهَا مِنْ غَدْرِهِ قَذِرُ
And how can a man's clothes be cleansed of filth
How can the garments of a man be clean from filth
While their wearer's heart is filthy with his treachery?
When the heart of their wearer is stained with perfidy?
يَاO فَارِسَrider of الْخَيْلِhorses كَفْكِفْhold back عَنْfrom أَعِنَّتِهَاtheir reins
يَا فَارِسَ الْخَيْلِ كَفْكِفْ عَنْ أَعِنَّتِهَا
فَقَدْfor indeed شَكَتْhave complained فِعْلَكَof your action الأَحْلاسُthe saddlecloths وَالْعُذُرُand the bridle straps
فَقَدْ شَكَتْ فِعْلَكَ الأَحْلاسُ وَالْعُذُرُ
O rider of horses, ease your grip on their reins,
O rider of horses, refrain from exhausting them,
For saddlecloths and bridle straps have complained of your actions.
For your actions have been blamed by the weak and the lame.
إِنْif كُنْتَyou are تَبْغِيseeking بِهَاthrough them مَاwhat لَسْتَyou are not تَبْلُغُهُattaining it
إِنْ كُنْتَ تَبْغِي بِهَا مَا لَسْتَ تَبْلُغُهُ
مِنَof الْبَقَاءِlasting life فَبِئْسَthen how wretched الْبُطْلُfutility وَالْهَذَرُand idle talk
مِنَ الْبَقَاءِ فَبِئْسَ الْبُطْلُ وَالْهَذَرُ
If through them you seek what you cannot attain
If you seek through them what you cannot attain
Of lasting life—how wretched are futility and idle talk!
In the length of days, evil is your heroism and waste.
إِنَّindeed الْحَيَاةَlife وَإِنْeven if طَالَتْit lasts long إِلَىup to أَمَدٍa limit
إِنَّ الْحَيَاةَ وَإِنْ طَالَتْ إِلَى أَمَدٍ
وَالدَّهْرُand time قُرْحَانُunscathed لاnot يُبْقِيit spares وَلاand not يَذَرُit leaves untouched
وَالدَّهْرُ قُرْحَانُ لا يُبْقِي وَلا يَذَرُ
Indeed, life, however long it lasts, has an end,
Though life be prolonged to an age,
And time is unscathed: it spares nothing and leaves nothing.
And time is but two bowls that neither remain nor pass away.
لاnot يَأْمَنُis safe from الصَّامِتُthe silent one الْمَعْصُومُblameless صَوْلَتَهُits onslaught
لا يَأْمَنُ الصَّامِتُ الْمَعْصُومُ صَوْلَتَهُ
وَلاnor يَدُومُendures عَلَيْهِthrough it النَّاطِقُthe speaker الْبَذِرُloose-tongued
وَلا يَدُومُ عَلَيْهِ النَّاطِقُ الْبَذِرُ
The silent, blameless one is not safe from its onslaught,
Neither can the silent guiltless one be confident of his silence,
Nor does the loose-tongued speaker endure through it.
Nor can the talkative sinner count on long life.
فَاضْرَعْso supplicate humbly إِلَىto اللَّهِGod وَاسْتَوْهِبْهُand beg Him for مَغْفِرَةًforgiveness
فَاضْرَعْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاسْتَوْهِبْهُ مَغْفِرَةً
تَمْحُوerases الذُّنُوبَsins فَجَانِيfor the perpetrator الذَّنْبof sin يَعْتَذِرُseeks pardon
تَمْحُو الذُّنُوبَ فَجَانِي الذَّنْب يَعْتَذِرُ
So humbly implore God and beg Him for forgiveness
Then pray to God and implore His forgiveness,
That erases sins, for the sinner seeks pardon.
Which blots out sins, so the sinner apologizes.
وَاعْجَلْand hasten وَلاand do not تَنْتَظِرْwait تَوْبَاًrepentance غَدَاةَthe morning of غَدٍtomorrow
وَاعْجَلْ وَلا تَنْتَظِرْ تَوْبَاً غَدَاةَ غَدٍ
فَلَيْسَfor it is not فِيat كُلِّevery حِينٍmoment تُقْبَلُare accepted الْعِذَرُexcuses
فَلَيْسَ فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ تُقْبَلُ الْعِذَرُ
And hasten; do not postpone repentance until tomorrow morning,
And hasten, wait not for repentance on the morrow,
For excuses are not accepted at every moment.
For regrets are not always acceptable.
هَيْهَاتَfar from it لاnot يَسْتَوِيare equal الشَّخْصَانِthe two people فِيin عَمَلٍconduct
هَيْهَاتَ لا يَسْتَوِي الشَّخْصَانِ فِي عَمَلٍ
هَذَاthis one صَحِيحٌsound وَهَذَاand this one فَاسِدٌcorrupt مَذِرُrotten
هَذَا صَحِيحٌ وَهَذَا فَاسِدٌ مَذِرُ
Far from it! Two people are not equal in their deeds:
Alas! two persons cannot be equal in deed,
This one is sound, and that one corrupt and rotten.
This one is right and that one goes astray.
Sol 6.1