مشىwalked الجهَّلُthe ignorant فيin طينٍmud ولكنْand yet
مشى الجهَّلُ في طينٍ ولكنْ
أكفهمُtheir palms علىon حجرٍstone صلودِunyielding
أكفهمُ على حجرٍ صلودِ
The ignorant walked through mud, yet
The ignorant walked in mud yet
Their palms rested on unyielding stone.
his palms were on hard rock
كماjust as يمشيwalks الجبانُthe coward وعنand beside يديهِhis two hands
كما يمشي الجبانُ وعن يديهِ
صفوفُranks الحارسينَthe guards منof الجنودِthe soldiers
صفوفُ الحارسينَ من الجنودِ
As a coward walks, while on either side
As the coward walks with rows of
Stand ranks of soldiers keeping guard.
guardsmen at his hands
وكمand how many منamong العالمينَthe learned أخاendowed with ذكاءintelligence
وكم من العالمينَ أخا ذكاء
يجرُّdrags بهِhim along الذكاءُintelligence إلىinto الجحودِdenial
يجرُّ بهِ الذكاءُ إلى الجحودِ
And many a learned man, endowed with intelligence,
And how many wise brothers does science
Is dragged by that intelligence into denial.
drag to denial
أرىI see للعقلِfor the mind حداًa limit فيin التساميascent
أرى للعقلِ حداً في التسامي
كمرمىlike the range of الباصراتِseeing eyes إلىto حدودِlimits
كمرمى الباصراتِ إلى حدودِ
I see a limit to the mind’s ascent,
I see a limit for the mind to transcend
Just as the reach of eyes has its bounds.
Like the range of visions to boundaries
وإنَّand indeed السيفَthe sword إنif لمdoes not يلفfind غمداًa sheath
وإنَّ السيفَ إن لم يلف غمداً
كساهُwill clothe it منof الصداrust شبهُa semblance of الغمودِsheaths
كساهُ من الصدا شبهُ الغمودِ
And if the sword should find no sheath,
If the sword is not sheathed in a scabbard
Rust will clothe it in the semblance of a sheath.
Weariness dressed it in quasi-scabbards
وكلُّand all تطرفِextremism of العلماءِthe scholars جهلٌignorance
وكلُّ تطرفِ العلماءِ جهلٌ
وبعضُand some الجهلِignorance بالعلماءِupon the scholars يوديbrings ruin
وبعضُ الجهلِ بالعلماءِ يودي
And all extremism among scholars is ignorance;
And all the scholars' extremism is ignorance
And some ignorance brings ruin upon scholars.
And some ignorance with scholars leads astray
إذاif انحرفَveers off القطارُthe train براكبيهِwith its passengers
إذا انحرفَ القطارُ براكبيهِ
فقدthen indeed وجدواthey have found المحطةَthe station فيin اللحودِthe graves
فقد وجدوا المحطةَ في اللحودِ
If the train veers off with its passengers,
If the train derails with its riders
Then they have found their station in the graves.
They found the station in ruins
وسيانَand alike البصيرُthe sighted man وكلُّand every أعمىblind man
وسيانَ البصيرُ وكلُّ أعمى
إذاwhen نظرَاthey both look إلىat شيءٍsomething بعيدِdistant
إذا نظرَا إلى شيءٍ بعيدِ
And the sighted man and every blind man are alike,
And it's the same for the sighted and the blind
When both look at something far away.
If they looked at something distant
Sol 6.1