عَلَىupon عَصْرِthe era of الشَّبِيبةِyouth كُلَّevery حِينِtime
عَلَى عَصْرِ الشَّبِيبةِ كُلَّ حِينِ
سَلاَمٌpeace ماas long as تَقَهْقَهتِlaughed aloud الرُّعُودُthe thunderclaps
سَلاَمٌ ما تَقَهْقَهتِ الرُّعُودُ
Upon the days of youth, at every hour,
In the springtime of my youth, it was all peace
Be peace, as long as the thunderclaps laugh aloud.
Whenever the thunder rumbled.
ويَسْقيهِand waters it مِنَfrom السُّحُبthe clouds السَّوارِيtraveling by night
ويَسْقيهِ مِنَ السُّحُب السَّوارِي
مُلِثٌّpersistent دائِمُunceasing التَّسْكابِpouring جَوْدُcopious rain
مُلِثٌّ دائِمُ التَّسْكابِ جَوْدُ
And may it be watered, from clouds that travel by night,
The clouds watered it with pouring rain -
By persistent, copious rain, unceasing in its pouring.
An ever-flowing, generous downpour.
زمانٌa time خُضْتُI plunged فِيهِin it بِكُلِّinto every فَنٍّdiscipline
زمانٌ خُضْتُ فِيهِ بِكُلِّ فَنٍّ
وَسُدْتُand I surpassed مَعَdespite الْحَدَاثَةِyouth مَنْthose who يَسُودُhold preeminence
وَسُدْتُ مَعَ الْحَدَاثَةِ مَنْ يَسُودُ
A time when I plunged into every discipline,
It was a time when I mastered every art
And, despite my youth, surpassed those who held preeminence.
And contended with the most excellent.
وعُدْتُand I returned عَلَىto الذيwhat حَصَّلْتُI acquired مِنْهُfrom it
وعُدْتُ عَلَى الذي حَصَّلْتُ مِنْهُ
فَجُدْتُso I gave generously بِهِwith it وغَيْرِيand others besides me لاnot يَجُودُgive generously
فَجُدْتُ بِهِ وغَيْرِي لا يَجُودُ
And I turned to what I had gained from it,
I returned to what I had gained from it,
So I shared it freely, while others would not.
So I and others were generous.
وعَادَانيand opposed me عَلَىbecause of هَذَاthis أُناسٌsome people
وعَادَاني عَلَى هَذَا أُناسٌ
وأَظْلَمُand the most unjust منْof those who يُعادِيكَoppose you الْحَسُودُthe envious person
وأَظْلَمُ منْ يُعادِيكَ الْحَسُودُ
And for this, some people opposed me,
Yet people turned against me for this,
And the most unjust of your enemies is the envious man.
And the envious are darker than those they envy.
يَرَوْنيthey see me لاnot أَدينُI adhere بِدِينِto the creed of قَوْمٍa people
يَرَوْني لا أَدينُ بِدِينِ قَوْمٍ
يَرُونَthey regard الْحَقَّthe truth ماwhat قَالَsaid الْجُدُودُthe forefathers
يَرُونَ الْحَقَّ ما قَالَ الْجُدُودُ
They see I do not follow the creed of a people
They see me following no doctrine
Who take as truth whatever their forefathers said.
They think truth is what ancestors have said.
ويَطَّرحونَand they cast aside قَوْلَthe words of الطُّهْرِthe pure one طَهَTaha
ويَطَّرحونَ قَوْلَ الطُّهْرِ طَهَ
وكُلٌّand each مِنْهُمُof them عَنْهُfrom him شُرُودُfleeing
وكُلٌّ مِنْهُمُ عَنْهُ شُرُودُ
And they cast aside the words of the pure one, Taha,
And they reject the word of purity -
And every one of them flees from him.
Each one of them has strayed from it.
فَقَالواso they said قَدْindeed أَتَىhas come فِيناamong us فلانٌso-and-so
فَقَالوا قَدْ أَتَى فِينا فلانٌ
بِمُعْضِلَةٍwith a baffling problem وفاقِرَةٍand a calamity تَؤُودُweighs heavily
بِمُعْضِلَةٍ وفاقِرَةٍ تَؤُودُ
So they said, 'So-and-so has come among us
So they said, "So-and-so has come among us
With a baffling problem and a calamity that weighs heavily.
With perplexing, destructive heresies."
يَقُولhe says الْحَقُّthe truth قُرآنٌthe Quran وقَوْلٌand the words
يَقُول الْحَقُّ قُرآنٌ وقَوْلٌ
لِخَيْرof the best of الرُّسْلِthe messengers لاnot قَوْلٌa saying وَلودُa prolific begetter
لِخَيْر الرُّسْلِ لا قَوْلٌ وَلودُ
He says truth is the Quran and the words
I say the truth is the Qur’an, and the word
Of the best of messengers, not a progenitor's words.'
Of the best of Messengers, not idle talk.
فَقُلتُso I said كَذَاthus أَقُولُI say وكُلُّand every قَوْلٍstatement
فَقُلتُ كَذَا أَقُولُ وكُلُّ قَوْلٍ
عَداapart from هذينِthese two تَطْرُقُهُcome upon it الرُّدودُrebuttals
عَدا هذينِ تَطْرُقُهُ الرُّدودُ
So I said, 'That is what I say; and every statement
Thus I spoke, and every doctrine
Apart from these two is open to rebuttal.'
Other than these two is refuted.
وَهَذاand this مَنْبَعُthe wellspring of الأَعْلامِthe eminent scholars قَبْلِيbefore me
وَهَذا مَنْبَعُ الأَعْلامِ قَبْلِي
وكُلُّهُمُand all of them لِموْرِدِهِto its watering place وُرُودُcoming to drink
وكُلُّهُمُ لِموْرِدِهِ وُرُودُ
And this is the wellspring of the eminent scholars before me,
This is the source of sages before me,
And all of them come to its watering place.
And all of them came to its springs.
إذاif جَحَدَdenies امْرؤٌa man فَضْلِيmy merit ونُبْلِيand my nobility
إذا جَحَدَ امْرؤٌ فَضْلِي ونُبْلِي
فَقِدْماًfor long ago كَانَthere was فيamong النَّاسِpeople الْجُحُودُdenial
فَقِدْماً كَانَ في النَّاسِ الْجُحُودُ
If a man denies my merit and nobility,
When a person denies my excellence and nobility,
Denial has long existed among people.
He has always been among the ignorant.
وكُلَّand every فَتىًyoung man إذاwhen ماemphatic particle حَازَgained عِلْماًknowledge
وكُلَّ فَتىً إذا ما حَازَ عِلْماً
وَكانَand there was لَهُfor him بَمدْرَجَةٍon a stairway صُعُودُan ascent
وَكانَ لَهُ بَمدْرَجَةٍ صُعُودُ
And every young man, when he has gained learning,
And when any youth gains knowledge
And climbed a stairway,
And rises step by step,
وَرَاضَand tamed جَوامِحاًunruly steeds مِنْof كُلِّevery فَنٍّdiscipline
وَرَاضَ جَوامِحاً مِنْ كُلِّ فَنٍّ
وَصَارَand became لِكُلِّfor every شاردَةٍstray يَقُودُhe leads
وَصَارَ لِكُلِّ شاردَةٍ يَقُودُ
And tamed the unruly steeds of every discipline,
Subduing unruly souls in every art
And come to lead every stray,
And leading all who stray,
رَمَادُash (text unclear) القاصِرُونَthe inept بِكلِّwith every عَيْبٍfault
رَمَادُ القاصِرُونَ بِكلِّ عَيْبٍ
وَقَامَand arose لِحَرْبِهِto wage war on him منْهُمْfrom among them جُنودُtroops
وَقَامَ لِحَرْبِهِ منْهُمْ جُنودُ
Is assailed with every fault by the inept [conjectural reading of an unclear word],
The inadequate attack him with every fault
And troops from among them rise to wage war on him.
And armies rise against him from their ranks.
فَعَادواso they returned خائِبِينَthwarted وكُلُّand every كَيْدٍplot
فَعَادوا خائِبِينَ وكُلُّ كَيْدٍ
لَهُمْof theirs فَعَلَىso upon نُفُوسِهِمُtheir own selves يَعودُreturns
لَهُمْ فَعَلَى نُفُوسِهِمُ يَعودُ
So they return thwarted, and every plot
But they return defeated, and every scheme
Of theirs rebounds upon their own selves.
Of theirs rebounds upon themselves.
ورَامُواand they sought وَضْعَlowering رُتْبَتِهِhis rank فكانواso they became
ورَامُوا وَضْعَ رُتْبَتِهِ فكانوا
عَلَىto الشَّرَفِhonor الرَّفِيعِlofty هُمُthey themselves الشُّهُودُthe witnesses
عَلَى الشَّرَفِ الرَّفِيعِ هُمُ الشُّهُودُ
And they sought to lower his rank, yet became
They sought to undermine his station, but were
The very witnesses to his lofty honor.
Themselves witnesses to his lofty honor.
إذاwhen مَاemphatic particle اللهُGod قَدَّرَdecrees نَشْرَthe spreading of فَضْلٍmerit
إذا مَا اللهُ قَدَّرَ نَشْرَ فَضْلٍ
لإنْسانٍfor a person يُتاحُis provided لَهْfor him حَسُودُan envious person
لإنْسانٍ يُتاحُ لَهْ حَسُودُ
When God decrees that merit be made known
When God decrees the diffusion of someone’s virtue,
For a person, an envier is brought his way.
He will have to contend with envy.
وَمَنْand whoever كَثُرَتْbecame numerous فضائِلُهُhis virtues يُعَادَيis opposed
وَمَنْ كَثُرَتْ فضائِلُهُ يُعَادَي
ويَكْثُرُand increases فيconcerning مَناقِبهِhis merits الْجَحُودُdenial
ويَكْثُرُ في مَناقِبهِ الْجَحُودُ
And whoever has many virtues is met with hostility,
The more virtuous he is, the more he is opposed
And denial of his merits increases.
And the greater the denial of his qualities.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle غَابَhe is absent يَلْمِزُهُdisparage him أُناسٌsome people
إذا ما غَابَ يَلْمِزُهُ أُناسٌ
وهُمْand they عِنْدَat الْحُضُورِpresence لَهُto him سُجودُprostrating
وهُمْ عِنْدَ الْحُضُورِ لَهُ سُجودُ
When he is absent, some people disparage him,
When absent, some speak ill of him
Yet in his presence they prostrate themselves before him.
While in his presence they bow down.
وماand never بِنَقيصَةٍfor a failing عابُوهُthey faulted him إلاّexcept
وما بِنَقيصَةٍ عابُوهُ إلاّ
وَكانَand there were لماto what يُعابُhe is faulted بهfor it رُدُودُrebuttals
وَكانَ لما يُعابُ به رُدُودُ
And they never faulted him for any failing without
They never fault him but for what
There being rebuttals to what he was faulted for.
Can itself be faulted and refuted.
ولَيْسَand does not يَضُرُّharm نَبْحُthe barking of الكَلْبِthe dog بَدْراًa full moon
ولَيْسَ يَضُرُّ نَبْحُ الكَلْبِ بَدْراً
ولَيْسَand do not يَخافُfear مِنْof حُمُرٍdonkeys أُسُودُlions
ولَيْسَ يَخافُ مِنْ حُمُرٍ أُسُودُ
And a dog's barking does not harm a full moon,
A dog's barking cannot harm the moon,
Nor do lions fear donkeys.
Nor do zebras fear roaring lions.
وَماand not الشُّمُّthe lofty peaks الشَّوامِخُtowering عِنْدَin the face of رِيحٍa wind
وَما الشُّمُّ الشَّوامِخُ عِنْدَ رِيحٍ
تَمُرُّpasses عَلَىalong جوانِبِهاtheir flanks ثَمودُThamud (text unclear)
تَمُرُّ عَلَى جوانِبِها ثَمودُ
Nor do the lofty, towering peaks, when a wind
The towering pinnacle is not diminished
Passes along their flanks, sway [conjectural reading; the text reads 'Thamud'].
When mere termites crawl upon its sides.
وَلاَand not الْبَحْرthe sea الْخِضَمُّvast يُعابُis disparaged يَوْماًever
وَلاَ الْبَحْر الْخِضَمُّ يُعابُ يَوْماً
إذاif بالَتْurinate بجانِبهbeside it الْقُرودُthe monkeys
إذا بالَتْ بجانِبه الْقُرودُ
Nor is the vast ocean ever disgraced
The ocean deep is never blamed
If monkeys urinate beside it.
When monkeys splash about its shores.
Sol 6.1