Sol 6.1

  1. يا مال في الأفق البعيد سحاب

    وعلى معالم صفحتيك ضباب

    O money, there are clouds on the distant horizon,

    and mist lies over the features of your two faces.

  2. يا مال بينك والنواظر خشع

    طمعاً وبين العالمين حجاب

    O money, between you and eyes bowed low

    in greed—and between the worlds—there hangs a veil.

  3. تبدو لهم فإذا الحياة جميلة

    وإذا بامال الحياة عذاب

    You appear to them, and behold, life is beautiful;

    yet behold, life's hopes are torment.

  4. والناس لو علموا الحقيقة ادركوا

    يا مال انك ساحر كذاب

    And if people knew the truth, they would realize,

    O money, that you are a lying sorcerer.

  5. يا مال كم نثرت عليك جماجم

    وعليك كم يا مال طاح رقاب

    O money, how many skulls have been scattered for your sake!

    And for your sake, O money, how many necks have fallen!

  6. وعلى اديمك كم صروح زلزلت

    اركانها فإذا الصروح يباب

    And upon your skin, how many edifices were shaken

    to their foundations—and behold, the edifices lay desolate.

  7. وعلى جحيمك كم ديار أحرقت

    في غفلة فإذا الديار خراب

    And in your hellfire, how many homes were burned

    in heedlessness—and behold, the homes were ruins.

  8. وعليك كم فاضت عليك مدامع

    وذوت حشاشات وسال لعاب

    And for your sake, how many tears have overflowed over you,

    and vital spirits withered, and saliva flowed!

  9. وتقلصت همم وساخت ارجل

    ووهت زعامات وذاب شباب

    And aspirations dwindled, and feet sank,

    and leaderships weakened, and youth melted away.

  10. وتعانق الاضداد في حلك الدجى

    واسترسلوا وتناحرت أحزاب

    And opposites embraced in the blackness of night,

    and they let themselves go, and factions fought one another.

  11. يا جامع الاضداد امرك بين

    ما أنت إلا غرة وكذاب

    O gatherer of opposites, your nature is plain:

    you are nothing but a deception and a liar.

  12. وعليك من برح الحياة غشاوة

    وعليك من مرح الوجود حبابل

    And over you lies a veil of life's anguish,

    and over you lies foam from existence's mirth [reading uncertain].

  13. وبك اللئيم سما وبرز خامل

    وتنازع العلم الكريم عذاب

    And through you the base man rose, and the obscure came to prominence,

    and torment assailed the noble luminary.

  14. وبك البصير غدا وفيه عماية

    يا مال والاعمى يرى ويهاب

    And through you the sighted man came to harbor blindness,

    O money, while the blind man sees and is held in awe.

  15. وبك الشيوخ بدوا وفيهم صبوة

    يا مال من مرح وشاخ شباب

    And through you old men appeared with youthful passion within them,

    O money, from merriment—while the young grew old.

  16. وبك اللباب غدا ثكلتك عابثاً

    بالناس قشرا والقشور لباب

    And through you the kernel became—may I be bereft of you, trifler

    with people—a husk, and husks became the kernel.

  17. وتقابلت في صفحتيك عمائم

    وقلانس وتخرقت أثواب

    And turbans faced one another on your two faces,

    and caps; and robes were torn.

  18. فبدت على ضوء النهار كشاكلا

    منفوخة وتفتحت أبواب

    So in the light of day they appeared as begging bowls,

    swollen, and doors opened.

  19. فإذا اختفى ثوب تجدد غيره

    أو سد من باب تفتح باب

    And whenever a robe disappeared, another arose anew,

    or if one door was blocked, another door opened.

  20. الدين عفر فيك صفحة وجهه

    فغدا وفيه اسنة وحراب

    Religion rubbed its face in your dust,

    and became filled with spearheads and lances.

  21. والخلق اسلم في رحابك روحه

    فبدا وفيه معرة وسباب

    And morality surrendered its soul within your precincts,

    and appeared filled with disgrace and abuse.

  22. يا مال ما ملكت يداك ضلالة

    وجميع ما جمعت خلالك عاب

    O money, all that your two hands have held is misguidance,

    and all that your traits have gathered is a flaw.

  23. يا عابدي الذهب الخسيس قلوبكم

    قدت من الصخر الاصم صلاب

    O worshippers of base gold, your hearts

    were hewn from solid rock, unyielding.

  24. أعماركم تقضونها في ذلة

    وكزازة وحياتكم اسلاب

    Your lives you spend in humiliation

    and miserliness, and your lives are plunder.

  25. فترفقاً أعماركم موقوتة

    وتعففا هذي الحياة سراب

    So be gentle—your lives have their allotted span;

    and practice restraint—this life is a mirage.

  26. ماذا ادخرتم بعد غابر يومكم

    للأمس أمسكم أسى وتباب

    What have you stored away, after your day has passed,

    for yesterday? Your yesterday is sorrow and ruin.

  27. اللَه يسخر منكم وهيامكم

    بالمال والابرار والارباب

    God mocks you and your infatuation

    with money; so do the righteous and the lords.

  28. يا مال آهِ لعابديك حياتهم

    ولهم ومالي مأكل وشراب

    O money, ah! Your worshippers may have their lives,

    and they may have them; my wealth is food and drink.

  29. ولعابديك نضارهم واللَه لي

    والحق يدعمه هدى وصواب

    And your worshippers may have their gold; God is mine,

    and truth, upheld by guidance and sound judgment.

  30. والعيش في نظري حديث خرافة

    ولأنت حلوى والانام ذباب

    And life, in my view, is a fanciful tale;

    and you are indeed a sweetmeat, and humankind are flies.

  31. يا مال أنت أخس شيء منزلا

    عندي وأنت كما أراك تراب

    O money, you are the basest thing in rank

    to me; and you, as I see you, are dust.

  32. انا للعلا أرنو فمالي مطمع

    فيك ومالك في حماي ركاب

    I gaze toward the heights, so I have no desire

    for you, and you have no mounts within my domain.