الناسُpeople لولاwere it not for سجاياinnate traits النفسِthe soul أشباهُalike
الناسُ لولا سجايا النفسِ أشباهُ
فإنّماfor ... are merely كُلُّهُمْall of them تُرْبٌdust وأمواهُand waters
فإنّما كُلُّهُمْ تُرْبٌ وأمواهُ
People, were it not for the soul's dispositions, would be alike,
For all of them are merely dust and water.
والبعضُand one يُفرَقُis distinguished عنfrom بعضٍanother بجَوهرهِby his essence
والبعضُ يُفرَقُ عن بعضٍ بجَوهرهِ
كاللفظِlike a word يُفرَقُis distinguished عنfrom لفظٍa word بمَعناهُby its meaning
كاللفظِ يُفرَقُ عن لفظٍ بمَعناهُ
And one is distinguished from another by his essence,
As one word is distinguished from another by its meaning.
هذاthis الذيwhat دارَhas prevailed بينَamong النَّاسpeople منsince قِدَمٍancient times
هذا الذي دارَ بينَ النَّاس من قِدَمٍ
وهكذاand thus قدindeed أقامَestablished اللهُGod دُنياهُHis world
وهكذا قد أقامَ اللهُ دُنياهُ
This is what has prevailed among people since ancient times,
And thus has God established His world.
لوif كانتِwere النَّاسُpeople خَلْقاًa created kind واحداًone بَطَلتْwould fail
لو كانتِ النَّاسُ خَلْقاً واحداً بَطَلتْ
مَصالحُthe benefits of العيشِlife واندَكَّتْand would crumble زَواياهُits corners
مَصالحُ العيشِ واندَكَّتْ زَواياهُ
Were people all created alike, lost would be
The benefits of life, and its corners would crumble.
لولاwere it not for السَّماحةُgenerosity ضاعwould be lost الحُسنُbeauty مُنكسِراًbroken
لولا السَّماحةُ ضاع الحُسنُ مُنكسِراً
فلمand so not يكنwould be لمليحٍfor a handsome person فيamong الوَرَىhumankind جاهُstanding
فلم يكن لمليحٍ في الوَرَى جاهُ
Without generosity, beauty would be lost, broken,
And no handsome person would have standing among humankind.
للهِto God belongs فيin الخَلْقِcreation سِرٌّa secret ليسَnot نُدرِكُهُwe comprehend it
للهِ في الخَلْقِ سِرٌّ ليسَ نُدرِكُهُ
وكيفَand how يُدرِكُcould comprehend عبدٌa servant سِرَّthe secret of مَوْلاهُhis Master
وكيفَ يُدرِكُ عبدٌ سِرَّ مَوْلاهُ
God has a secret in creation that we do not comprehend;
And how could a servant comprehend his Master's secret?
لكلِّfor every أمرٍtask رِجالٌmen يَصْلُحُونَare suited لهُto it
لكلِّ أمرٍ رِجالٌ يَصْلُحُونَ لهُ
وكلُّand every مَرْءٍperson لهُfor him أمرٌa task تَوَلَّاهُhe undertook it
وكلُّ مَرْءٍ لهُ أمرٌ تَوَلَّاهُ
For every task there are men suited to it,
And every man has a task he has undertaken.
نالَattained الرِئاسةَleadership مَولاناour lord الرئيسُthe chief ولوand had
نالَ الرِئاسةَ مَولانا الرئيسُ ولو
رأىdeemed لهاfor it غيرَهُsomeone other than him المُعطِيthe Giver لأعطاهُwould surely have given it to him
رأى لها غيرَهُ المُعطِي لأعطاهُ
Our lord the chief attained leadership; and had
The Giver deemed another fit for it, He would have granted it to him.
سيفٌa sword إذاwhen ماemphatic particle فَرَىsevered عُنقاًa neck سِواهُsomeone other than him بهِwith it
سيفٌ إذا ما فَرَى عُنقاً سِواهُ بهِ
فَرَتْcleaved بهِwith it الصَخرَrock عِندَat الضَّربِthe stroke يُمناهُhis right hand
فَرَتْ بهِ الصَخرَ عِندَ الضَّربِ يُمناهُ
A sword—when another severs a neck with it,
His right hand cleaves rock with it when he strikes.
يَقضِيhe fulfills الحوائجَneeds إفراداًsingly وتَثْنيةًand in pairs
يَقضِي الحوائجَ إفراداً وتَثْنيةً
ولاand not يُثَنِّيrepeats المُناديthe caller حينَwhen ناداهُhe called upon him
ولا يُثَنِّي المُنادي حينَ ناداهُ
He fulfills needs, singly and in pairs,
Nor need a caller repeat his call to him.
وتنقُضُand unravels البُؤُسmisery بعدَafter العَقْدِthe knotting راحتُهُhis palm
وتنقُضُ البُؤُس بعدَ العَقْدِ راحتُهُ
وتنظُرُand see السِّرَّthe secret قبلَbefore الجَهرْdisclosure عيناهُhis two eyes
وتنظُرُ السِّرَّ قبلَ الجَهرْ عيناهُ
And his palm unravels misery after it is knotted,
And his eyes see the secret before its disclosure.
ماnot زالَhas ceased يجلوhe dispels ظَلامَthe darkness of الظُّلمِinjustice مُجتهِداًstriving diligently
ما زالَ يجلو ظَلامَ الظُّلمِ مُجتهِداً
كالليلِlike the night حينَwhen ضِياءُthe light of الصُّبحِdawn يَلْقاهُmeets it
كالليلِ حينَ ضِياءُ الصُّبحِ يَلْقاهُ
He ceaselessly strives to dispel the darkness of injustice,
Like night when the light of dawn meets it.
وينصُرُand he champions العدلَjustice حتماًunfailingly وَهْوَwhile he يَحْسَبُهُhe considers it
وينصُرُ العدلَ حتماً وَهْوَ يَحْسَبُهُ
دَيناًa debt لدُنياهُto his earthly life أوor دِيناًa religious duty لأُخراهُfor his hereafter
دَيناً لدُنياهُ أو دِيناً لأُخراهُ
And he unfailingly champions justice, deeming it
A debt to his earthly life, or a religious duty for his hereafter.
يُمسِيspends the evening الأمانُsafety ويُضِحيand spends the morning تحتَbeneath رايتِهِhis banner
يُمسِي الأمانُ ويُضِحي تحتَ رايتِهِ
كأنَّماas though فيwithin حِماهاits shelter كانَwas مَنْشاهُits birthplace
كأنَّما في حِماها كانَ مَنْشاهُ
Safety abides, evening and morning, beneath his banner—
As though its birthplace lay within that shelter—
مرفوعةٌraised بعَمُودٍon a pole تحتَbeneath أجنِحةٍwings
مرفوعةٌ بعَمُودٍ تحتَ أجنِحةٍ
منَof المَلائكِthe angels رَفَّتْfluttered فوقَabove أعلاهُits top
منَ المَلائكِ رَفَّتْ فوقَ أعلاهُ
Raised on a pole beneath wings
Of angels, fluttering above its top.
جِئناwe came نُهنِّيهِto congratulate him بالفَوْزon the triumph الجليلِglorious ومَنْand whoever
جِئنا نُهنِّيهِ بالفَوْز الجليلِ ومَنْ
أصابَwas right فيin الرَّأيِjudgment هَنَّاناcongratulated us وهنَّاهُand congratulated him
أصابَ في الرَّأيِ هَنَّانا وهنَّاهُ
We came to congratulate him on his glorious triumph; and whoever
Judged rightly congratulated both us and him.
فلاso may he never يزالُcease to be قريرَat ease العينِof eye مُبتهِجاًjoyful
فلا يزالُ قريرَ العينِ مُبتهِجاً
يَرعَىhe watches over العِبادَthe people وعينُand the eye of اللهِGod تَرْعاهُwatches over him
يَرعَى العِبادَ وعينُ اللهِ تَرْعاهُ
So may he ever remain joyful, his eyes at peace,
Watching over the people, while God's eye watches over him.
Sol 6.1