أَراكَ اِمرَأً في ظُلمِ قَومِكَ جاهِداً
وَمالَكَ في ظُلمِ العَشيرَةِ مِن رُشدِ
I see you as a man struggling against the injustice of your people,
Yet you have no integrity against the tyranny of the clan.
فَإِلّا تَدَع ظُلمَ العَشيرَةِ طائِعاً
تُلاقِ اِمرَأً مِن بَعضِ قَومِكَ ذا حِقدِ
If you do not willingly abandon the injustice of the clan,
You will meet a resentful man from your people.
مِنَ الرِجلَةِ الساعينَ أَو تَلقَ فارِساً
عَلى فَرَسٍ في الخَيلِ أَدهَمَ ذي وِردِ
Either a foot soldier or a horseman,
On a reddish brown horse, the best of horses.
جَوادٍ كَنِصلِ السَيفِ أَينَ لَقيتَهُ
فَيَضرِبكَ أَو يَطعَنكَ طَعناً عَلى عَمدِ
A steed sharp as a sword blade, wherever you meet him,
He will strike or stab you deliberately.
ألَم تَرَ عاداً كَيفَ فَرَّقَ جَمعَها
قُبَيلٌ وَقِدماً جارَ عَن مَنهَجِ القَصدِ
Have you not seen how Aad, despite their multitude,
Were scattered by a tribe who deviated from the right path?
وَقالَت بَنو عادٍ هَلَكنا فَجَهَّزوا
خِيارَهُمُ أَهلَ الرِفاعَةِ وَالمَجدِ
The people of Aad said "We are destroyed!" so they prepared
Their best people, men of glory and dignity.
وَكانَ أَبو سَعدٍ وَقَيلٌ فَعوقِبوا
بِلُقمانَ إِذ رَدَّ الحَبيبَ إِلى الجَعدِ
Yet Abu Saad and Qail were punished
With Luqman when he returned the beloved to the curly-haired one.
فَلَمّا أَتَوا عَزفَ الجَرادةِ أَخلَدوا
ثَلاثينَ يَوماً ثُمَّ هَبّوا عَلى وَجدِ
When they came to the meadows of locusts they stayed
Thirty days, then swarmed in ecstasy.
فَقيلَ لَهُم أُعطيتُمُ فَتَخَيَّروا
مُناكُم وَلَكِن لا سَبيلَ إِلى الخُلدِ
They were told "You have been given a choice, so choose"
Your fate, but there is no path to immortality.
وَقالَ اِضرِبوا رَأسي وَلا تَتَهَيَّبوا
نُجوراً مِنَ الأَطوادِ ذي أُجُدٍ صَلدِ
"Strike off my head," he said "and do not hesitate,
With clubs of rigid ebony wood."
فَعاجَلَهُ وَقعُ الصَواعِقِ كَالَّذي
أَرادَ سِفاها وَالسَفاهَةُ قَد تُردي
So the thunderbolts struck him down like one
Who foolishly sought folly, and folly leads to ruin.
وَمُلِّكَ لُقمانُ الحَياةَ فَرَدَّها
إِلى ناهِضٍ حُرٍّ قَوائِمُهُ نَهدِ
While Luqman was granted life, so he rejected it,
Returning it to one free and steadfast as a pillar.
وَكانَ يُحِبُ الخُلدَ لَو حَصُلَت لَهُ
أَفاحيصُ صارَت لَيلَةَ القَطرِ وَالرَعدِ
He loved immortality, if only he could obtain
The gems that fell as rain the night of thunder and lightning.
وَقالَ أَبو سَعدٍ إِلَهِيَ فَأَعطِني
مُنايَ عَلى ما كانَ أَذهَبَ مِن وَجدِ
Abu Saad said "My God, please grant me
Death for what has passed, the most precious thing."
فَزَوَّدَهُ بِرّاً وَتَقوى كِلاهُما
وَما كانَ عَن رِفدِ الوِفادَةِ مِن صَدِّ
So God granted him righteousness and piety, both
Never lacking in generosity and loyalty.
