ليسis not دارُthe abode الزّوراءِal-Zawra دارَan abode مُقامٍfor staying
ليس دارُ الزّوراءِ دارَ مُقامٍ
وثراهاand its soil حربٌat war لماءِwith the water of الغَمامِthe clouds
وثراها حربٌ لماءِ الغَمامِ
Al-Zawra is no place to settle,
This abode of false splendor is no true home,
and its soil is at war with the water of the clouds.
Its lushness is but rain on the clouds.
وإذاand whenever ماemphatic particle نظرتَyou look لمnot تَرَyou see إلّاexcept
وإذا ما نظرتَ لم تَرَ إلّا
نعمةًprosperity جمّةًabundant لقومٍfor a people لِئامِignoble
نعمةً جمّةً لقومٍ لِئامِ
And whenever you look, you see nothing but
Look closely - you will only see
abundant prosperity for ignoble people,
Blessings in plenty for the vile.
وبطيئينand slow ones عنin مزاولةِpracticing الخيgoodness (first fragment)
وبطيئين عن مزاولةِ الخي
رِcompletion of 'goodness' سِراعاًswift إِلىto اِنتِهاكِviolating الحرامِthe sacred
رِ سِراعاً إِلى اِنتِهاكِ الحرامِ
and those slow to practice good,
And men slow to do right,
swift to violate the sacred.
Quick to violate what is sacred.
كلُّevery جارٍneighbor لهمْof theirs بغيرwithout وفاءٍloyalty
كلُّ جارٍ لهمْ بغير وفاءٍ
وصديقٍand a friend لَهُمْof theirs بغيرِwithout ذِمامِa bond of honor
وصديقٍ لَهُمْ بغيرِ ذِمامِ
Every neighbor of theirs is without loyalty,
Each neighbor unfaithful to them
and every friend of theirs without a bond of honor.
Each friend without loyalty.
وبمنand in whoever حلَّsettles أرضَهاits land كلَّevery يومٍday
وبمن حلَّ أرضَها كلَّ يومٍ
سَخطٌresentment دائمٌunceasing علىagainst الأيّامِthe days
سَخطٌ دائمٌ على الأيّامِ
And whoever settles on its soil, each day
With all who dwell in this land
bears ceaseless resentment against the days.
There is constant wrath over fate.
ليسis not فيهاin it عيشٌlife قصيرُbrief وساعاand hours (first fragment)
ليس فيها عيشٌ قصيرُ وساعا
تُكyour (completing 'hours') فيهاin it الطّوالُlong كالأعوامِlike years
تُك فيها الطّوالُ كالأعوامِ
Life there is never brief, and your hours
No brief contentment here, fleeting hours
there are as long as years.
Drag on like years.
وإذاand whenever ماemphatic particle طلبتُI seek فيهاin it دواءًa remedy
وإذا ما طلبتُ فيها دواءً
لسَقاميfor my illness فليسthen there is not غيرُother than سَقامِillness
لسَقامي فليس غيرُ سَقامِ
And whenever I seek a remedy there
When I seek a cure here
for my illness, there is nothing but illness.
For my own illness, I find only illness.
فضحاهاso its forenoon مثلُlike الدُّجىnight's gloom بمخازٍwith disgraces
فضحاها مثلُ الدُّجى بمخازٍ
فاضحاتٍshame-bringing وصبحُهاand its morning كالظّلامِlike darkness
فاضحاتٍ وصبحُها كالظّلامِ
So its forenoon is like night's gloom, with disgraces
Its mornings are gloomy as dusk,
that bring shame, and its morning is like darkness.
Its dawns dim as darkness.
ومحلٌّand a place لاno عهدَfamiliarity فيهin it لمعروwith kindness (first fragment)
ومحلٌّ لا عهدَ فيه لمعرو
فٍcompletion of 'kindness' ولاand no عَرْجَةٌa turn aside علىtoward إنعامِgenerosity
فٍ ولا عَرْجَةٌ على إنعامِ
And a place where kindness is unknown,
No place where the noble are known
and no one turns aside toward generosity.
Or kindness brings favor.
قدindeed كَرَعْناwe drank deeply منهfrom it ولاwhile no ظَمَأٌthirst فيin
قد كَرَعْنا منه ولا ظَمَأٌ في
ناus منfrom البَوِّcalamity (uncertain sense) فيin بحورٍseas طَوامِoverflowing
نا من البَوِّ في بحورٍ طَوامِ
Indeed, we have drunk deeply from it, though no thirst is in
We have drunk our fill, with no thirst quenched,
us, from overflowing seas of calamity.
In oceans of brine, bitter tides.
Sol 6.1