ياO قاصِداًone bound for بَغداذَBaghdad جُذturn away عَنfrom بَلدَةٍa city
يا قاصِداً بَغداذَ جُذ عَن بَلدَةٍ
لِلجَورِfor oppression فيهاin it زَخرَةٌa surge وَعُبابُand a swelling flood
لِلجَورِ فيها زَخرَةٌ وَعُبابُ
O you bound for Baghdad, turn away from a city
Where tyranny surges in a swelling flood.
إِنif كُنتَyou are طالِبَseeking حاجَةٍa favor فَاِرجِعthen turn back فَقَدfor indeed
إِن كُنتَ طالِبَ حاجَةٍ فَاِرجِع فَقَد
سُدَّتhave been shut عَلىagainst الراجيthe hopeful petitioner بِهاin it الأَبوابُthe doors
سُدَّت عَلى الراجي بِها الأَبوابُ
If you seek a favor, turn back, for
The doors there are barred against the hopeful.
لَيسَتit is not وَماand not بَعُدَhas grown distant الزَمانُtime كَعَهدِهاas it once was
لَيسَت وَما بَعُدَ الزَمانُ كَعَهدِها
أَيّامَin the days when يَعمُرُfill رَبعَهاits quarters الطُلّابُthe seekers
أَيّامَ يَعمُرُ رَبعَها الطُلّابُ
It is not as it once was—nor was that long ago—
In the days when seekers filled its quarters,
وَيحَلُّهاand dwell in it السَرَواتُthe eminent مِنamong ساداتِهاits lords
وَيحَلُّها السَرَواتُ مِن ساداتِها
وَالجِلَّةُand the distinguished الرُؤَساءُthe chiefs وَالكُتّابُand the secretaries
وَالجِلَّةُ الرُؤَساءُ وَالكُتّابُ
And the eminent among its lords dwelt there,
And the distinguished chiefs and secretaries.
وَالدَهرُand time فيin أولىthe earliest stage of حَداثَتِهِits youth وَلِلand for the—
وَالدَهرُ في أولى حَداثَتِهِ وَلِل
أَيّامِdays فيهاin it نَصرَةٌtriumph وَشَبابُand youth
أَيّامِ فيها نَصرَةٌ وَشَبابُ
And time was in its earliest youth, and the
Days there knew triumph and youth;
وَالفَضلُand merit فيin سوقِthe market of الكِرامِthe noble يُباعُis sold بِالat the—
وَالفَضلُ في سوقِ الكِرامِ يُباعُ بِال
غاليhigh مِنَamong الأَثمانِprices وَالآدابُand the literary arts
غالي مِنَ الأَثمانِ وَالآدابُ
And merit, in the market of the noble, was sold for
High prices—and so were the literary arts.
بادَتit perished وَأَهلوهاand its people مَعاًtogether فَبُيوتُهُمso their houses
بادَت وَأَهلوها مَعاً فَبُيوتُهُم
بِبَقاءِwith the continued life of مَولاناour lord الوَزيرِthe vizier خَرابُruined
بِبَقاءِ مَولانا الوَزيرِ خَرابُ
It and its people perished together; their houses,
While our lord the vizier lives on, lie in ruins.
وارَتهُمُhave hidden them الأَجداثُthe graves أَحياءًalive تُهاare heaped (continued)
وارَتهُمُ الأَجداثُ أَحياءً تُها
لُ(completes 'are heaped') جَنادِلٌboulders مِنfrom فَوقِهاabove them وَتُرابُand earth
لُ جَنادِلٌ مِن فَوقِها وَتُرابُ
Graves have hidden them alive; heaped
Above them are boulders and earth.
فَهُمُso they خُلودٌabiding forever فيin مَحابِسِهِمtheir prisons يُصَبis poured (continued)
فَهُمُ خُلودٌ في مَحابِسِهِم يُصَب
بُ(completes 'is poured') عَليهِمُupon them بَعدَafter العَذابِthe torment عذابُtorment
بُ عَليهِمُ بَعدَ العَذابِ عذابُ
So they abide forever in their prisons; poured
Upon them is torment after torment.
لاnot يُرتَجىis hoped for مِنهاfrom them إِيابِهِمُtheir return وَهَلand is there?
لا يُرتَجى مِنها إِيابِهِمُ وَهَل
يُرجىis hoped for لِسُكّانِfor the dwellers of القُبورِthe graves إِيابُa return
يُرجى لِسُكّانِ القُبورِ إِيابُ
No return from them is hoped for; is there
Hope of return for those who dwell in graves?
وَالناسُand the people قَدalready قامَتhas come قِيامَتُهُمtheir resurrection وَلاand no
وَالناسُ قَد قامَت قِيامَتُهُم وَلا
أَنسابَkinship ties بَينَهُمُbetween them وَلاnor أَسبابُbonds
أَنسابَ بَينَهُمُ وَلا أَسبابُ
And the people's resurrection has come, and no
Kinship remains between them, nor any bonds.
وَالمَرءُand a man يُسلِمُهُabandons him أَبوهُhis father وَعِرسُهُand his wife
وَالمَرءُ يُسلِمُهُ أَبوهُ وَعِرسُهُ
وَيَخونُهُand betray him القُرَباءُthe kinsmen وَالأَصحابُand the friends
وَيَخونُهُ القُرَباءُ وَالأَصحابُ
And a man is abandoned by his father and his wife,
And kinsmen and friends betray him.
لاno شافِعٌintercessor تُغنيavails شَفاعَتُهُhis intercession وَلاand no
لا شافِعٌ تُغني شَفاعَتُهُ وَلا
جانٍan offender لَهُfor him مِمّاfrom what جَناهُhe has committed it مَتابُrepentance
جانٍ لَهُ مِمّا جَناهُ مَتابُ
No intercessor's plea avails, nor can
An offender repent of the wrong he has done.
شَهِدواthey witnessed مَعادَهُمُtheir resurrection فَعادَso became مُصَدِّقاًa believer
شَهِدوا مَعادَهُمُ فَعادَ مُصَدِّقاً
مَنwho كانَhad been قَبلُbefore بِبَعثِهِabout his resurrection يَرتابُhe doubts
مَن كانَ قَبلُ بِبَعثِهِ يَرتابُ
They witnessed their resurrection; now convinced was
He who had once doubted his own rising.
حَشرٌa gathering وَميزانٌand a balance وَعَرضُand a display of جَرائِدٍrecords
حَشرٌ وَميزانٌ وَعَرضُ جَرائِدٍ
وَصَحائِفٌand scrolls مَنشورَةٌspread open وَحِسابُand a reckoning
وَصَحائِفٌ مَنشورَةٌ وَحِسابُ
A gathering, a balance, and a display of records,
And scrolls laid open, and a reckoning.
وَبِهاand in it زَبانِيَةٌHell's warders تُبَثُّare dispatched عَلىagainst الوَرىhumankind
وَبِها زَبانِيَةٌ تُبَثُّ عَلى الوَرى
وَسَلاسِلٌand chains وَمَقامِعٌand maces وَعَذابُand torment
وَسَلاسِلٌ وَمَقامِعٌ وَعَذابُ
And there, Hell's warders are dispatched against humankind,
And chains, and maces, and torment.
ماnot فاتَهُمescaped them مِنof كُلِّall ماthat وُعِدواthey were promised بِهِwith it
ما فاتَهُم مِن كُلِّ ما وُعِدوا بِهِ
فيat الحَشرِthe Gathering إِلّاexcept راحِمٌone who shows mercy وَهّابُa bountiful giver
في الحَشرِ إِلّا راحِمٌ وَهّابُ
They lacked nothing of all they had been promised
At the Gathering—save a merciful, bountiful giver.
Sol 6.1