قلsay للذيto the one who فقدlost الأحبةthe loved ones وانثنىand turned back
قل للذي فقد الأحبة وانثنى
يبقىhe remains منازلهمtheir dwellings دموعاtears تسجمstream down
يبقى منازلهم دموعا تسجم
Tell him who has lost his loved ones and turned back,
Tell the one who lost loved ones and grieves,
lingering by their dwellings, his tears streaming down:
Their homes remain tearful memories.
ماذاwhy وقوفكyour standing فيin الديارthe dwellings مسائلاasking
ماذا وقوفك في الديار مسائلا
عنabout أهلهاtheir inhabitants ومتىand when يجيبanswers الأبكمthe mute one
عن أهلها ومتى يجيب الأبكم
Why do you stand among the dwellings, asking
What is your standing in their homes asking,
about their inhabitants? And when does the mute answer?
About its people, when will the mute speak?
سلask عنهمabout them صرفthe changing course الزّمانof time فإنهfor it
سل عنهم صرف الزّمان فإنه
بهمabout them منthan الدارthe dwelling المحيلةdesolate أعلمmore knowledgeable
بهم من الدار المحيلة أعلم
Ask Time's changing course about them, for it
Ask the passing of time about them, for it
knows more about them than the desolate dwelling does.
Knows more of the transient home.
أفناهمdestroyed them ريبthe calamities المنونof death وهذهand these
أفناهم ريب المنون وهذه
آثارهمtheir traces عظةa lesson لمنfor whoever يتوسمreads the signs
آثارهم عظة لمن يتوسم
The ravages of death have destroyed them, and these
Did the termination of death take them? And these
traces of theirs are a lesson for whoever reads the signs.
Are their traces, a lesson for the perceiver.
هيit شيمةthe nature الأيامof the days كفa hand تبتنيbuilds
هي شيمة الأيام كف تبتني
مذsince كانتexisted الدنياthe world وكفand a hand تهدمtears down
مذ كانت الدنيا وكف تهدم
Such is the way of the days: one hand builds—
Such is the nature of days, how often do you build
ever since the world began—and another hand tears down.
Since the world was, and how often raze?
وإذاand when رأيتyou see محسدينpeople much envied فقلماthen seldom
وإذا رأيت محسدين فقلما
ترجيهمgrants them respite الأيلمunclear as written; possibly 'the days' حتىuntil يرحمواthey are pitied
ترجيهم الأيلم حتى يرحموا
And when you see people much envied, seldom
And if you see enviers, say to them
do [the days?] grant them respite before they are pitied.
Till when do you hope harm, till you have mercy?
وترىand you see تقلبthe turning هذهthis الدنياworld بناwith us
وترى تقلب هذه الدنيا بنا
وكأنناand as though we فيهاwithin it سكارىdrunken نومsleepers
وكأننا فيها سكارى نوم
And you see this world turning us about,
And you see the turning of this life with us
and within it we seem like drunken sleepers.
As if we in it are drunken dreamers.
Sol 6.1