أَرىI see أَهلَthe people of اليَسارِwealth إِذاwhen توفواthey die
أَرى أَهلَ اليَسارِ إِذا توفوا
بَنواthey build تِلكَthose المَقابِرَtombs بِالصُخورِwith stone
بَنوا تِلكَ المَقابِرَ بِالصُخورِ
I see the wealthy, when they die,
build those tombs of stone.
أَبَواthey refuse إِلّاanything but مُباهاةِostentation وَفَخراًand boasting
أَبَوا إِلّا مُباهاةِ وَفَخراً
عَلىover الفُقراءِthe poor حَتّىeven فيin القُبورِthe graves
عَلى الفُقراءِ حَتّى في القُبورِ
They insist on ostentation and boasting
over the poor, even in their graves.
فَإِنso if يَكُنِthere is التَفاضُلُdistinction in rank فيin ذُراهاtheir heights
فَإِن يَكُنِ التَفاضُلُ في ذُراها
فَإِنَّthen indeed العَدلَequality فيهاwithin them فيin القُعورِthe depths
فَإِنَّ العَدلَ فيها في القُعورِ
So if distinctions lie in their heights,
then equality lies within them, in their depths.
رَضيتُI am content بِمَنwith one who تَأَنَّقَtook exquisite care فيin بَناءٍbuilding
رَضيتُ بِمَن تَأَنَّقَ في بَناءٍ
فَبالَغَthen went to extremes فيهِwith it تَصريفُthe vicissitudes of الأُمورِaffairs
فَبالَغَ فيهِ تَصريفُ الأُمورِ
I am content with one who lavished care on a building,
then fortune's turns did their worst to it.
أَلَمّاhave ... not yet? يُبصِرواthey see ماwhat خَزَّبَتهُhas laid it waste الدُthe (start of 'the ages')
أَلَمّا يُبصِروا ما خَزَّبَتهُ الدُ
دهورُages مِنَamong المَدائِنِthe cities وَالقُصورِand the palaces
دهورُ مِنَ المَدائِنِ وَالقُصورِ
Have they not yet seen what has been laid waste by the
ages—cities and palaces?
لَعَمرُby the life of أَبيهِمُtheir father لَوif أَبصَروهُمthey saw them
لَعَمرُ أَبيهِمُ لَو أَبصَروهُم
لَماthen ... would not عُرِفَbe distinguished الغَنِيُّthe rich مِنَfrom الفَقيرِthe poor
لَما عُرِفَ الغَنِيُّ مِنَ الفَقيرِ
By their father's life, if they saw them,
the rich would not be distinguished from the poor;
وَلاnor عَرَفواthey distinguished العَبيدَthe slaves مِنَfrom المَواليthe masters
وَلا عَرَفوا العَبيدَ مِنَ المَوالي
وَلاnor عَرَفواthey distinguished الإِناثَthe females مِنَfrom الذُكورِthe males
وَلا عَرَفوا الإِناثَ مِنَ الذُكورِ
nor could they distinguish slaves from masters,
nor could they distinguish females from males,
وَلاnor مَنone who كانused to يَلبِسُwear ثَوبَa garment of صوفٍwool
وَلا مَن كان يَلبِسُ ثَوبَ صوفٍ
مِنَfrom البَدَنِthe body المُباشِرِin direct contact لِلحَريرِwith silk
مِنَ البَدَنِ المُباشِرِ لِلحَريرِ
nor one who used to wear a woolen garment
from a body that touched silk.
إِذاwhen أَكَلَhas devoured الثَرىthe earth هَذاthis one وَهَذاand this one
إِذا أَكَلَ الثَرى هَذا وَهَذا
فَماthen what فَضلُadvantage of الكَبيرِthe great عَلىover الحَقيرِthe lowly
فَما فَضلُ الكَبيرِ عَلى الحَقيرِ
When the earth has devoured this one and that,
then what advantage has the great over the lowly?
Sol 6.1