ياO صَارِخاًone crying out فيamong جُمُوعٍcrowds ليسdo not تُصْرِخُهُcome to his aid
يا صَارِخاً في جُمُوعٍ ليس تُصْرِخُهُ
لِلظَّالمينَfor the wrongdoers غداًtomorrow فيin النَّارthe Fire مُصْطَرَخُa place to cry out
لِلظَّالمينَ غداً في النَّار مُصْطَرَخُ
O you crying out amid throngs that will not answer your cry,
O you who cry out amid crowds that do not come to your aid,
Tomorrow the wrongdoers will cry for help in the Fire.
tomorrow in the Fire, the wrongdoers will have a place to cry out.
قَوْمٌa people أفاعِيلُهمtheir deeds منbecause of قُبْحِهاtheir ugliness ضَرِطٌfarts
قَوْمٌ أفاعِيلُهم من قُبْحِها ضَرِطٌ
كَمَاjust as مَوَاعِيدُهُمْtheir promises منbecause of إفْكِهاtheir falsehood نُفَخُpuffs of air
كَمَا مَوَاعِيدُهُمْ من إفْكِها نُفَخُ
A people whose deeds, for sheer ugliness, are farts,
A people whose deeds, in their foulness, are farts,
Just as their promises, for sheer falsity, are puffs of wind.
just as their promises, in their falsehood, are puffs of air.
أقولُI say لابْنِto the son of غِيَاثٍGhiyath إذwhen رأيتُI saw لهfor him
أقولُ لابْنِ غِيَاثٍ إذ رأيتُ له
شَيْخاًan old man خَسَاسَتُهhis baseness تُخْزِيهِshames him لاnot الشَّيَخُold age
شَيْخاً خَسَاسَتُه تُخْزِيهِ لا الشَّيَخُ
I said to Ibn Ghiyath, when I saw that he had
I say to Ibn Ghiyath, upon seeing he had
An old man disgraced by his baseness—not by age:
an old man shamed by his baseness, not by old age:
لِمْwhy أنْتَyou أصْيَدُhaughty تَزْهَاهُmakes him proud نظافتهhis cleanliness
لِمْ أنْتَ أصْيَدُ تَزْهَاهُ نظافته
ولِمْand why أبُوكَyour father عليهِupon him الذُّلُّhumiliation والوَسَخُand filth
ولِمْ أبُوكَ عليهِ الذُّلُّ والوَسَخُ
Why are you a proud fellow, vaunting his cleanliness,
“Why are you haughty, your cleanliness making you proud,
While your father is covered in humiliation and filth?
and why does your father bear humiliation and filth?”
فقالthen he said لاdo not تَلْحَيَنَّاreproach us فيconcerning تَفَاوُتِنَاour differences
فقال لا تَلْحَيَنَّا في تَفَاوُتِنَا
فَإنَّنَاfor we كُتُبٌbooks آباؤُناour fathers نُسَخُcopies
فَإنَّنَا كُتُبٌ آباؤُنا نُسَخُ
He said, “Do not blame us for the disparity between us:
Then he said, “Do not reproach us for our differences,
We are books, and our fathers are the exemplars.”
for we are books, and our fathers are copies.”
وقَالَand he said أيْضاًalso وفيand in الأمثالِproverbs متَّسَعٌample scope
وقَالَ أيْضاً وفي الأمثالِ متَّسَعٌ
قدْmay يُخرِجُbring forth النَّخْلَةَthe palm tree الموصُوفَةَthe much-praised السَّبَخُsaline soil
قدْ يُخرِجُ النَّخْلَةَ الموصُوفَةَ السَّبَخُ
And he also said—for proverbs offer ample scope—
And he also said—and proverbs offer ample scope—
“Saline ground may bring forth a celebrated palm.”
“Saline soil may bring forth a much-praised palm tree.”
