1. جرى بين هرمس والشمس في

    قديم الزمان كلام طويلُ

    There took place between Hermes and the Sun, in

    ancient times, a lengthy conversation.

  2. وإخوانه وهمُ خمسة

    وأختاه بين يديه حلولُ

    And his brothers, five in number,

    and his two sisters were present before him.

  3. وهرمس أقدمهم كلهم

    وأكبرهم وهو شيخ نبيلُ

    And Hermes was the oldest of them all,

    and the greatest, a noble elder.

  4. فقال لهم إنني قد نظرت

    وفكري صحيح ورأيي أصيلُ

    He said to them: I have reflected,

    and my thought is sound, my judgment well-founded.

  5. فلم أرَ أجدر يا شمس منك

    بذا الملك وهوالمحل الجليلُ

    I have seen none more worthy than you, O Sun,

    of this kingship, which is an exalted station.

  6. فنحن نوليك فالطف بنا

    فمن عند مثلك يرجى الجميلُ

    So we invest you with rule; be gentle with us,

    for kindness is hoped for from one such as you.

  7. ونرقى بك اليوم فوق الجميع

    ومالي عمانراه عدولُ

    And today we raise you above them all,

    and I shall not turn aside from what we see.

  8. وأعلم أنك لي قاتل

    وآنيَ عما قليل قتيلُ

    And I know that you will be my slayer,

    and that before long I shall be slain.

  9. فقال له الشمس نعم القرين

    لعمري أنت ونعم الخليلُ

    The Sun said to him: A fine companion,

    by my life, you are, and a fine friend!

  10. فغن كنت مستيقنا إنني

    بقربك مني حسني يزولُ

    So, if you are certain that I

    lose my beauty through your nearness to me—

  11. فقال له بي تزداد نسلاً

    ومن قوة منك عمري يطولُ

    He said to him: Through me you gain more offspring,

    and through strength from you my life grows longer.

  12. فقال له الشمس إنّ الجميع

    لي ولأمرك طوع ذلولُ

    The Sun said to him: All of them

    are compliant and submissive to me and to your command,

  13. سوي آرس إنه كاره

    لحكمك وهو الشقي الخدول

    except Ares, who is averse

    to your rule, wretched and faithless.

  14. فقال له إنّ ذاك الجفاء

    ظل يزول وحال تحولُ

    He said to him: That estrangement

    is a passing shadow, a changing state.

  15. إذا أنا أرضعته مدة

    وداريته فهو بَرٌ وصولُ

    If I suckle him for a while

    and treat him gently, he will be dutiful and devoted.

  16. فقال له الشمس إياك أن

    تغيب عني غالتك غول

    The Sun said to him: Beware lest you

    leave me—may a ghoul destroy you!

  17. فإنك إن غبتَ عني قتلتُ

    وكان لملكي وبال وبيلُ

    For if you leave me, I shall be slain,

    and my kingdom would suffer a dire calamity.

  18. وفرّقتَ بيني وبين الرفاق

    فالعقد مني ومنهم سحيل

    And you would separate me from my companions;

    for the cord binding me to them is only singly twisted.

  19. فقال له أحسنِ الظن بي

    فبي سوف تجمع تلك الشكولُ

    He said to him: Think well of me,

    for through me you will unite those kindred forms.

  20. فقال له الشمس إن صَحَّ ذا

    فحظك منيَ حظ جزيلُ

    The Sun said to him: If this proves true,

    your share from me will be a generous share.

  21. وإلا فعندي لكم كلكم

    من النار والله سيف صقيلُ

    Otherwise, I have for you, all of you,

    a polished sword of fire, by God.

  22. فقال والله ربي حلفت

    لا زلت ما عشت عما أقولُ

    He said: By God, my Lord, I have sworn

    never, while I live, to turn aside from what I say.

  23. أقيم لديك إلى أن يصير

    جسمك روحا ونعم البديل

    I shall remain with you until

    your body becomes spirit—an excellent replacement.

  24. فقال له الشمس إني حلفت

    يمينا شهودي عليها عدولُ

    The Sun said to him: I have sworn

    an oath, and my witnesses to it are upright.

  25. فإن صح قولك ذا لا برحت

    إلا وجسمي إليك ثقيلُ

    If this claim of yours proves true, I shall not depart

    except with my body weighing heavily upon you.

  26. فقالوا جميعا رضينا بذا

    فكل بما نحن قلنا كفيل

    They all said: We agree to this,

    and each is surety for what we have said.

  27. فقال لهم إخوتي كلكم

    يريد الإباقَ فماذا تقولُ

    He said to them: My brothers, every one of you

    wishes to flee; what, then, do you say?

  28. وأنت فتحت لهم في الإباقُ

    وذلك من طبعهم مستحيلُ

    And you have opened the way for them to flee,

    though by their nature this is impossible.

  29. فإن أنت أبَّقتَهُم لي يكن

    لنسل بقاء ولا لي حويلُ

    If you make them flee, I shall have

    no enduring offspring, nor any strength.

  30. وأهلكت ملكي وأهلكتني

    وأتلفت من إخوتي من يعولُ

    And you will destroy my kingdom and destroy me,

    and ruin those among my brothers who provide support.

  31. فقال له اعمل برأيي فإني

    نصيح وللنصح يرجى القبول

    He said to him: Follow my judgment, for I

    am a sincere adviser, and I hope my counsel is accepted.

  32. عليك بإغلاق ناموسنا

    ففيه المبيت وفيه المقيلُ

    You must shut our chamber,

    for it is our night's lodging and our noonday resting place.

  33. وأحكم مغاليق أبوابه

    إلى أن يسد عليه السبيلُ

    And secure the locks of its doors,

    until the way to it is barred.

  34. ومن قيّم الأمر لا تذهلن عني

    فأصل الفساد الذهولُ

    And whoever oversees the work: do not neglect me,

    for heedlessness is the root of ruin.

  35. لأستخرج الروح من إخوتي

    فطوعي شبابهم والكهولُ

    So that I may extract the spirit from my brothers;

    for their young and their middle-aged are at my command.

  36. واجعله لك تاجاً به

    تُباهي الملوكَ وتُسبي العقولُ

    And I shall make it a crown for you, with which

    you will rival kings and captivate minds.

  37. وارفع ذكرك في الغابرين

    وذاك لمثلك عندي قليلُ

    And I shall raise your renown among generations to come,

    and for one such as you, I deem that little.

  38. فيا حسن ذلك من مجلس

    ويا طيب ماضمنته الفصولُ

    So, what a fine gathering that was,

    and how delightful the contents of those passages!

  39. حكيت لكم كل ما قد وعيت

    وحسبيَ ربي ونعم الوكيلُ

    I have recounted to you all that I retained,

    and my Lord suffices me—an excellent Trustee.