وَالخُنَّسِby the retreating planets الخَمسِthe five مايَخلوis not free فَتىًa young man وَرِعٌdevout
وَالخُنَّسِ الخَمسِ مايَخلو فَتىً وَرِعٌ
مِنfrom مارِدٍa rebellious devil فيin ضَميرِthe inner recesses of الصَدرِthe breast خَنّاسِever withdrawing
مِن مارِدٍ في ضَميرِ الصَدرِ خَنّاسِ
By the five retreating planets, no devout young man is free
The hidden five bring no pious youth relief
from a rebellious, ever-withdrawing devil in the heart's depths.
From mischief-making demons in their chests that lurk and creep
عَداوَةِenmity الحُمقِthe fools أَعفىless harmful مِنthan صَداقَتِهِمtheir friendship
عَداوَةِ الحُمقِ أَعفى مِن صَداقَتِهِم
فَاَبعُدso keep away مِنَfrom الناسِpeople تَأمَنyou will be safe from شِرَّةَviciousness الناسِpeople
فَاَبعُد مِنَ الناسِ تَأمَن شِرَّةَ الناسِ
The enmity of fools is less harmful than their friendship;
Better to shun fools and their hostile acts I say
so keep away from people, and you will be safe from their viciousness.
Than seek their friendship, so from people stay away
قَدindeed آنَسونيthey comforted me بِإيحاشيby making me lonely إِذاwhen بَعُدواthey were far away
قَد آنَسوني بِإيحاشي إِذا بَعُدوا
وَأَوحَشونِيَand they made me lonely فيin قُربٍnearness بِإيناسِthrough companionship
وَأَوحَشونِيَ في قُربٍ بِإيناسِ
They comforted me by leaving me lonely when they were far away,
When distant they would show me friendship kind
and made me lonely when near, through their companionship.
Yet when near, their graces they would hide behind
وَالشَرُّand evil طَبعٌan innate trait وَقَدand indeed بُثَّتwas spread غَريزَتُهُits instinct
وَالشَرُّ طَبعٌ وَقَد بُثَّت غَريزَتُهُ
مَقسومَةًapportioned بَينَamong أَنواعٍkinds وَأَجناسِand species
مَقسومَةً بَينَ أَنواعٍ وَأَجناسِ
And evil is innate, and its instinct has been spread,
Evil's the very nature, rooted in its seed
apportioned among kinds and species.
Ingrained in every race, its traits decreed
ذَكَرتَyou remembered لَفظاًa phrase وَأُنسيتَand you were made to forget المُرادَthe intended meaning بِهِby it
ذَكَرتَ لَفظاً وَأُنسيتَ المُرادَ بِهِ
مِنfrom قائِليهِthose who uttered it فَأَنتَso you are الذاكِرُthe one who remembers الناسيthe one who forgets
مِن قائِليهِ فَأَنتَ الذاكِرُ الناسي
You remembered a phrase, but were made to forget its meaning
Recall the words, but forget what they imply
as intended by its speakers—so you remember, yet forget.
You who recalls yet comprehension lets slip by
تَخَرَّصَfabricated القَومُthe people فيin الأَخبارِthe reports أَوor مُسِخواthey were transformed
تَخَرَّصَ القَومُ في الأَخبارِ أَو مُسِخوا
فَبُدِّلواso they were changed بَعدَafter إِنسٍbeing human جيلَa race of نَسناسِnasnās (mythical half-human creatures)
فَبُدِّلوا بَعدَ إِنسٍ جيلَ نَسناسِ
The people fabricated reports, or else were transformed,
Transformed are they by news into beasts or worse
so, after being human, they were changed into a race of nasnās.
After men, a generation now of apes perverse
تَصَعَّدَrose aloft الجَوهَرُthe essence الصافيpure وَخَلَّفَناand left us behind
تَصَعَّدَ الجَوهَرُ الصافي وَخَلَّفَنا
فيon الأَرضِthe earth كَثرَةَan abundance of أَوساخٍfilth وَأَدناسِand impurities
في الأَرضِ كَثرَةَ أَوساخٍ وَأَدناسِ
The pure essence rose aloft and left us behind
The essence pure ascends, leaves us below
on earth—a mass of filth and impurities.
Amid the many impure smears of dirt and glow