خَيرٌgood وَشَرٌّand evil وَلَيلٌand night بَعدَهُafter it وَضَحٌdaylight
خَيرٌ وَشَرٌّ وَلَيلٌ بَعدَهُ وَضَحٌ
وَالناسُand people فيin الدَهرِtime مِثلُlike الدَهرِtime قِسمانِtwo kinds
وَالناسُ في الدَهرِ مِثلُ الدَهرِ قِسمانِ
Good and evil—and night, followed by daylight;
Good and evil, and night followed by daylight.
And people, through time, are like time itself: two kinds.
And people throughout time, like time itself, are of two kinds.
وَاللُبُّand the intellect حارَبَfought تَركيباًa bodily constitution يُجاهِدُهُstruggles against it
وَاللُبُّ حارَبَ تَركيباً يُجاهِدُهُ
فَالعَقلُso reason وَالطَبعُand innate nature حَتّىuntil المَوتِdeath خَصمانِtwo adversaries
فَالعَقلُ وَالطَبعُ حَتّى المَوتِ خَصمانِ
The intellect has fought a constitution that strives against it;
And the intellect fought a bodily constitution that struggles against it.
Thus reason and nature are adversaries until death.
So reason and innate nature are adversaries until death.
هَلhas ...? أَلحَدَbecome irreligious السَيفُthe sword أَوor قَلَّتdiminished دِيانَتُهُits piety
هَل أَلحَدَ السَيفُ أَو قَلَّت دِيانَتُهُ
أَوor كانَwas صاحِبَa possessor of تَوحيدٍbelief in God's oneness وَإِيمانِand faith
أَو كانَ صاحِبَ تَوحيدٍ وَإِيمانِ
Has the sword turned godless, or has its devotion waned?
Has the sword become irreligious, or has its piety waned,
Or was it ever a bearer of divine oneness and faith?
Or was it a monotheist and a believer?
وَرابَنيand made me suspicious مِنهُof it تَركُleaving الجاحِدينَthe deniers سُدىًunchecked
وَرابَني مِنهُ تَركُ الجاحِدينَ سُدىً
لَمdid not يُفجَعواbe bereaved بِرُؤوسٍof heads مُنذُfor أَزمانِages
لَم يُفجَعوا بِرُؤوسٍ مُنذُ أَزمانِ
What made me doubt it was its leaving the deniers to go free:
And what made me suspicious of it was its leaving the deniers unchecked:
For ages they have not been bereft of their heads.
They have suffered no loss of heads for ages.
