نُفوسٌsouls لِلقِيامَةِtoward the Resurrection تَشرَئِبُcrane their necks
نُفوسٌ لِلقِيامَةِ تَشرَئِبُ
وَغَيٌّand error فيin البَطالَةِidleness مُتلَئِبُّpressing steadily onward
وَغَيٌّ في البَطالَةِ مُتلَئِبُّ
Souls crane their necks toward the Resurrection,
while error presses steadily on in idleness.
تَأَبّىyou refuse أَنto تَجيءَdo الخَيرَgood يَوماًone day
تَأَبّى أَن تَجيءَ الخَيرَ يَوماً
وَأَنتَwhile you لِيَومِfor a day of غُفرانٍforgiveness تَئِبُّyearn
وَأَنتَ لِيَومِ غُفرانٍ تَئِبُّ
You refuse ever to do good,
yet yearn for a day of forgiveness.
فَلاso do not يَغرُركَlet deceive you بِشرٌa cheerful face مِنfrom صَديقٍa friend
فَلا يَغرُركَ بِشرٌ مِن صَديقٍ
فَإِنَّfor indeed ضَميرَهُhis inner thoughts إِحَنٌgrudges وَخَبُّand guile
فَإِنَّ ضَميرَهُ إِحَنٌ وَخَبُّ
Let no friend's cheerful face deceive you,
for within him lie grudges and guile.
وَإِنَّand indeed الناسَpeople طِفلٌa child أَوor كَبيرٌan adult
وَإِنَّ الناسَ طِفلٌ أَو كَبيرٌ
يَشيبُgrows gray عَلىin الغَوايَةِerror أَوor يَشِبُّgrows up
يَشيبُ عَلى الغَوايَةِ أَو يَشِبُّ
And people, whether children or adults,
grow gray in error, or grow up in it.
تُحِبُّyou love حَياتَكَyour life الدُنياworldly سَفاهاًfoolishly
تُحِبُّ حَياتَكَ الدُنيا سَفاهاً
وَماand not جادَتit bestowed عَلَيكَupon you بِماwith what تُحِبُّyou love
وَما جادَت عَلَيكَ بِما تُحِبُّ
Foolishly you love your worldly life,
though it has not bestowed on you what you love.
وَإِنَّكand indeed you مُنذُsince كَونِthe becoming of النَفسِthe soul عَنساًa sturdy she-camel
وَإِنَّك مُنذُ كَونِ النَفسِ عَنساً
لَتوضِعُyou surely race فيin الضَلالَةِerror أَوor تُخِبُّyou trot
لَتوضِعُ في الضَلالَةِ أَو تُخِبُّ
And ever since your soul became a sturdy she-camel,
you have raced through error, or trotted.
وَإِنand though طالَis prolonged الرُقادُslumber مِنَamong البَراياmortals
وَإِن طالَ الرُقادُ مِنَ البَرايا
فَإِنَّthen indeed الراقِدينَthe sleepers لَهُمhave for themselves مَهَبُّan awakening
فَإِنَّ الراقِدينَ لَهُم مَهَبُّ
Though the slumber of mortals be long,
the sleepers will surely have an awakening.
غَرامُكَyour infatuation بِالفَتاةِwith the maiden خَنىًlewdness وَغَمٌّand grief
غَرامُكَ بِالفَتاةِ خَنىً وَغَمٌّ
وَلَيسَand not يَسَرُّdelights مَنwhoever يَشتاقُyearns غِبُّvisits at intervals
وَلَيسَ يَسَرُّ مَن يَشتاقُ غِبُّ
Your infatuation with the maiden is lewdness and grief,
and visits at intervals do not delight one who yearns.
لَوif أَنَّthat سَوادَthe blackness of كَيوانٍSaturn خِضابٌdye
لَو أَنَّ سَوادَ كَيوانٍ خِضابٌ
بِكَفِّكَupon your palm وَالسُهىand Suha فيin الأُذنِthe ear حَبُّa bead
بِكَفِّكَ وَالسُهى في الأُذنِ حَبُّ
Were Saturn's blackness dye
upon your palm, and Suha a bead in your ear,
لَماthen not نَجّاكَsaved you مِنfrom غَيرِthe reversals of اللَياليthe nights
لَما نَجّاكَ مِن غَيرِ اللَيالي
سَناءٌglory فارِعٌtowering وَغِنىًand wealth مُرِبُّenduring
سَناءٌ فارِعٌ وَغِنىً مُرِبُّ
you would not be saved from the reversals of the nights
by towering glory and enduring wealth.
وَماand not يَحميكَprotects you عِزٌّmight إِنif تَسَبّىyou are taken captive
وَما يَحميكَ عِزٌّ إِن تَسَبّى
وَلَوeven if أَنَّthat الظَلامَdarkness عَلَيكَover you سِبُّa veil
وَلَو أَنَّ الظَلامَ عَلَيكَ سِبُّ
No might can shield you if you are taken captive,
even were darkness itself a veil upon you.
أَرىI see جِنحَthe wing of الدُجىnight's darkness أَوفىfuller جَناحاًin wing
أَرى جِنحَ الدُجى أَوفى جَناحاً
وَماتَand has died غُرابُهُits raven الجَونُblack المُرِبُّlingering
وَماتَ غُرابُهُ الجَونُ المُرِبُّ
I see night's darkness fuller-winged,
and its black, lingering raven has died.
فَماso what لِلنَسرِis with the Eagle لَيسَdoes not يَطيرُfly فيهِwithin it
فَما لِلنَسرِ لَيسَ يَطيرُ فيهِ
وَعَقرَبُهُand its Scorpion المُضِبَّةُlurking لاdoes not تَدُبُّcrawl
وَعَقرَبُهُ المُضِبَّةُ لا تَدُبُّ
Why, then, does the Eagle not fly within it,
and why does its lurking Scorpion not crawl?
أَيَجلوdoes ... reveal الشَمسَthe sun لِلرائيto the beholder نَهارٌdaylight
أَيَجلو الشَمسَ لِلرائي نَهارٌ
فَقَدfor indeed شَرَقَتit has risen وَمَشرِقُهاand its rising-place مُضِبُّmist-shrouded
فَقَد شَرَقَت وَمَشرِقُها مُضِبُّ
Does daylight reveal the sun to the beholder?
For it has risen, though its rising-place is mist-shrouded.
وَلَمand did not يَدفَعward off رَدىthe death of سُقراطَSocrates لَفظٌspeech
وَلَم يَدفَع رَدى سُقراطَ لَفظٌ
وَلاnor بِقراطُHippocrates حامىdefended عَنهُon his behalf طِبُّmedicine
وَلا بِقراطُ حامى عَنهُ طِبُّ
And no words warded off Socrates' death,
nor did medicine defend Hippocrates.
إِذاif آسَيتَنيyou tend me بِشَفاًat the brink صَريعاًstricken
إِذا آسَيتَني بِشَفاً صَريعاً
فَدَعنيthen leave me كُلُّevery ذيpossessor of أَمَلٍhope يَتِبُّperishes
فَدَعني كُلُّ ذي أَمَلٍ يَتِبُّ
If you tend me, stricken at death's brink,
then leave me: everyone who hopes must perish.
وَلاand do not تَذبُبdrive away هُناكَthere الطَيرَthe birds عَنّيfrom me
وَلا تَذبُب هُناكَ الطَيرَ عَنّي
ولاand do not تَبلُلmoisten يَداكَyour two hands فَماًa mouth يَذِبُّwithers
ولا تَبلُل يَداكَ فَماً يَذِبُّ
And do not drive the birds away from me there,
nor let your hands moisten a mouth that withers.
Translation model: Sol 6.1