استَغفِرِseek forgiveness from اللَّهُGod القَديمَthe Eternal وَعُذand seek refuge بِهِin Him
استَغفِرِ اللَّهُ القَديمَ وَعُذ بِهِ
مِنfrom شَرِّthe evil of عافan alms-seeker فيin الحُطامِworldly dross مُنافِسِcompeting
مِن شَرِّ عاف في الحُطامِ مُنافِسِ
Seek forgiveness from God the Eternal, and seek refuge in Him
Seek God's forgiveness, the Eternal, and seek refuge in Him
From the evil of an alms-seeker competing for worldly dross.
From the evil of a vigorous rival among the ruins
وَاصنَعand perform جَميلاًa kindness لاnot يَضيعُis lost صَنيعُهُits doing
وَاصنَع جَميلاً لا يَضيعُ صَنيعُهُ
واسمَحand give freely بِقوتِكَof your food لِلضَّعيفِto the weak one البائِسِthe wretched
واسمَح بِقوتِكَ لِلضَّعيفِ البائِسِ
And do a kindness: its good is never lost.
Do good that does not waste away
And freely give your food to the weak and wretched.
And be gentle with your power to the weak and miserable
واقنَعand be content فَفيfor in عَيشِthe life of القَناعَةِcontentment نِعمَةٌa blessing
واقنَع فَفي عَيشِ القَناعَةِ نِعمَةٌ
لاnot تَتَّقيfear كَفَّthe hand of الزَّمانِTime الخالِسِthe snatcher
لا تَتَّقي كَفَّ الزَّمانِ الخالِسِ
And be content: in a contented life lies a blessing.
Be content, for in the life of contentment there is bounty
You need not fear the hand of thieving Time.
That the palm of time, the fading, cannot diminish
لاdo not تَركِنَنَّincline إِلىto المِراءdisputation فَإِنَّهُfor it
لا تَركِنَنَّ إِلى المِراء فَإِنَّهُ
سَبَبٌa cause لِكُلِّof every تَنافُرestrangement وَتَشاوسِand hostile glances
سَبَبٌ لِكُلِّ تَنافُر وَتَشاوسِ
Do not incline to disputation, for it is
Do not incline towards contention, for it
A cause of every estrangement and hostile glare.
Is the cause of all alienation and hatred
ضَلَّتwent astray بَنوthe sons of غَطفانَGhatafan لَمّاwhen قُتِّلَتwere slaughtered
ضَلَّت بَنو غَطفانَ لَمّا قُتِّلَت
سادَاتُهاits chiefs غَضَباًin anger لِلَطمَةِover the slap to داحِسِDahis
سادَاتُها غَضَباً لِلَطمَةِ داحِسِ
The sons of Ghatafan went astray when slaughter befell
The Banu Gatafan went astray when
Their chiefs, in anger over the slap to Dahis.
Their chiefs were killed in anger over Dahis
وَالحارِثُand al-Harith البَكرِيُّal-Bakri قامَrose إِلىto الوَغىbattle
وَالحارِثُ البَكرِيُّ قامَ إِلى الوَغى
مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat أَمضىhe affirmed عَزيمَةَthe resolve of جالِسِone seated
مِن بَعدِ ما أَمضى عَزيمَةَ جالِسِ
And al-Harith al-Bakri rose to battle
And al-Harith al-Bakri rose up in turmoil
After affirming the resolve of one who sat aside.
After he had made the resolution of one sitting
أَلِفَgrew accustomed to البَخيلُthe miser مَكاسَهُhis haggling فيover مالِهِhis wealth
أَلِفَ البَخيلُ مَكاسَهُ في مالِهِ
وَالعُمرُand life أنفِقَwas spent مِنهُof it غَيرُwithout مُماكِسِhaggling
وَالعُمرُ أنفِقَ مِنهُ غَيرُ مُماكِسِ
The miser grew accustomed to haggling over his wealth,
The miser has become accustomed to hoarding his money
Yet his lifetime was spent without haggling.
While life passes by him unheeding
وَثَوىand he lay dead فَأرمسَthen he was buried ثُمَّthen صارَbecame تُراثُهُhis inheritance
وَثَوى فَأرمسَ ثُمَّ صارَ تُراثُهُ
قَسَماًan allotment يَفيضُoverflow بِهِover it دموعُtears الرّامِسِthe burier
قَسَماً يَفيضُ بِهِ دموعُ الرّامِسِ
He lay dead and was buried; then his inheritance became
And he passed away, then his inheritance became
An allotment over which the burier's tears flowed.
A portion overflowing with the tears of the disposer
عاذَتsought refuge بَنوthe sons of جَوّاءJawwa' مِنfrom إِبليسَIblis فيin الthe
عاذَت بَنو جَوّاء مِن إِبليسَ في ال
دُنياworld وَكَمand how many فيهِمamong them فُنونُkinds أَبالِسِdevils
دُنيا وَكَم فيهِم فُنونُ أَبالِسِ
The sons of Jawwa' sought refuge from Iblis in the
The Banu Jawwa sought refuge from Iblis in
World—and how many kinds of devils are among them!
This world, and how many kinds of evils are among them
دَرَسواthey studied العُلومَthe sciences لِيَملِكواso they might secure بِجِدالِهِمthrough their disputation
دَرَسوا العُلومَ لِيَملِكوا بِجِدالِهِم
فيهاin them صُدورَthe foremost places of مَراتِبٍranks وَمَجالِسِand assemblies
فيها صُدورَ مَراتِبٍ وَمَجالِسِ
They studied the sciences to secure, through their disputations,
They studied knowledge to overpower with their arguments
Therein, the highest ranks and foremost seats in assemblies.
Minds and gatherings
وَتَزَهَّدواand they feigned asceticism حَتّىuntil أَصابواthey found فُرصَةًan opportunity
وَتَزَهَّدوا حَتّى أَصابوا فُرصَةً
فيin أَخذِtaking مالِthe wealth of مَساجِدٍmosques وَكَنائِسِand churches
في أَخذِ مالِ مَساجِدٍ وَكَنائِسِ
And they feigned asceticism until they found a chance
And practiced asceticism until they found an opportunity
To take the wealth of mosques and churches.
To take the money of mosques and churches
إِيوانُthe vaulted hall of كِسرىKisra صارَbecame مَرتَعَpasture for ثُلَّةٍa flock
إِيوانُ كِسرى صارَ مَرتَعَ ثُلَّةٍ
وَدِيارُهُand his dwellings باتَتbecame overnight مَناخَa camping ground for عَرائِسِbrides
وَدِيارُهُ باتَت مَناخَ عَرائِسِ
Kisra's vaulted hall became pasture for a flock,
The palace of Kisra became a pasture for rabble
And his dwellings became camping grounds for brides.
And his abode a resting place for brides
وَالحِيرَةُand al-Hira البَيضاءُthe white بُدِّلَwas changed أنسُهاits cheer
وَالحِيرَةُ البَيضاءُ بُدِّلَ أنسُها
قَدَرٌfate أَطاعَتهُobeyed it مَدائِنُthe cities of فارِسِPersia
قَدَرٌ أَطاعَتهُ مَدائِنُ فارِسِ
And white al-Hira's cheer was transformed
And al-Hirah al-Bayda, its charm was changed
By a fate obeyed by the cities of Persia.
To a pot obeyed by the cities of Persia
ياO عَقلُreason ماnot لَكَfor you فيin اللَّطائِفِthe subtleties مَنهَجٌa path
يا عَقلُ ما لَكَ في اللَّطائِفِ مَنهَجٌ
فَلإِنso if عَثَرتَyou stumble فَلاthen no لَعاًmay you rise again لِلنَّاعِسِfor the drowsy one
فَلإِن عَثَرتَ فَلا لَعاً لِلنَّاعِسِ
O reason, you have no path through the subtleties;
O intellect, you have no sound approach to subtleties
So if you stumble, no 'May you rise again!' for the drowsy!
So if you stumble, the sleeping person is not blamed
أَماas for النُّجومُthe stars فَقَدso indeed تَضَمَّنَhas enveloped شأنَهاtheir affairs
أَما النُّجومُ فَقَد تَضَمَّنَ شأنَها
جَهلُthe ignorance of اللَّبيبِthe sage وَبُعدُand the remoteness of نَيلthe reach of اللامِسِthe toucher
جَهلُ اللَّبيبِ وَبُعدُ نَيل اللامِسِ
As for the stars, their affairs are indeed shrouded in
As for the stars, their affair contains
The sage's ignorance and their distance from a toucher's reach.
The ignorance of the sensible and the deprivation of the toucher
عمريby my life لَقَدsurely ذَهَبَhave gone الَّذينَthose who تَفَكَّرواreflected
عمري لَقَد ذَهَبَ الَّذينَ تَفَكَّروا
فيهاon them وَماand not ظَفِرواthey gained بِغَيرِwith other than وَساوِسِmisgivings
فيها وَما ظَفِروا بِغَيرِ وَساوِسِ
By my life, gone are those who reflected
My life! Those who contemplated them are gone
On them, and gained nothing but misgivings.
And they did not gain anything but whisperings
ماnot قَولُthe statement of بَطليموسُPtolemy فيهاabout them حُجَّةًproof
ما قَولُ بَطليموسُ فيها حُجَّةً
عِنديto me وَلاnor المَروِيَّwhat is reported عَنfrom رُسطالِسِAristotle
عِندي وَلا المَروِيَّ عَن رُسطالِسِ
Ptolemy's words about them are no proof
The saying of Ptolemy about them is not evidence for me
To me, nor is what is reported from Aristotle.
Nor that transmitted from Aristalis
حارَbecame bewildered الأَنامُhumankind فَلاso no دَلالَةُproof ناظِرٍa thinker
حارَ الأَنامُ فَلا دَلالَةُ ناظِرٍ
تَشفيheals العُقولَthe minds وَلاnor إِمارَةُa sign قابِسِone seeking a spark
تَشفي العُقولَ وَلا إِمارَةُ قابِسِ
Humankind is bewildered: no thinker's proof
People were confused - neither the insight of an observer
Can heal minds, nor can a light-seeker's sign.
Comforts minds, nor the sign of a divider
لاdo not تَحفَلَنَّgive heed بِماto what حَوَتهُcontained it صَحائِفٌpages
لا تَحفَلَنَّ بِما حَوَتهُ صَحائِفٌ
لَهُمُof theirs وَإِنand even if وجدَتyou find بِخَطِّin handwriting دارِسِfaded
لَهُمُ وَإِن وجدَت بِخَطِّ دارِسِ
Give no heed to what is contained in pages
Do not care about what their pages contain
Of theirs, even if you find it in faded script.
Even if you find it in the writing of a cultivator
فالمَينُfor falsehood رُكِّبَwas compounded فيin طَبائِعَnatures أَربَعٍfour
فالمَينُ رُكِّبَ في طَبائِعَ أَربَعٍ
وَالصِّدقُand truth عُدَّwas counted مِنَamong القَبيلِthe kind الخامِسِthe fifth
وَالصِّدقُ عُدَّ مِنَ القَبيلِ الخامِسِ
For falsehood was compounded into four natures,
For calumny is embedded in four natures
And truth was counted among the fifth kind.
And truthfulness is counted among the fifth type
عَجَباًhow strange لِهَمّامٍat Hammam يُنازِعُcontends with خَصمَهُhis rival
عَجَباً لِهَمّامٍ يُنازِعُ خَصمَهُ
فيover آلِthe clan of يَربوعٍYarbu' وَأسرَةِand the family of حابِسِHabis
في آلِ يَربوعٍ وَأسرَةِ حابِسِ
How strange that Hammam contends with his rival
How strange is a protector who argues with his opponent
Over the clan of Yarbu' and the family of Habis!
About the family of Yarbu' and the clan of Habis!
هَيهاتَfar from it ماnot شَرَفُthe nobility of الأُصولِthe roots بِنافِعِof any use
هَيهاتَ ما شَرَفُ الأُصولِ بِنافِعِ
حَتّىuntil يَكونَthere are ذَوائِبٌtreetops لِمغارِسِfor plantings
حَتّى يَكونَ ذَوائِبٌ لِمغارِسِ
Far from it! Noble roots are of no use
Alas! The nobility of ancestry is of no benefit
Until the plantings bear crowns.
Unless it has branches from a planted tree
لاdo not تَفعَلنdo so وَإِنand if فَعَلتَyou do فَبِالتُّقىthen with piety
لا تَفعَلن وَإِن فَعَلتَ فَبِالتُّقى
ناضِلcontend وَفيand in بَذلِbestowing المَكارِمِnoble deeds نافِسِvie
ناضِل وَفي بَذلِ المَكارِمِ نافِسِ
Do not do so; but if you do, then with piety
Do not act, and if you do act, then with piety
Contend, and vie in lavish deeds of generosity.
Be virtuous and in giving noble deeds be competing
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.