أَبتغيI seek الموتَdeath ليسَnot أَنَّthat صَنيعيmy deeds
أَبتغي الموتَ ليسَ أَنَّ صَنيعي
مستقيمٌupright فيin سِيرتيmy way of life وسُلوكيand my conduct
مستقيمٌ في سِيرتي وسُلوكي
I seek death—not because my conduct
I seek death—not because my deeds
runs straight in my course and way of life;
are upright in my way of life and conduct.
بلrather حَياتيmy life لمنto whoever يَرانيَsees me شَكٌّa doubt
بل حَياتي لمن يَرانيَ شَكٌّ
فمَماتيso my death إِزالةُremoval التشكيكِthe casting of doubt
فمَماتي إِزالةُ التشكيكِ
rather, my life is a source of doubt to whoever sees me,
Rather, my life is a doubt to whoever sees me,
while my death would dispel that doubt.
so my death dispels doubt.
إنif تملَّكتُI hold sway مُدَّةًfor a time واستطالتand it grows long
إن تملَّكتُ مُدَّةً واستطالت
طالتgrow الطائلاتُthe claims for redress عندbefore مليكيmy King
طالت الطائلاتُ عند مليكي
If I possess a span of time and it lengthens,
If I hold sway for a time, and it grows long,
grave offenses lengthen before my sovereign.
the claims against me grow before my King.
كَبُرَgrew الذنبُthe sin عادَbecame ممتنعَimpossible التصغيرto diminish
كَبُرَ الذنبُ عادَ ممتنعَ التصغير
كالقولas in the saying فيabout اخيكِyour brother وفيكِand about you
كالقول في اخيكِ وفيكِ
Once a sin grows great, it can no longer be made small—
The sin has grown, becoming impossible to diminish,
as with what is said of your brother and of you.
as in the saying about your brother and you.
إنَّماonly الوَيلُwoe مُضعِفٌweakening لغبيٍّfor a fool
إنَّما الوَيلُ مُضعِفٌ لغبيٍّ
قامbecame للناسfor people عِلَّةًa cause للشُكوكِof doubts
قام للناس عِلَّةً للشُكوكِ
Woe is only doubled for a fool
Woe only weakens a fool
who stands before the people as a cause of doubts,
who has become a cause of doubt for people,
مُغفِلاًneglecting مَنهَجَthe path الهِدايةِof guidance طَوعاًwillingly
مُغفِلاً مَنهَجَ الهِدايةِ طَوعاً
غيرَnot سارٍwalking فيalong نَهجِهاits way المسلوكِthe trodden
غيرَ سارٍ في نَهجِها المسلوكِ
willfully neglecting the path of guidance
willingly neglecting the path of guidance,
and failing to walk its well-trodden way.
not walking along its trodden way.
إِنَّindeed نفساًa soul ثَوَتdwelt بجسمٍin a body دنيٍّlowly
إِنَّ نفساً ثَوَت بجسمٍ دنيٍّ
أُسِرَتwas taken captive منهُby it فَهيَso it is كالمملوكِlike a slave
أُسِرَت منهُ فَهيَ كالمملوكِ
Indeed, a soul that dwells within a lowly body
Indeed, a soul that has dwelt in a lowly body
is imprisoned by it and thus is like a slave;
has been taken captive by it, and is like a slave.
تستلذُّsavors انحِلالهاits release منهُfrom it يوماًone day
تستلذُّ انحِلالها منهُ يوماً
لَذَّةَthe joy الإِنفِكاكِof deliverance للمضنوكِfor one in distress
لَذَّةَ الإِنفِكاكِ للمضنوكِ
one day it will delight in being unbound from it—
It savors its release from it one day,
the delight of deliverance known to the afflicted.
with the joy of deliverance felt by one in distress.
