الْحَمْدُPraise
Praise be to God.
وَالطَّعَامُAnd the foodالَّذِيthatآثَرْتُمُوهُyou preferredيَعُودُreturnsرَجِيعًا1as excrement
And the food that you preferred returns as excrement.
وَالشَّارِبُAnd the drinkerيَصِيرُbecomesبَوْلًاurine
And the drinker becomes urine.
وَالْبِنَاءُAnd the buildingيَعُودُreturnsنَقْضًا2to ruin
And the building returns to ruin.
وَالْغِنَاءُAnd singingرِيحٌis a windهَابَّةٌblowingوَمُسْقِطٌand a cause of fallلِلْمُرُوءَةِof manliness
And singing is a blowing wind and a cause of fall of manliness.
وَسَخَافَةٌAnd foolishnessتُفْسِدُcorrupts
And foolishness corrupts.
وَرَنَّةٌAnd a soundتَسِيرُ3that travels
And a sound that travels.
فَلَذَّتُكُمْSo your pleasureفِيمَاin whatحَوَىcontainsلَكُمُfor youالْفَقْرُpovertyوَنَقْضُand the ruinالْمُرُوءَةِof manliness
So your pleasure is in what poverty and the ruin of manliness contain for you.
وَلَذَّتُنَاAnd our pleasureفِيمَاin whatحَوَىcontainsلَنَاfor usالْغِنَىwealthوَبَنَىand buildsالْمُرُوءَةَmanliness
And our pleasure is in what wealth and the building of manliness contain for us.
فَنَحْنُSo weفِيinبِنَاءٍbuildingوَأَنْتُمْand youفِيinهَدْمٍdemolition
So we are in building and you are in demolition.
وَنَحْنُAnd weفِيinإِبْرَامٍconsolidationوَأَنْتُمْand youفِيinنَقْضٍ4ruin
And we are in consolidation and you are in ruin.
وَنَحْنُAnd weفِيinالْتِمَاسِseekingالْعِزِّgloryالدَّائِمِlastingمَعَwithفَوْتِlossبَعْضِsomeاللَّذَّةِpleasure
And we are in seeking lasting glory with the loss of some pleasure.
وَأَنْتُمْAnd youفِيinالتَّعَرُّضِexposing yourselvesلِلذُّلِّto humiliationالدَّائِمِlastingمَعَwithفَوْتِlossكُلِّallالْمُرُوءَةِmanliness
And you are in exposing yourselves to lasting humiliation with the loss of all manliness.
وَقَدْAnd indeedفَهِمْنَاwe understoodمَعْنَىthe meaningحِكَايَتِكَof your tale
And indeed we understood the meaning of your tale.
وَمَاAnd whatلَهِجْتَyou insisted onبِهِin itرِوَايَتُكَyour narration
And what you insisted on in your narration.
وَالدَّلِيلُAnd the proofعَلَىofانْتِقَاضِthe breakingطِبَاعِكَ5of your nature
And the proof of the breaking of your nature.
وَإِدْبَارِand turning awayأَمْرِكَof your affair
and turning away of your affair.
اسْتِحْسَانُكَis your approvalضِدَّof the oppositeمَاof whatكُنْتَyou wereتَسْتَحْسِنُapproving
is your approval of the opposite of what you were approving.
وَعِشْقُكَAnd your loveلِمَاfor whatلَمْnotتَزَلْyou haveتَمْقُتُbeen detesting
And your love for what you have not ceased detesting.
فَبُعْدًاSo awayوَسُحْقًاand destruction
So away and destruction.
وَلَاAnd notيُبْعِدُremovesاللَّهُGodإِلَّاexceptمَنْone whoظَلَمَis unjust
And God does not remove except one who is unjust.
وَالشَّاعِرُAnd the poetأَبْصَرُmore insightfulبِكُمْabout youحَيْثُwhenيَقُولُhe says
And the poet is more insightful about you when he says:
فَإِنْFor ifسَمِعْتَyou hearبِهَلَكٍof destructionلِلْبَخِيلِfor the miserفَقُلْthen say
For if you hear of destruction for the miser, then say:
بُعْدًاAwayوَسُحْقًاand destructionلَهُfor himمِنْfromهَالِكٍone perishingمُودٍ6dying
Away and destruction for him, from one perishing and dying.
تَرَاثُهُHis inheritanceجَنَّةٌis a gardenلِلْوَارِثِينَfor the inheritorsإِذَاwhenأَوْدَىhe dies
His inheritance is a garden for the inheritors when he dies.
وَجُثْمَانُهُAnd his bodyلِلتُّرْبِis for the dustوَالدُّودِand the worms
And his body is for the dust and the worms.
وَقَالَAnd another saidآخَرُanother
And another said:
تَبْلَىPerishمَحَاسِنُthe virtuesوَجْهِهِof his faceفِيinقَبْرِهِhis grave
The virtues of his face perish in his grave.
وَالْمَالُAnd the wealthبَيْنَamongعَدُوِّهِhis enemiesمَقْسُومٌdivided
And the wealth is divided among his enemies.
وَالْحَمْدُAnd praiseلِلَّهِto Godالَّذِيwhoلَمْdid notيُمِتْنِيlet me dieحَتَّىuntilأَرَانِيكَHe showed me youوَكِيلًاas an agentفِيoverمَالِكَ7your wealth
And praise to God who did not let me die until He showed me you as an agent over your wealth.
وَأَجِيرًاand a hired servantلِوَارِثِكَfor your inheritor
and a hired servant for your inheritor.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forأَنْتَyouفَقَدْindeedتَعَجَّلْتَyou hastenedالْفَقْرَpovertyقَبْلَbeforeأَوَانِهِits time
And as for you, indeed you hastened poverty before its time.
وَصِرْتَAnd you becameكَالْمَجْلُودِlike one floggedفِيin
And you became like one flogged in...