1 الانسان مولود المرأة قليل الايام وشبعان تعبا. | 1 Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries. |
2 يخرج كالزهر ثم ينحسم ويبرح كالظل ولا يقف. | 2 Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state. |
3 فعلى مثل هذا حدقت عينيك واياي احضرت الى المحاكمة معك. | 3 And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee? |
4 من يخرج الطاهر من النجس. لا احد. | 4 Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed ? is it not thou who only art? |
5 ان كانت ايامه محدودة وعدد اشهره عندك وقد عينت اجله فلا يتجاوزه | 5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed. |
6 فاقصر عنه ليسترح الى ان يسرّ كالاجير بانتهاء يومه | 6 Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling. |
7 لان للشجرة رجاء. ان قطعت تخلف ايضا ولا تعدم خراعيبها. | 7 A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout. |
8 ولو قدم في الارض اصلها ومات في التراب جذعها | 8 If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust: |
9 فمن رائحة الماء تفرخ وتنبت فروعا كالغرس. | 9 At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted. |
10 اما الرجل فيموت ويبلى. الانسان يسلم الروح فاين هو. | 10 But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he? |
11 قد تنفد المياه من البحرة والنهر ينشف ويجف | 11 As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up: |
12 والانسان يضطجع ولا يقوم. لا يستيقظون حتى لا تبقى السموات ولا ينتبهون من نومهم | 12 So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep. |
13 ليتك تواريني في الهاوية وتخفيني الى ان ينصرف غضبك وتعيّن لي اجلا فتذكرني. | 13 Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a. time when thou wilt remember me? |
14 ان مات رجل أفيحيا. كل ايام جهادي اصبر الى ان يأتي بدلي. | 14 Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come. |
15 تدعو فانا اجيبك. تشتاق الى عمل يدك. | 15 Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand. |
16 اما الآن فتحصي خطواتي. ألا تحافظ على خطيتي. | 16 Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins. |
17 معصيتي مختوم عليها في صرّة وتلفّق عليّ فوق اثمي | 17 Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity. |
18 ان الجبل الساقط ينتثر والصخر يزحزح من مكانه. | 18 A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place. |
19 الحجارة تبليها المياه وتجرف سيولها تراب الارض. وكذلك انت تبيد رجاء الانسان. | 19 Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man. |
20 تتجبر عليه ابدا فيذهب. تغير وجهه وتطرده. | 20 Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away. |
21 يكرم بنوه ولا يعلم او يصغرون ولا يفهم بهم. | 21 Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand. |
22 انما على ذاته يتوجع لحمه وعلى ذاتها تنوح نفسه | 22 But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him. |