meanderer's translations

ignorance is death

2008-01-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

Ignorance is death - Sayyidina Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him)

Ignorance before death is death for it's people,
And for their bodies a tomb before the tomb.

If a man doesnt revive by knowledge he is dead;
For him no resurrection until the Resurrection.

this lowly realm

2008-01-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

This lowly realm - Sayyidina Ali bin Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him)

What is this lowly realm to one who seeks it,
except ardure? - and he cannot be sure,

If he's to prosper by acceptance of his religiousness,
Or those works be turned away as worthless.

~~~

Batch one of 'Ali's poems

2007-10-14T05:07:00.000-07:00

As a little project I decided to try my hand at some translation, so here is a first attempt at some of the poems of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him), a well-known companion of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). His Arabic was of very high caliber, so this can only be an attempt to render a meaning of his words in English.

Here goes.

Strangest and Hardest.

It is encumbent on the people to repent,

But giving-up of sins is more necessary.

And time in it's calamity is strange,

And heedlessness of the people is stranger.

And patience during calamities is hard,

However the passing of recompense is harder.

And everything that slackens is near,

And death, to any of that is nearer.

....................................

Strangest of the Strange

The affliction of our times is not strange,

But the feeling of security is the strangest of the strange.

Beauty is not in the clothes you parade in,

Indeed beauty is the beauty of knowledge and manners.

The orphan is not the one who's father has died,

Indeed the orphan is one orphaned from knowledge and manners.