تَرىyou see الرَجُلَthe man النَحيفَslender فَتَزدَريهِso you scorn him
تَرى الرَجُلَ النَحيفَ فَتَزدَريهِ
وَفيand in أَثوابِهِhis clothes أَسَدٌa lion مُزيرُfierce
وَفي أَثوابِهِ أَسَدٌ مُزيرُ
You see a slender man and scorn him,
You see the slender man so you spurn him,
yet within his clothes is a fierce lion.
Yet in his clothes a fierce lion lurks.
وَيُعجِبُكَand pleases you الطَريرُthe handsome one فَتَبتَليهِso you test him
وَيُعجِبُكَ الطَريرُ فَتَبتَليهِ
فَيُخلِفُthen disappoints ظّنَّكَyour expectation الرَجُلُthe man الطَريرُhandsome
فَيُخلِفُ ظّنَّكَ الرَجُلُ الطَريرُ
The handsome man pleases you, so you put him to the test,
The squawker pleases you, so you test him,
then the handsome man disappoints your expectations.
But he disappoints, that squawking man.
فَماso not عِظَمُgreat size الرِجالِof men لَهُمfor them بِفَخرٍa source of pride
فَما عِظَمُ الرِجالِ لَهُم بِفَخرٍ
وَلَكِنand yet فَخرُهُمtheir glory كَرَمٌgenerosity وَخَيرُand goodness
وَلَكِن فَخرُهُم كَرَمٌ وَخَيرُ
Men's great size is no glory to them;
A man's greatness is not in boasting -
rather, their glory is generosity and goodness.
Rather, greatness is in kindness and good.
بُغاثُthe lowly kinds الطَيرِof birds أَكثَرُهاhaving the most among them فِراخاًchicks
بُغاثُ الطَيرِ أَكثَرُها فِراخاً
وَاُمُّand the mother الصَقرِof the falcon مِقلاةٌlosing her young نَزورُbearing few young
وَاُمُّ الصَقرِ مِقلاةٌ نَزورُ
Lowly birds have the most chicks,
The warbler has the most chicks,
while the falcon's mother loses her young and bears few.
While the falcon's mother is meager prey.
ضِعافُthe weak ones الطَيرِof birds أَطوَلُهاthe longest of them جُسوماًin body
ضِعافُ الطَيرِ أَطوَلُها جُسوماً
وَلَمand did not تَطُلِgrow long البُزاةُthe goshawks وَلاnor الصُقورُthe falcons
وَلَم تَطُلِ البُزاةُ وَلا الصُقورُ
Weak birds have the longest bodies,
Among birds, the weakest fly the highest,
yet neither goshawks nor falcons are so long.
Yet kites and falcons never fly that long.
ضِعافُthe weak ones الأُسدِof lions أَكثرُهاhaving the most among them زَئيراًroaring
ضِعافُ الأُسدِ أَكثرُها زَئيراً
وَأَصرَمُهاand the boldest of them اللَواتيthose that لاdo not تَزيرُroar
وَأَصرَمُها اللَواتي لا تَزيرُ
Weak lions roar the most,
Among lions, the weakest are loudest roaring,
and the boldest of them are those that do not roar.
While those who never roar do the most tearing.
لَقَدindeed عَظُمَgrew huge البَعيرُthe camel بِغَيرِwithout لُبِّintelligence
لَقَد عَظُمَ البَعيرُ بِغَيرِ لُبِّ
فَلَمso did not يَستَغنِbecome self-sufficient بِالعِظَمِthrough size البَعيرُthe camel
فَلَم يَستَغنِ بِالعِظَمِ البَعيرُ
Indeed, the camel has grown huge without intelligence,
The camel grew great without a hump,
yet its size has not made the camel self-sufficient.
So the hump did not empower the camel.
يُصَرِّفُهُturns it الصَبيُّthe boy بِكُلِّin every وَجهٍdirection
يُصَرِّفُهُ الصَبيُّ بِكُلِّ وَجهٍ
وَيَحبِسُهُand restrains it عَلىin الخَسفِhumiliation الجَريرُthe halter
وَيَحبِسُهُ عَلى الخَسفِ الجَريرُ
A boy turns it in every direction,
The boy turns the camel every which way,
and a halter holds it in humiliation.
While the pitiless driver has him trot.
وَتَضرِبُهُand beats it الَوليدَةُthe slave girl بِالهَراوىwith clubs
وَتَضرِبُهُ الَوليدَةُ بِالهَراوى
فَلاso no غِيَرٌindignation لَدَيهِon its part وَلاnor نَكيرُprotest
فَلا غِيَرٌ لَدَيهِ وَلا نَكيرُ
And a slave girl beats it with clubs,
The baby strikes him with a stick -
yet it shows neither indignation nor protest.
He has no recourse but to bear it.
فَإِنso if أَكُI am فيamong شِرارِكُمُyour worst قَليلاًlittle
فَإِن أَكُ في شِرارِكُمُ قَليلاً
فَإِنّيthen indeed I فيamong خِيارِكُمُyour best كَثيرُmuch
فَإِنّي في خِيارِكُمُ كَثيرُ
So if I count for little among your worst,
So if I am among the worst of you a little,
then indeed I count for much among your best.
I am also among the best of you a lot.
Sol 6.1