أَفْنَيْتُI spent فيin الِجدِّearnest work مَاwhat أَفْنَيْتَyou spent فيin اللَّعِبِplay
أَفْنَيْتُ في الِجدِّ مَا أَفْنَيْتَ في اللَّعِبِ
وَذُقْتَand you tasted فيin النَّوْمِsleep مَاwhat قَدْalready ذُقْتُI tasted فيin التَّعَبِtoil
وَذُقْتَ في النَّوْمِ مَا قَدْ ذُقْتُ في التَّعَبِ
I spent on earnest work what you spent on play.
And you tasted in sleep what I have tasted in toil.
وَكَانَand was بَطْنُكَyour belly هَـمًّاa concern مَاnot اتَّـخَذْتَyou took أَخًاa brother
وَكَانَ بَطْنُكَ هَـمًّا مَا اتَّـخَذْتَ أَخًا
إلَّاexcept عَلَيْهِfor its sake، وَهَمِّيand my concern صُحْبَةُthe company of الْكُتُبِthe books
إلَّا عَلَيْهِ، وَهَمِّي صُحْبَةُ الْكُتُبِ
Your belly was your concern; you took no brother
except for its sake, while my concern was the company of books.
شَتَّانَfar apart مَاemphatic particle هِمَّتِـيmy ambition وَالْـهَمُّand the concern مِنْكَfrom you..فَدَعْso leave off
شَتَّانَ مَا هِمَّتِـي وَالْـهَمُّ مِنْكَ..فَدَعْ
حَرْبِـيwar against me فَلَسْتَfor you are not بِنِدٍّan equal لِـيto me لِتُولَعَto become obsessed بِـيwith me
حَرْبِـي فَلَسْتَ بِنِدٍّ لِـي لِتُولَعَ بِـي
How far apart are my ambition and your concern! So abandon
your war against me; you are no equal of mine, to be obsessed with me.
بَيْنِـيbetween me وَبَيْنَكَand between you سَدٌّa barrier لاnot تُطِيقُyou can manage لَهُfor it
بَيْنِـي وَبَيْنَكَ سَدٌّ لا تُطِيقُ لَهُ
رَدْمًاrubble.. وَلَوْeven if كُنْتَyou were فيamong يَأْجُوجَGog ذَاpossessing نَسَبِlineage
رَدْمًا.. وَلَوْ كُنْتَ في يَأْجُوجَ ذَا نَسَبِ
Between me and you stands a barrier you cannot
reduce to rubble, even were you descended from Gog.
فَمَاso not وُلُوعُكَyour obsession بيwith me يُدْنِيكَbrings you nearer مِنْto شَرَفِيmy honor
فَمَا وُلُوعُكَ بي يُدْنِيكَ مِنْ شَرَفِي
وَمَاand not يَحُطُّlowers نُبَاحٌbarking مِنْكَfrom you مِنْfrom رُتَبِـيmy ranks
وَمَا يَحُطُّ نُبَاحٌ مِنْكَ مِنْ رُتَبِـي
Your obsession with me does not bring you nearer to my honor,
nor does your barking lower my standing.
إِذَاif قَضَىdecreed اللهُGod رَفْعِيraising me عَنْكَabove you مَنْزِلَةًa degree
إِذَا قَضَى اللهُ رَفْعِي عَنْكَ مَنْزِلَةً
فَمَاthen not أُبَالِـيI care بـِمَاabout what تَحْتَالُyou scheme عَنْfrom كَثَبِclose proximity
فَمَا أُبَالِـي بـِمَا تَحْتَالُ عَنْ كَثَبِ
If God decrees that I stand a degree above you,
I care nothing for what you scheme at close quarters.
وَالْـحُرُّand the noble man مُـمْتَحَنٌtested بِالأَرْذَلِينَby the basest أَبًاin paternal descent
وَالْـحُرُّ مُـمْتَحَنٌ بِالأَرْذَلِينَ أَبًا
وَشَرُّand the worst مُـمْتَحِنٍtormentor مَنْone who لَـمْnot يُضَفْis ascribed لِأَبِto a father
وَشَرُّ مُـمْتَحِنٍ مَنْ لَـمْ يُضَفْ لِأَبِ
And the noble man is tested by men of the basest paternal lineage,
and the worst tormentor is one ascribed to no father.
مَنْone who شَابَtainted مَاضِيهِhis past مِنْfrom دُونِapart from الوَرَىhumankind كَدَرٌmurk
مَنْ شَابَ مَاضِيهِ مِنْ دُونِ الوَرَى كَدَرٌ
أَغْرَتْهُincited him بِابْنِagainst a son of صَفَاءٍpurity خِسَّةُbaseness الْحَسَبِlineage
أَغْرَتْهُ بِابْنِ صَفَاءٍ خِسَّةُ الْحَسَبِ
One whose past, unlike other people's, was tainted with murk
was incited against a son of purity by the baseness of his lineage.
وَشَبَّand flared up فيin حِقْدِهِhis rancor مَنْone who لَـمْnot يَكُنْwas كَدِرًاtainted
وَشَبَّ في حِقْدِهِ مَنْ لَـمْ يَكُنْ كَدِرًا
حَتَّىuntil يُسَاوِيَهُequals him مَاwhat عَزَّwas mighty فيin الكَرَبِdistress
حَتَّى يُسَاوِيَهُ مَا عَزَّ في الكَرَبِ
And in his rancor one who had not been sullied flared up,
until what was mighty amid distress became his equal.
نَأَىdrew away بِهِwith him الْـجُبْنُcowardice أَنْto يَغْزُوattack.. فَإِنْbut if يَرَهُhe sees him
نَأَى بِهِ الْـجُبْنُ أَنْ يَغْزُو.. فَإِنْ يَرَهُ
يُغْزَىis attacked أَعَانَhe helped عَلَيْهِagainst him كُلَّevery مُغْتَصِبِusurper
يُغْزَى أَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ كُلَّ مُغْتَصِبِ
Cowardice kept him from attacking; but if he sees him
being attacked, he helps every usurper against him.
إِلَيْكَaway with you عَنِّيfrom me.. فَإِنِّيfor I لَسْتُam not مُبْصِرَone who sees مَنْone who
إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي.. فَإِنِّي لَسْتُ مُبْصِرَ مَنْ
يَعِيشُhe lives مِنْoff شَرَفٍhonor يَشْرِيهِhe sells it بِالنَّشَبِfor wealth
يَعِيشُ مِنْ شَرَفٍ يَشْرِيهِ بِالنَّشَبِ
Away from me! I do not look upon anyone
who lives off honor that he sells for wealth.
وَقَدْand indeed عَذَرْتُكَI excused you إِنِّـيI indeed لاnot أُبَارِزُI duel مَنْone who
وَقَدْ عَذَرْتُكَ إِنِّـي لا أُبَارِزُ مَنْ
يُعْزَىis traced إِلَـىto خَطَأٍa mistake فيin سَالِفِbygone الْحِقَبِthe ages
يُعْزَى إِلَـى خَطَأٍ في سَالِفِ الْحِقَبِ
I have excused you; I do not duel with anyone
whose origin is traced to a mistake in bygone ages.
لَسْنَاwe are not مَثِيلَيْنِequals فيin عِلْمٍknowledge وَلاnor نَسَبٍlineage
لَسْنَا مَثِيلَيْنِ في عِلْمٍ وَلا نَسَبٍ
وَلَاnor قِتَالٍcombat ولاَnor حِلْمٍforbearance وَلَاnor أَدَبِrefinement
وَلَا قِتَالٍ ولاَ حِلْمٍ وَلَا أَدَبِ
We are not equals in knowledge or lineage,
nor in combat, forbearance, or refinement.
وَلَوْeven if قُتِلْتُI were killed بِسَيْفٍby a sword مِنْكَfrom you إِنْif عَرَفَتْknew
وَلَوْ قُتِلْتُ بِسَيْفٍ مِنْكَ إِنْ عَرَفَتْ
كَفَّاكَyour two hands تَحْمِلُهُcarry it مَاnot كُنْتَyou would be تُغْرَمfined بِـيon my account
كَفَّاكَ تَحْمِلُهُ مَا كُنْتَ تُغْرَم بِـي
Even if I were slain by a sword of yours—provided
your hands knew how to wield it—you would not be fined on my account.
خَصْمِيmy adversary مُذِلُّكَthe one who abases you مَنْone who يَرْمِيكَcasts you حَيْثُwhere يَرَىhe deems
خَصْمِي مُذِلُّكَ مَنْ يَرْمِيكَ حَيْثُ يَرَى
الإِقْدَامَadvancing حُمْقًاfolly .. فَيَدْعُوso he calls كُلَّevery ذِيpossessor of ذَنَبِa tail
الإِقْدَامَ حُمْقًا .. فَيَدْعُو كُلَّ ذِي ذَنَبِ
My enemy is the one who abases you, who casts you where he deems
advancing folly, then calls on every creature with a tail.
إِنْif يُدْعَhe is called لِلشَّرِّto evil يَسْبِقْhe outruns مَنْthe one who دَعَاهُcalled him وَإِنْand if
إِنْ يُدْعَ لِلشَّرِّ يَسْبِقْ مَنْ دَعَاهُ وَإِنْ
نَادَىcalled الْمُنَادِيthe caller إِلَىto العَلْيَاءِthe heights لَـمْnot يُـجِبِhe answers
نَادَى الْمُنَادِي إِلَى العَلْيَاءِ لَـمْ يُـجِبِ
If called to evil, he outruns the one who called him; and if
the caller summons him to the heights, he does not answer.
يَتُوبُhe repents فيin الْيَوْمِthe day عَمَّاof what لَـمْnot تُصِبْyou commit
يَتُوبُ في الْيَوْمِ عَمَّا لَـمْ تُصِبْ
سَبْعِينَseventy شَوْطًاrounds.. وَلاَand not يُرْضِيpleases يَدُهُhis hand الْمُذِلَّthe abaser غَبِـيa fool
سَبْعِينَ شَوْطًا.. وَلاَ يُرْضِي يَدُهُ الْمُذِلَّ غَبِـي
He repents each day of what you did not commit,
seventy rounds; his hand does not please the abaser—fool that he is.
خَصْمِيmy adversary مُرِيدِيone who wants me شَبِيهًاa likeness مِنْكَof you يَـخْنُقُهُhe strangles him
خَصْمِي مُرِيدِي شَبِيهًا مِنْكَ يَـخْنُقُهُ
إِنْif يَتَّقُواthey shield themselves بِكَwith you نَارَthe fire الشَّعْبِthe people لَـمْnot تَرَنِـيyou see me
إِنْ يَتَّقُوا بِكَ نَارَ الشَّعْبِ لَـمْ تَرَنِـي
My foe wants me as a likeness of you that he can strangle.
If they shield themselves with you from the people's fire, you will not see me.
فَدَعْso leave طَريقِيmy path.. فَإِنِّيfor I عَنْكَaway from you فِيin شُغُلٍoccupation
فَدَعْ طَريقِي.. فَإِنِّي عَنْكَ فِي شُغُلٍ
فَلَاso not يَثُورُhe rises up.. عَدِيمَdevoid of البَأْسِvalor فيin الغَضَبِanger
فَلَا يَثُورُ.. عَدِيمَ البَأْسِ في الغَضَبِ
So leave my path; I am too occupied to concern myself with you.
So one devoid of courage does not rise up in anger,
كَالنَّاسِlike people مُنْشَغِلاًpreoccupied بالْـجُرْحِwith the wound عَنْrather than سَبَبِa cause
كَالنَّاسِ مُنْشَغِلاً بالْـجُرْحِ عَنْ سَبَبِ
بِمَنْagainst the one who غَذَاكَfed you بِـمَالِـيwith my money ثُـمَّthen غَرَّكَdeceived you بِـيabout me
بِمَنْ غَذَاكَ بِـمَالِـي ثُـمَّ غَرَّكَ بِـي
like other people, preoccupied with the wound rather than its cause,
against the one who fed you with my money, then deceived you about me.
Sol 6.1