حرسَhe guarded الدهرَtime بعينٍwith an eye لمdid not تنمْsleep
حرسَ الدهرَ بعينٍ لم تنمْ
فهيso it ماwhatever تفيدُit bestows upon قوماًa people تُصلِحُit sets right
فهي ما تفيدُ قوماً تُصلِحُ
He watched over time with an eye that never slept.
It watched over fate with an eye that did not sleep
So it sets right whatever it bestows upon a people.
So it benefits a people it reforms
يبتنيhe builds بالمجدِwith glory ماwhat يهدِمُهhe tears it down
يبتني بالمجدِ ما يهدِمُه
ويداويand he heals بالنّدىwith generosity ماwhat يجرحُhe wounds
ويداوي بالنّدى ما يجرحُ
He builds with glory what he tears down,
It cures me of glory that demolishes
and heals with generosity what he wounds.
And heals with dew what wounds
أنهكَتْexhausted أموالَهhis wealth أفعالُهhis deeds
أنهكَتْ أموالَه أفعالُه
كانتهاكِlike the wearing-down of الزّنْدِthe fire-stick إذwhen يقتَدَحُit is struck for sparks
كانتهاكِ الزّنْدِ إذ يقتَدَحُ
His deeds have exhausted his wealth,
His deeds exhausted his wealth
like a fire-stick worn down when sparks are struck from it.
Like igniting tinder when it kindles
فهوso he لوif ساءَلْتَهyou asked him فيfor نفسِهhis own life
فهو لو ساءَلْتَه في نفسِه
وهيَthough it لاnothing أفضلُbetter منهاthan it يسمَحُhe gives freely
وهيَ لا أفضلُ منها يسمَحُ
So, if you asked him for his very life,
If you were to ask him about himself
though nothing is better than it, he would give it freely.
It is no more virtuous than he is tolerant
واحدٌone man كالألْفِlike a thousand لكنْbut فاتَهُمhe surpassed them
واحدٌ كالألْفِ لكنْ فاتَهُم
فهْوso he فيin الكفّةِthe scale-pan منهمthan them أرجَحُweightier
فهْو في الكفّةِ منهم أرجَحُ
One man, like a thousand—yet he surpassed them;
One like a thousand but they missed it
so in the balance he outweighs them.
So it is weightier on the scale than them
يسّرhe made easy المُبهمَthe obscure فيهمamong them فاغتدواso they became
يسّر المُبهمَ فيهم فاغتدوا
جُملةًa whole منهthrough him عليناto us تشرَحُis explained
جُملةً منه علينا تشرَحُ
He made the obscure among them easy to grasp, so they became
It eased the ambiguous among them so they transgressed
a whole, explained to us through him.
A group from it to us is revealed
أجمَعَagreed unanimously الناسُthe people علىon تقديسهholding him sacred
أجمَعَ الناسُ على تقديسه
فهوso he فيat أوّلِthe beginning of ماwhatever يُفتَتَحُis begun
فهو في أوّلِ ما يُفتَتَحُ
The people unanimously agreed to hold him sacred;
The people unanimously agreed upon its sanctification
so he is at the beginning of whatever is begun.
So it is among the first of what is opened
جاهلٌan ignorant man ولّدbrought forth فيهin him عالِماًa scholar
جاهلٌ ولّد فيه عالِماً
عندَهwith him قامwas established الدليلُthe proof الأوضحُthe clearest
عندَه قام الدليلُ الأوضحُ
In him, an ignorant man brought forth a scholar;
An ignorant person whom it birthed knowledgeable
with him, the clearest proof was established.
With it the clearest proof was established
Sol 6.1