وماand ... is not الفقرُpoverty عيباًa disgrace ماso long as تَجمَّلَmaintain dignity أهلُهُits people
وما الفقرُ عيباً ما تَجمَّلَ أهلُهُ
ولمand did not يسألواthey ask إلاexcept for مُداواةَa remedy for دائِهِits malady
ولم يسألوا إلا مُداواةَ دائِهِ
Poverty is no disgrace so long as its people maintain their dignity
Poverty's no shame when borne with patience,
and ask for nothing but a remedy for its malady.
Nor begging, when it's but disease's cure;
ولاand no عيبdisgrace إلاexcept عيبُthe disgrace of منone who يملكpossesses الغِنىwealth
ولا عيب إلا عيبُ من يملك الغِنى
ويمنعُand withholds أهلَthe people of الفقرِpoverty فضلَthe surplus of ثرائِهِhis riches
ويمنعُ أهلَ الفقرِ فضلَ ثرائِهِ
The only disgrace is that of one who possesses wealth
Only the wealthy miser earns true blame
and withholds his surplus riches from the poor.
Who selfishly denies the needy poor.
عجِبتُI marveled لعيبat the faultfinding of العائبينَthe faultfinders فقيرهَمtheir poor fellow
عجِبتُ لعيب العائبينَ فقيرهَم
بأمرٍfor a matter قَضاهُdecreed it ربُّهhis Lord منfrom سمائِهِHis heaven
بأمرٍ قَضاهُ ربُّه من سمائِهِ
I marvel that faultfinders blame the poor among them
How strange they censure the impoverished man
for something their Lord decreed from His heaven,
For that which God, in heaven, preordained!
وتركِهِمُand their neglect of عيبَblaming الغنيِّthe rich man ببخلهfor his miserliness
وتركِهِمُ عيبَ الغنيِّ ببخله
ولؤمِand the baseness of مساعيهhis pursuits وسُوءِand the evil of بلائِهِhis conduct
ولؤمِ مساعيه وسُوءِ بلائِهِ
yet neglect to blame the rich man for his miserliness,
Yet overlook the rich man's greed and ban,
the baseness of his pursuits and the evil of his conduct.
His efforts fruitless, and his trials in vain.
وأعجَبُand more astonishing منهthan that المادحونَthose who praise أخاthe possessor of الغنىwealth
وأعجَبُ منه المادحونَ أخا الغنى
وليسand ... is not غِناهُhis wealth فيهمُamong them بغَنائِهِhis being of use
وليس غِناهُ فيهمُ بغَنائِهِ
More astonishing still are those who praise the man of wealth,
And strangest is when flatterers praise as friend
though his wealth is of no benefit to them.
The man whose wealth has never them sustained!
ولوand even if أنهthat he أغنَىgrew wealthy ووَكَّلand charged نفسهhimself
ولو أنه أغنَى ووَكَّل نفسه
بجمعwith gathering فضولthe surplus of المالِwealth بعدafter اقتنائِهِacquiring it
بجمع فضول المالِ بعد اقتنائِهِ
Even if he grew wealthy and charged himself
Had he but spent his surplus to befriend,
with gathering surplus wealth after acquiring it,
The good would love him, evil him disdained.
لَمَاcertainly not كانwould be أهلُworthy of الحمدpraise منfrom قُربائهhis relatives
لَمَا كان أهلُ الحمد من قُربائه
إذاif ائتمرواthey took counsel رُشداًwisely ولاnor بُعدائِهِthose distant from him
إذا ائتمروا رُشداً ولا بُعدائِهِ
he would deserve no praise from his kin,
God would be praised, mankind would him commend—
if they took wise counsel, nor from those distant from him.
Not so self-interested sycophants remained!
ولاnor حَمِدَwould praise اللَّهُGod الأولىthose who يَحْمَدونهpraise him
ولا حَمِدَ اللَّهُ الأولى يَحْمَدونه
ولاnor اعتدَّهمwould count them فيamong الناسpeople منamong أوليائِهِHis friends
ولا اعتدَّهم في الناس من أوليائِهِ
Nor would God praise those who praise him,
No, they are followers of lust and greed
nor count them among His friends among mankind.
Whose righteous Lord will justly recompense.
أولئكthose أتباعُfollowers of المطامعcovetous desires والمنىand wishes
أولئك أتباعُ المطامع والمنى
جزاهمmay He repay them مليكُthe King of الناسmankind شرَّthe worst of جزائِهِHis recompense
جزاهم مليكُ الناس شرَّ جزائِهِ
Those are followers of greed and vain hopes;
They shame the modest to exalt the deed
may the King of mankind repay them with His worst recompense
Of misers whose self-love breeds indifference.
بعيبهمُfor their blaming أهلَthe people of العفافِself-restraint ومدْحِهمْand their praising
بعيبهمُ أهلَ العفافِ ومدْحِهمْ
حريصاًa greedy man يكُدُّwho wears down النفسَthe soul بعدafter اكتفائِهِhis having enough
حريصاً يكُدُّ النفسَ بعد اكتفائِهِ
for blaming the self-respecting and praising
He strives and toils not for praise honestly won
a greedy man who wears down his soul after he has enough.
Nor for the wage of labour night and morn,
يؤثّلhe amasses لاnot للحمدِfor praise ماwhat هوhe كاسبٌearns
يؤثّل لا للحمدِ ما هو كاسبٌ
ولاnor الأجرِreward فيin إصباحهhis mornings ومسائِهِand his evenings
ولا الأجرِ في إصباحه ومسائِهِ
He amasses what he earns, not for praise,
But for some tainted treasure he has drawn
nor for reward, in his mornings and evenings,
To hoard though life itself may be outworn.
ولكنْbut لكنزٍfor a hoard منof لُجينٍsilver وعَسْجَدٍand gold
ولكنْ لكنزٍ من لُجينٍ وعَسْجَدٍ
يودُّhe wishes فناءَthe end of العُمرlife قبلbefore فنائِهِits exhaustion
يودُّ فناءَ العُمر قبل فنائِهِ
but for a hoard of silver and gold:
His face, his honour, he would sacrifice,
he wishes his life to end before that hoard runs out.
His wealth before him, dignity behind,
يقيهhe shields it ويحميهand protects it بصفحةwith the surface of وجههhis face
يقيه ويحميه بصفحة وجهه
ويجعلand makes أيضاًalso عِرضَهhis honor منpart of فدائِهِits ransom
ويجعل أيضاً عِرضَه من فدائِهِ
He shields and protects it with his own face,
But blind greed drove him, blank to reason’s eyes—
and even makes his honor part of its ransom.
Naught sways the veil drawn over mind and heart!
ولوand if حُظَّhe were fortunate أضحىwould become مالُهhis wealth منin أمامهfront of him
ولو حُظَّ أضحى مالُه من أمامه
وِقاءًa shield وأضحىand would become عِرضُهhis honor منat ورائِهِhis rear
وِقاءً وأضحى عِرضُه من ورائِهِ
Had he been fortunate, his wealth would stand before him
Had he but weighed delight ‘gainst earning’s pain,
as a shield, and his honor would stand behind him.
No toil could equal one hour’s joy gained.
ولكنْbut أبىhe refused إلاanything but الخَسَارَloss لغَيِّهِbecause of his waywardness
ولكنْ أبى إلا الخَسَارَ لغَيِّهِ
وماand what فوقover عَيْنَيْthe two eyes of قلبهِhis heart منof غطائِهِits veil
وما فوق عَيْنَيْ قلبهِ من غطائِهِ
But he insists on nothing but loss, through his waywardness
I censure him, his party I disdain!
and the veil over the eyes of his heart.
Would that he heard reproof and took the lesson plain!
ولوand if وَزنَhe weighed استمتاعَهُhis enjoyment بغَنائِهِof his wealth
ولو وَزنَ استمتاعَهُ بغَنائِهِ
إذاًthen ماnot وفَىwould measure up استمتاعُهُhis enjoyment بعَنائِهِto his toil
إذاً ما وفَى استمتاعُهُ بعَنائِهِ
Were he to weigh his enjoyment of his wealth,
I cannot be content when sorrow and duress
his enjoyment would not measure up to his toil.
Are, for transient things, made his eternal possession.
سأمنحُهُI shall grant him ذمِّيmy blame وأختصُّand single out حِزبَهُhis faction
سأمنحُهُ ذمِّي وأختصُّ حِزبَهُ
بأوفَىwith the fullest نصيبshare منof قبيحِill ثنائِهِappraisal of him
بأوفَى نصيب من قبيحِ ثنائِهِ
I shall grant him my blame, and single out his faction
Why should the lasting joy at that which will not last?
for the fullest share of my harsh words about him.
How lost are those who seek no worthy destination!
رضيتُI accept لمنfor one who يشقىsuffers عقاباًas punishment شقاءهhis misery
رضيتُ لمن يشقى عقاباً شقاءه
وإنalthough لمnot أكنI was أرضىcontent لهfor him بشفائِهِwith his cure
وإن لم أكن أرضى له بشفائِهِ
I accept the sufferer's misery as his punishment,
though I would not consent to his cure.
إذاif حُرمis deprived الفانيthe mortal منof الخيرgood حَظَّهُhis share
إذا حُرم الفاني من الخير حَظَّهُ
فَلِمْthen why يفرحrejoice الباقيthe survivor بطولin the length of بقائِهِhis survival
فَلِمْ يفرح الباقي بطول بقائِهِ
If a mortal is denied his share of good,
why should a survivor rejoice in his long survival?
ضَلالاًperdition لمنfor one who يسعىstrives إلىtoward غيرno غايةٍgoal
ضَلالاً لمن يسعى إلى غير غايةٍ
ولاnor يرتجىis hoped for ناهيهِone who restrains him عندat انتهائِهِhis reaching the end
ولا يرتجى ناهيهِ عند انتهائِهِ
Perdition to one who strives toward no goal,
nor is there hope of a restrainer for him at his end.
Partial English translation: 34 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1