ماthere is no علىupon الأحرارfree men منany رِقٍّbondage إذاwhen
ما على الأحرار من رِقٍّ إذا
نَقَدواthey paid شكرهمtheir thanks مَوْلىa bestower of أيادِيfavors
نَقَدوا شكرهم مَوْلى أيادِي
No bondage binds free men when
they pay their thanks to a bestower of favors.
إنَّماonly الرقُّbondage سِخابٌa necklace لامرىءfor a man
إنَّما الرقُّ سِخابٌ لامرىء
لبسwore النعماءbounty والكفرانُwhile ingratitude باديis evident
لبس النعماء والكفرانُ بادي
Bondage is a necklace only for a man
who wears bounty while his ingratitude is plain.
وكذاand thus رقٌّthe bondage of الأياديfavors لازمclings to
وكذا رقٌّ الأيادي لازم
جِيدَthe neck of منwhoever أنكرهdenies it حتىuntil التناديthe Day of Calling
جِيدَ من أنكره حتى التنادي
Thus the bondage of favors clings
to the neck of whoever denies it, until the Day of Calling.
والمقرُّونَand those who acknowledge بهit قدhave indeed خلعواcast off
والمقرُّونَ به قد خلعوا
طوْقَهits collar عنهمfrom themselves بحكمby a ruling غيْرِnot عاديunjust
طوْقَه عنهم بحكم غيْرِ عادي
Those who acknowledge it have cast
its collar from themselves, by a judgment free of injustice.
إنماonly النُّعْمَىa favor صِفادٌa fetter فإذاbut when
إنما النُّعْمَى صِفادٌ فإذا
لَقِيتit meets شكراًgratitude فليستthen it is not بصِفادِa fetter
لَقِيت شكراً فليست بصِفادِ
A favor is a fetter; but when
it meets with gratitude, it is no fetter.
ولقدand indeed كافأhas repaid بالنعمىwith bounty امْرُؤٌa man
ولقد كافأ بالنعمى امْرُؤٌ
كافأrepaid النعمىbounty بإخلاصwith sincerity of الودادِaffection
كافأ النعمى بإخلاص الودادِ
A man has indeed repaid with bounty
who repays bounty with sincere affection.
إنif يكنhe has been نُوِّلَgranted نيْلاًa gift منfrom يدa hand
إن يكن نُوِّلَ نيْلاً من يد
فلقدthen indeed نَوَّلَhe has given نيْلاًa gift منfrom فؤادِa heart
فلقد نَوَّلَ نيْلاً من فؤادِ
If he has been granted a gift from a hand,
he has indeed given a gift from a heart.
فاغدُso go forth فيin أمنٍsafety منfrom الرقِّbondage ومنand from
فاغدُ في أمنٍ من الرقِّ ومن
سطوةthe tyranny of الدهرtime وذلand the humiliation of الإضطهادِoppression
سطوة الدهر وذل الإضطهادِ
So go forth secure from bondage and from
time's tyranny and the humiliation of oppression.
قدindeed أوىhas found refuge جارthe protégé of الذيthe one whom جاورتهyou sought for protection
قد أوى جار الذي جاورته
خيرthe finest مأْوىrefuge ورعىand grazed فيin خيرthe finest وادِvalley
خير مأْوى ورعى في خير وادِ
The protégé of the man whose protection you sought has found
the finest refuge, and grazed in the finest valley.
العلاءُAl-Ala المبتَنيwho builds شُمَّthe lofty العُلاheights of glory
العلاءُ المبتَني شُمَّ العُلا
مُنْجِدrescuer of المنجودthe distressed طَلّاعever scaling النِّجادِthe highlands
مُنْجِد المنجود طَلّاع النِّجادِ
Al-Ala, builder of glory's lofty heights,
rescuer of the distressed, ever scaling the highlands.
يَمَّمَتْaimed toward همتُهhis ambition قصوىthe farthest المَدىreach
يَمَّمَتْ همتُه قصوى المَدى
فجرىso he raced جَرْيَthe race of جوادa thoroughbred لجوادِagainst a thoroughbred
فجرى جَرْيَ جواد لجوادِ
His ambition aimed for the farthest reach,
and he raced like one thoroughbred against another.
تَجدُyou find المُتلَفَwhat is spent منof أموالهhis wealth
تَجدُ المُتلَفَ من أمواله
واقعاًhaving an impact منهon him وقوعlike the impact of المستفادِwealth gained
واقعاً منه وقوع المستفادِ
You find the wealth he gives away
as welcome to him as wealth acquired.
فهوso he لاdoes not يفترُslacken منin سَحِّpouring forth الندىbounty
فهو لا يفترُ من سَحِّ الندى
ببنانٍwith fingers سَبِطاتٍoutstretched لاnot جِعادِcurled tight
ببنانٍ سَبِطاتٍ لا جِعادِ
He never slackens in pouring forth bounty
with fingers outstretched, not curled tight,
غيرُnot لاهٍtrifling باللُّهىwith gifts بلbut عالماًknowing
غيرُ لاهٍ باللُّهى بل عالماً
أنّthat بذلbestowing العُرفkindness منis among خيرthe best عتادِprovisions
أنّ بذل العُرف من خير عتادِ
not idly toying with gifts, but knowing
that bestowing kindness is among the best provisions;
مستزيداًseeking increase فيin مَعَالٍlofty virtues جمَّةabundant
مستزيداً في مَعَالٍ جمَّة
ليسthere is not فيهاin them لامرئٍfor anyone منany مستزادِroom for increase
ليس فيها لامرئٍ من مستزادِ
seeking increase in virtues already abundant,
where no man could find room for more.
لاnot ترىyou see استطرافprizing as novel علْقٍa treasure طارفٍnewly acquired
لا ترى استطراف علْقٍ طارفٍ
شيمةًas a trait منهof his ولاnor إلْفَattachment to تلادِinherited wealth
شيمةً منه ولا إلْفَ تلادِ
You see no delight in a newly acquired treasure
as a trait of his, nor attachment to inherited wealth.
كُلُّevery ذخْرٍreserve لمَعاشٍfor livelihood عندهin his possession
كُلُّ ذخْرٍ لمَعاشٍ عنده
مُقْتَنىًis acquired منfrom فضلthe surplus of زادٍprovisions لمعادِfor the hereafter
مُقْتَنىً من فضل زادٍ لمعادِ
Every reserve for livelihood that he holds
is drawn from the surplus of provisions for the hereafter.
بذلhe dispensed الدنياworldly wealth بكفٍّwith a hand سمحةٍgenerous
بذل الدنيا بكفٍّ سمحةٍ
مثلُهاone like it ضُمِّنwas entrusted with أرزاقthe sustenance of العبادِpeople
مثلُها ضُمِّن أرزاق العبادِ
He dispensed worldly wealth with a generous hand,
whose like was charged with people's sustenance.
وتولّاهاand he managed it بعقلٍwith a mind راجحٍjudicious
وتولّاها بعقلٍ راجحٍ
مثلهone like it قُلِّدwas charged with إصلاحَsetting right البلادِthe lands
مثله قُلِّد إصلاحَ البلادِ
And he managed it with a judicious mind,
whose like was entrusted with setting lands aright.
سالكاًtreading فيthrough كلevery فَجٍّmountain pass وْحدَهby himself
سالكاً في كل فَجٍّ وْحدَه
حينwhile لاdoes not يُوحشهdismay him طولُthe length of انفرادِsolitude
حين لا يُوحشه طولُ انفرادِ
Treading every mountain pass alone,
while long solitude never dismays him.
غانياًhaving no need عنof كلany إرشادٍguidance بماbecause of what
غانياً عن كل إرشادٍ بما
فيهis in him منof فضلexcellence in رشادright judgment وسدادِand soundness
فيه من فضل رشاد وسدادِ
Needing no guidance, thanks to
his surpassing wisdom and sound judgment.
وكذاكand likewise البدرthe full moon يسريtravels by night فيthrough الدجىthe darkness
وكذاك البدر يسري في الدجى
ولهand it has منfrom نفسهitself نورٌlight وهاديand a guide
وله من نفسه نورٌ وهادي
So too the full moon travels through the dark,
and has within itself both light and guide.
لمdid not يُكانفْهُstand beside him علىin الأمرthe undertaking امرؤany man
لم يُكانفْهُ على الأمر امرؤ
إنهindeed, he أوْحَدُis peerless منamong قوْمٍmen وحادِthemselves peerless
إنه أوْحَدُ من قوْمٍ وحادِ
No man has stood beside him in the task;
he is peerless even among peerless men.
حسْبهsufficient for him منinstead of كلِّevery رأيopinion رأيهhis own judgment
حسْبه من كلِّ رأي رأيه
مُستشاراًas a counselor فيin الملمَّاتcrises الشِّدادِsevere
مُستشاراً في الملمَّات الشِّدادِ
His own judgment is all the counsel he needs,
his adviser in the direst crises.
أصبحhave become الناسthe people سواداًa black mass حالكاًpitch-dark
أصبح الناس سواداً حالكاً
وهُوَand he الغُرَّةُthe white blaze فيin ذاكthat السوادِblackness
وهُوَ الغُرَّةُ في ذاك السوادِ
The people have become a pitch-black mass,
and he is the white blaze within that blackness.
فليعشso may he live ماas long as بقيتendure آثارهhis works
فليعش ما بقيت آثاره
وهيand they أبقىmore enduring منthan شروىSharwa ونضادand Nidad
وهي أبقى من شروى ونضاد
So may he live as long as his works endure,
and they are more enduring than Sharwa and Nidad.
Sol 6.1