تلوّنُfickleness أخلاقِcharacter traits الفتىthe young man منfrom مَلالِهِhis boredom
تلوّنُ أخلاقِ الفتى من مَلالِهِ
ووشْكُand quickness ملالِboredom المرءِa person شرُّthe worst خلالِهِof his traits
ووشْكُ ملالِ المرءِ شرُّ خلالِهِ
A man's fickleness of character springs from his boredom;
And a man's quickness to grow bored is the worst of his traits.
وإنيand indeed I لمشتاقٌsurely longing إلىfor ظلّthe shade صاحبٍa friend
وإني لمشتاقٌ إلى ظلّ صاحبٍ
مشوقٌyearning إلىfor تشبيهِlikening حاليmy condition بحالهِto his condition
مشوقٌ إلى تشبيهِ حالي بحالهِ
And I yearn indeed for the shade of a friend,
Longing to have my circumstances made like his.
إذاwhen الدهرُFortune أعطانيgives me رأىhe thinks مثلَlike رأيهِits view
إذا الدهرُ أعطاني رأى مثلَ رأيهِ
فباراهso he rivals it جوداًin generosity واقتدىand follows the example بفعالِهِof its deeds
فباراه جوداً واقتدى بفعالِهِ
When Fortune gives to me, he takes its view,
And rivals it in bounty and follows its deeds.
وإنْand if ضنَّwithholds دهرٌfortune مرةًonce بعطيةٍa gift
وإنْ ضنَّ دهرٌ مرةً بعطيةٍ
تناولنيhe helps me فيin ضِيقتيmy distress بنوالهwith his bounty
تناولني في ضِيقتي بنواله
And if Fortune once withholds a gift,
He reaches me in my straits with his bounty,
إلىuntil أنthat يسدّrelieves اللهGod فقريmy poverty فلاso no longer يرىsees
إلى أن يسدّ الله فقري فلا يرى
صديقيmy friend فيin حاليmy condition مسدّاًa gap to fill لمالِهfor his wealth
صديقي في حالي مسدّاً لمالِه
Until God relieves my poverty, and no longer does
My friend find in my condition a need for his wealth to fill.
وأكرهand I dislike للسمحِfor one generous اليدينin both hands اعتلالَهُhis making excuses
وأكره للسمحِ اليدين اعتلالَهُ
علىto صاحبٍa friend قدalready عدّهhe has counted him منamong عيالهِhis dependents
على صاحبٍ قد عدّه من عيالهِ
And I dislike a generous-handed man's making excuses
To a friend he has counted among his dependents.
أمستكثرٌdoes he deem too much? ليfor me أنthat مُنحتُI was granted منيحةًa gift
أمستكثرٌ لي أن مُنحتُ منيحةً
أخٌa brother لاnot أرىI think الدنياthe world تفيis equal بقبالِهِto his sandal-strap
أخٌ لا أرى الدنيا تفي بقبالِهِ
Does he deem it too much that I have been granted a gift—
A brother whose sandal-strap I think the whole world cannot match?
حمىhe barred access to جانباًa tract of land قدindeed كانwas أرعاهI grazed upon it مرةًonce
حمى جانباً قد كان أرعاه مرةً
لأنّbecause سحاباًa cloud بلّنيwetted me ببلالهِwith its moisture
لأنّ سحاباً بلّني ببلالهِ
He closed off ground where once I used to graze,
Because a cloud had wetted me with its rain.
وقدand indeed كانit was أحجىmore fitting أنto يباريَcompete فيin الندىgenerosity
وقد كان أحجى أن يباريَ في الندى
فيسقيَنيand thus give me drink منfrom مُروياتِthirst-quenching draughts سجالهِof his buckets
فيسقيَني من مُروياتِ سجالهِ
Yet it would have been more fitting for him to vie in bounty,
And give me drink from his buckets' thirst-quenching draughts.
ومنand whoever ضنَّwithholds أنbecause أُعطىَI am given سِواهby someone other than him كمنlike one who رأىdeems
ومن ضنَّ أن أُعطىَ سِواه كمن رأى
جمالَthe beauty أخيهof his brother كافياًsufficient منinstead of جمالهِhis own beauty
جمالَ أخيه كافياً من جمالهِ
And whoever withholds because another gives to me is like one who deems
His brother's beauty sufficient in place of his own.
وماand not تركُleaving عِلقٍa treasure منفسprecious كاقتنائهlike acquiring it
وما تركُ عِلقٍ منفس كاقتنائه
ولاnor رفضُrejecting فعلa deed صالحٍgood كامتثالهِlike performing it
ولا رفضُ فعل صالحٍ كامتثالهِ
And leaving a precious treasure is not like acquiring it,
Nor is rejecting a good deed like carrying it out.
أبىrefused لأبيfor Abu سهلٍSahl سوىanything but الطَّولbounty أنهthat he
أبى لأبي سهلٍ سوى الطَّول أنه
يلاقيhe encounters اعتلالَthe failure المالِof wealth دونrather than اعتلالهِhis own failure
يلاقي اعتلالَ المالِ دون اعتلالهِ
Abu Sahl can be nothing but generous, for he
Finds his wealth faltering, not himself.
سيعطفهwill move him to kindness أنيthat I am محقٌّin the right وأنهand that he is
سيعطفه أني محقٌّ وأنه
حكيمٌwise وأنand that العدلَjustice منpart of حالِthe state بالهِof his mind
حكيمٌ وأن العدلَ من حالِ بالهِ
He will relent because I am in the right, and because he is
Wise, and justice is part of his disposition.
وماand not مثلُone like إسماعيلَIsma'il جارَwas unjust قضاؤُهhis judgment
وما مثلُ إسماعيلَ جارَ قضاؤُه
وعدلُand the justice الفتىof a young man فيin حكمهhis judgment كاعتدالهِlike his symmetry of form
وعدلُ الفتى في حكمه كاعتدالهِ
And a man like Isma'il does not judge unjustly;
And a man's fairness in judgment is like his symmetry of form.
Sol 6.1