إذاwhen بتَّyou spend the night والفكرand thought تستخرجاyou two draw out (continued)
إذا بتَّ والفكر تستخرجا
نcompletes 'you two draw out' مفتاحa key أمرa matter عسيرdifficult; intractable الغلقthe lock
ن مفتاح أمر عسير الغلق
When you and thought spend the night drawing out
When you stay up at night thinking,
the key to a matter whose lock is hard to open,
You find the key to unlock a difficult matter.
وأنتand you لأمرfor the pursuit of العلاglory; eminence مؤثرٌpreferring
وأنت لأمر العلا مؤثرٌ
علىover كلevery ناعمةa tender woman المعتنقthe neck; place of embrace
على كل ناعمة المعتنق
while you prefer the pursuit of glory
And you prefer the matter of knowledge,
to every tender-necked woman,
Over every delicate necklace.
وأبدىand revealed لكto you الصبحdawn عنfrom; away from واضحيtwo bright things (continued)
وأبدى لك الصبح عن واضحي
نِcompletes 'two bright things' رأيكyour judgment منبلجاًshining forth والفلقand daybreak
نِ رأيك منبلجاً والفلق
and dawn reveals to you two bright things:
And dawn has shown you clearly,
your judgment, shining forth, and daybreak—
Your radiant opinion and daybreak.
فللهso, to God (in admiration) صبحكyour dawn ماذاwhat جلاit unveiled
فلله صبحك ماذا جلا
وللهand, to God (in admiration) ليلكyour night ماذاwhat وسقit gathered
ولله ليلك ماذا وسق
God be praised for your dawn—what it has unveiled!
So your morning is for Allah, what has it uncovered?
And God be praised for your night—what it has gathered!
And your night is for Allah, what has it brought?
وإماand if أجرتyou granted protection منfrom الحادثاcalamities (continued)
وإما أجرت من الحادثا
تcompletes 'calamities' جاراًa protégé; protected neighbor فليسthen there is not عليهupon him رهقaffliction; oppression
ت جاراً فليس عليه رهق
And if you grant refuge from calamities
Either you have made events,
to a protégé, no affliction weighs upon him.
A profitable trader, so it does not burden him.
يرىsees الدهرTime; fate جاركyour protégé فيin; upon شاهقa towering peak
يرى الدهر جارك في شاهق
تأزَّرgirded itself منwith; from لجةa deep sea وانطلقand rose freely
تأزَّر من لجة وانطلق
Time sees your protégé upon a towering peak,
Time sees your trader in loftiness,
girdled by a deep sea and soaring free,
Having girded himself from turbulence and set forth.
وقدand already عَلِقَتgripped; clung to قبضتاهhis two fists عُرىhandholds; bonds
وقد عَلِقَت قبضتاه عُرى
بهاthrough them عصمprotected اللهGod تلكthose الوُثَقfirm bonds
بها عصم الله تلك الوُثَق
and his two fists have gripped handholds—
His hands have clung to the ties,
those firm bonds through which God has protected him.
With which Allah has protected those bonds.
فهلthen is there منany (emphatic) سبيلa path إلىto مثلهone like him
فهل من سبيل إلى مثله
أبىdenied; refused اللهGod ذاكthat علىto منthose whom خلقHe created
أبى الله ذاك على من خلق
Is there, then, any path to one such as he?
Is there a way to one like him?
God has denied that to all He created.
Allah has refused that, for those He created.
فدونكهاso take it ياO ابنson of سيفSayf ('sword') الملوal-Mulūk ('the kings'; continued)
فدونكها يا ابن سيف الملو
كcompletes al-Mulūk ('the kings') لهوentertainment; delight المجالسgatherings زادprovisions الرُّفَقtraveling parties
ك لهو المجالس زاد الرُّفَق
So take it, O son of Sayf al-Mulūk:
So be like him, O son of the kings of rule,
a delight for gatherings, provisions for traveling companions.
For gentleness is the increase of amiability.
Sol 6.1