ماwhat لمنfor one whom حَسَّنَهُmade him beautiful اللَّـGod (beginning)
ما لمن حَسَّنَهُ اللَّـ
ـهُGod (ending) وأعْلَىand raised دَرَجاتِهْhis ranks
ـهُ وأعْلَى دَرَجاتِهْ
Why should one made beautiful by
He whom God has graced and raised his status high
God, who has raised his rank,
Should not let his whims make him unjust or deny
أنْthat يرىhe sees مَلْهَاهُhis diversion إلاexcept
أنْ يرى مَلْهَاهُ إلا
آخذاًtaking on بعضَsome of صفاتِهْhis qualities
آخذاً بعضَ صفاتِهْ
see his diversion as anything but
Hear me, oh respected master, hear my advice
taking on some of his qualities?
Do not frown when asked for good, from evil thoughts rise
أيهذاO you السيِّدُthe lord المُصْـattentive (beginning)
أيهذا السيِّدُ المُصْـ
ـغيattentive (ending) إلىto نُصْحcounsel ثقاتِهْhis trusted men
ـغي إلى نُصْح ثقاتِهْ
O you, the lord
Listen to me for God, I'm truth's staunchest voice
attentive to his trusted men's counsel,
Do not waste the blessings once duties you have done
لاdo not تجهَّمْscowl بشراءat buying الـthe
لا تجهَّمْ بشراء الـ
ـخيرgood واصدِفْand turn away عنfrom بُغاتِهْits seekers
ـخير واصدِفْ عن بُغاتِهْ
do not scowl at buying
Miss not in your life the greatest joys
good, and turn away from those who seek it.
Man prospers only through pain and cries
واستمعْand listen فيconcerning اللهوamusement منّيfrom me
واستمعْ في اللهو منّي
إننيindeed I am رأسُchief دعاتِهْits advocates
إنني رأسُ دعاتِهْ
And listen to me concerning amusement:
Do not forget the kindness of the kind, wise one
I am the chief of its advocates.
You're in a garden of life, so pick the fruits you want
لاdo not تُفَرِّطْneglect فيin نعيمٍbliss
لا تُفَرِّطْ في نعيمٍ
بعدafter تكميلperfecting أَداتِهْits means
بعد تكميل أَداتِهْ
Do not neglect bliss
Time has made you the best of all rulers and patrons
once its means have been perfected.
In springtime of youth and nature's awakening seasons
لاdo not يَفُوتَنَّكever let it escape you فيin دهlifetime (beginning)
لا يَفُوتَنَّك في ده
ركyour lifetime (ending) كبرىthe greatest of مُسمِعاتِهْits songstresses
رك كبرى مُسمِعاتِهْ
Do not miss, in
Stroll in pleasure gardens smelling their flowers and reasons
your lifetime, its greatest songstress.
Sip from the cup of life from dawn's first light
إنَّهindeed it لاnot يصلحis fitting الإحـbeneficence (beginning)
إنَّه لا يصلح الإحـ
ـسانُbeneficence (ending) إلاexcept لِوعاتِهْfor those who appreciate it
ـسانُ إلا لِوعاتِهْ
Indeed, beneficence is fitting
For that soul is worthy of joy's days and nights
only for those who appreciate it.
May God let you enjoy life until death comes at last
لاdo not تُضِعْsquander إحسانَkindness ذيthe possessor of الإحـbeneficence (beginning)
لا تُضِعْ إحسانَ ذي الإحـ
ـسانِbeneficence (ending) ياO خيرthe best of رعاتِهْits guardians
ـسانِ يا خير رعاتِهْ
Do not squander the kindness of the
And protect you from your sons' and daughters' contrast
benefactor, O best of its guardians.
In ease and disease, in gifts that come and go fast
أنتyou فيin بستانa garden عَيْشٍlife
أنت في بستان عَيْشٍ
فَتَخَيَّرْso choose ثمراتِهْits fruits
فَتَخَيَّرْ ثمراتِهْ
You are in a garden of life,
And clothe the world in beauty until the days that have passed
so choose its fruits.
قَدْindeed جلاكrevealed you الدهرTime للأعْـto the eyes (beginning)
قَدْ جلاك الدهر للأعْـ
يـُنِeyes (ending) ياO خيرthe best of ولاتِهْits rulers
يـُنِ يا خير ولاتِهْ
Time has revealed you to the
eyes, O finest of its rulers,
فيin ربيعٍa springtime منof شبابyouth
في ربيعٍ من شباب
وربيعand a springtime منof نباتِهْits vegetation
وربيع من نباتِهْ
in the springtime of youth
and a springtime of its greenery.
فتنزَّهْso stroll فيin رياضgardens الـthe
فتنزَّهْ في رياض الـ
ـلَهْوِamusement واشممْand smell زهراتِهْits blossoms
ـلَهْوِ واشممْ زهراتِهْ
So wander in the gardens of
amusement, and smell its blossoms.
وائْتَنِفْand begin anew مُؤْتَنفَa fresh beginning العيـlife (beginning)
وائْتَنِفْ مُؤْتَنفَ العيـ
ـشlife (ending) وباكرand greet early غدواتِهْits mornings
ـش وباكر غدواتِهْ
And begin afresh the new course of
life, and greet its mornings early.
إنَّindeed تلكthat النَّفْسَthe soul كفءٌa worthy match
إنَّ تلك النَّفْسَ كفءٌ
لصَفاياfor the choicest of مُتُعاتِهْits pleasures
لصَفايا مُتُعاتِهْ
Indeed, that soul is a worthy match
for the choicest of its pleasures.
أمتعmay He give enjoyment اللَهُGod بكthrough you الدهـTime (beginning)
أمتع اللَهُ بك الدهـ
ـرُTime (ending) إلىuntil حينthe time of وفاتِهْits death
ـرُ إلى حين وفاتِهْ
May God gladden, through you,
Time, until the hour of its death,
ووقىand may He protect نفسكyour soul منfrom شَرevil (beginning)
ووقى نفسك من شَر
رِevil (ending) بَنِيهِits sons وبناتِهْand its daughters
رِ بَنِيهِ وبناتِهْ
and protect your soul from the evil
of its sons and daughters,
فيamid هنيءٍpleasant ومَرِيءٍand wholesome
في هنيءٍ ومَرِيءٍ
وسَنيٍّand splendid منamong هباتِهْits gifts
وسَنيٍّ من هباتِهْ
amid pleasant, wholesome,
and splendid gifts from it,
وكساand may He clothe الدنياthe world بكthrough you الزَّيْـbeauty (beginning)
وكسا الدنيا بك الزَّيْـ
ـنَbeauty (ending) إلىuntil أخرىthe last of إناتِهْits hours
ـنَ إلى أخرى إناتِهْ
and clothe the world, through you, in
beauty until the last of its hours.
Partial English translation: 19 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1