أَلَمdid ... not? تَرَyou see ماwhat بَينيbetween me وَبينَand between ابنِson of عامِرٍʿĀmir
أَلَم تَرَ ما بَيني وَبينَ ابنِ عامِرٍ
مِنَof الوُدِّaffection قَدalready بالَتurinated عَليهِupon it الثَعالِبُthe foxes
مِنَ الوُدِّ قَد بالَت عَليهِ الثَعالِبُ
Have you not seen what lies between me and Ibn ʿĀmir
Have you not seen how affection between me and Ibn Aamir
of affection? The foxes have urinated upon it.
Has been ruined by time, and only foxes prowl over it.
وَأَصبَحَand has become باقيwhat remains of الوُدِّaffection بَينيbetween me وَبينَهُand between him
وَأَصبَحَ باقي الوُدِّ بَيني وَبينَهُ
كَأَنas though لَمnot يَكُنit had been وَالدَهرُand time فيهِin it العَجائِبُwonders
كَأَن لَم يَكُن وَالدَهرُ فيهِ العَجائِبُ
And what remains of affection between me and him is now
What remains today of the affection between us
as though it had never been—and time has its wonders.
Is as though it never was, and time's wonders are strange.
إِذاif المَرءُa man لَمdoes not يُحبِبكَlove you إِلّاexcept تَكَرُّهاًreluctantly
إِذا المَرءُ لَم يُحبِبكَ إِلّا تَكَرُّهاً
بَداbecomes apparent لَكَto you مِنof أَخلاقِهِhis character ماwhat يُغالِبُhe struggles to subdue
بَدا لَكَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ ما يُغالِبُ
If a man loves you only reluctantly,
When a man does not love you, except grudgingly,
what he struggles to suppress in his nature becomes clear to you.
Unpleasant traits of his character begin to prevail.
فَلَلنَأيُso surely distance خَيرٌbetter مِنthan دُنُوٍّcloseness عَلىamid الأَذىhurt
فَلَلنَأيُ خَيرٌ مِن دُنُوٍّ عَلى الأَذى
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيماin what يَستَقِلُّdeems too little المَعاتِبُthe reproacher
وَلا خَيرَ فيما يَستَقِلُّ المَعاتِبُ
So distance is better than closeness fraught with hurt,
So it is best to avoid the closeness that breeds familiarity
and there is no good in what a reproacher deems too little.
As no good can come of that which accustoms one to rebuke
فَإِنَّfor indeed عِتابيmy reproaching كُلَّevery يَومٍday لسَوءةٍsurely a disgrace
فَإِنَّ عِتابي كُلَّ يَومٍ لسَوءةٍ
وَإِنّيand indeed I لمَتروكٌsurely neglected إِذاif لاnot أُعاتِبُI reproach
وَإِنّي لمَتروكٌ إِذا لا أُعاتِبُ
For my daily reproaches are surely a disgrace,
For I rebuke him every day for some fault
yet I am surely neglected if I do not reproach.
But I am left alone when I do not find faults to rebuke
فَدَعهُso leave him وَصَرمُand severing ties with المَرءِa man أَهوَنُthe least grievous هالِكٍa loss
فَدَعهُ وَصَرمُ المَرءِ أَهوَنُ هالِكٍ
وَفيand on الأَرضِthe earth لِلمَرءِfor a man الجَليدِsteadfast مَذاهِبُpaths
وَفي الأَرضِ لِلمَرءِ الجَليدِ مَذاهِبُ
So leave him; breaking with a man is the least grievous loss,
So leave him be, and a man's dignity lost is a lighter peril
and on earth a steadfast man has many paths.
When in this world there are ways for the strong-willed to choose.
Sol 6.1