العَيشُlife لاno عَيشَlife إِلّاexcept ماas long as اِقتَصَدتَyou practice moderation فَإِنfor if
العَيشُ لا عَيشَ إِلّا ما اِقتَصَدتَ فَإِن
تُسرِفyou are extravagant وتبذرand you squander لَقيتَyou will meet الضُرَّharm وَالعَطباand ruin
تُسرِف وتبذر لَقيتَ الضُرَّ وَالعَطبا
Life is no life unless you practice moderation; for if
Living is worthless but for frugality;
you spend extravagantly and squander, you will meet harm and ruin.
If wasteful and prodigal, destitution and decay you shall surely meet.
العِلمُknowledge زَينٌan adornment وَتَشريفٌand an honor لِصاحِبِهِto its possessor
العِلمُ زَينٌ وَتَشريفٌ لِصاحِبِهِ
فاِطلُبso seek هُديتَmay you be guided فنونَbranches of العِلمِknowledge وَالأَدَباand refinement
فاِطلُب هُديتَ فنونَ العِلمِ وَالأَدَبا
Knowledge is an adornment and an honor to its possessor.
Knowledge adorns and ennobles its bearer;
So seek—may you be guided—the branches of knowledge and refinement.
Seek the jewel of knowledge and literature as a gift.
لاno خَيرَgood فيمَنin one who لَهُhe has أَصلٌnoble lineage بِلاwithout أَدَبٍrefinement
لا خَيرَ فيمَن لَهُ أَصلٌ بِلا أَدَبٍ
حَتّىuntil يَكونَhe is عَلىtoward ماwhat زانَهُadorns him حَدِباattentive
حَتّى يَكونَ عَلى ما زانَهُ حَدِبا
There is no good in one of noble lineage without refinement,
No good in him who lacks manners with ancestry;
until he tends carefully to what lends him distinction.
Until he rises to the level his hump warrants.
كَمhow many مِنof حَسيبٍa wellborn man أَخيpossessed of عَيٍّinarticulacy وَطَمطَمَةٍand garbled speech
كَم مِن حَسيبٍ أَخي عَيٍّ وَطَمطَمَةٍ
فَدمٍdull-witted لَدىamong القَومِthe people مَعروقٍof known stock إِذاwhen اِنتَسَباhe recounts his lineage
فَدمٍ لَدى القَومِ مَعروقٍ إِذا اِنتَسَبا
How many a wellborn man, given to halting and garbled speech,
How many highborn of base stock and loudmouthed;
is a dullard among his people, yet of known stock when he recounts his descent,
Their lineage among the throng exalted while being upstarts.
فيin بَيتِa house of مَكرُمَةٍhonor آباؤهُhis forefathers نُجُبٌnoble men
في بَيتِ مَكرُمَةٍ آباؤهُ نُجُبٌ
كانواthey were رؤوساًheads فَأَمسىbut he became بَعدهُمafter them ذَنَباa tail
كانوا رؤوساً فَأَمسى بَعدهُم ذَنَبا
from a house of honor, his forefathers noble men!
In an honored house their sires nobles;
They were heads, but after them he became a tail.
Afterwards they became the tail what once was the head.
وَخامِلٍand an obscure man مُقرِفِof lowborn الآباءِforefathers ذيpossessing أَدَبٍrefinement
وَخامِلٍ مُقرِفِ الآباءِ ذي أَدَبٍ
نالَhe attained المَعاليَhigh honors بِالآدابِthrough refinement وَالرُتَباand ranks
نالَ المَعاليَ بِالآدابِ وَالرُتَبا
And many an obscure man, of lowly ancestry but possessed of refinement,
One both heedless of forebears yet mannered;
has attained high honors and rank through refinement.
Through manners and rank did attain heights.
أَضحىhe became عَزيزاًesteemed عَظيمَgreat in الشأَنِstanding مُشتَهِراًrenowned
أَضحى عَزيزاً عَظيمَ الشأَنِ مُشتَهِراً
فيin خَدِّهِhis cheek صَعَرٌa haughty turn قَدindeed ظَلَّhe remained مُحتَجِباsecluded
في خَدِّهِ صَعَرٌ قَد ظَلَّ مُحتَجِبا
He has become esteemed, great in standing and renowned;
He became mighty, grand, renowned;
his cheek is turned in pride; he has remained secluded.
On his cheek a scar that long has hid.
العِلمُknowledge كَنزٌa treasure وَذُخرٌand a store لاno نَفادَexhaustion لَهُfor it
العِلمُ كَنزٌ وَذُخرٌ لا نَفادَ لَهُ
نِعمَexcellent is القَرينُthe companion إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) صاحَبَit accompanies صُحباcompanions
نِعمَ القَرينُ إِذا ما صاحَبَ صُحبا
Knowledge is a treasure and a store that never runs out.
Knowledge is a cache that shall never run out;
What a fine companion when it accompanies friends!
Fine companion it makes if accompanied.
قَدmay يَجمَعُhe gathers المَرءُa person مالاًwealth ثُمَّthen يُسلَبُهُhe is robbed of it
قَد يَجمَعُ المَرءُ مالاً ثُمَّ يُسلَبُهُ
عَمّاafter just قَليلٍa short while فَيَلقىand so he meets الذُلَّhumiliation وَالحَرَباand destitution
عَمّا قَليلٍ فَيَلقى الذُلَّ وَالحَرَبا
A man may gather wealth, then be stripped of it
A man gathers wealth only for it to be snatched;
before long, and so suffer humiliation and destitution.
In no time he meets subjugation and devastation.
وَجامِعُand the gatherer of العِلمِknowledge مَغبوطٌenvied without malice بِهِfor it أَبَداًalways
وَجامِعُ العِلمِ مَغبوطٌ بِهِ أَبَداً
وَلاand not يُحاذِرhe fears مِنهُof it الفَوتَloss وَالسَلباand theft
وَلا يُحاذِر مِنهُ الفَوتَ وَالسَلبا
And the gatherer of knowledge is always envied for it,
The learned is blissful through it forever;
and fears neither its loss nor its theft.
Neither loss nor dispossession need he fear.
ياO جامِعَgatherer of العِلمِknowledge نِعمَexcellent is الذخرُthe treasure تَجمَعُهُyou gather it
يا جامِعَ العِلمِ نِعمَ الذخرُ تَجمَعُهُ
لاdo not تَعدِلَنَّever equate بِهِwith it دُرّاًpearls وَلاnor ذَهَباgold
لا تَعدِلَنَّ بِهِ دُرّاً وَلا ذَهَبا
O gatherer of knowledge, what a fine treasure you gather!
O learned one, choice treasure you amass;
Never deem pearls or gold equal to it.
It matches not pearl nor gold in equivalence.
Sol 6.1