العَيشُlife لاno عَيشَlife إِلّاexcept ماas long as اِقتَصَدتَyou practice moderation فَإِنfor if
العَيشُ لا عَيشَ إِلّا ما اِقتَصَدتَ فَإِن
تُسرِفyou spend excessively وتبذرand squander لَقيتَyou will encounter الضُرَّharm وَالعَطباand ruin
تُسرِف وتبذر لَقيتَ الضُرَّ وَالعَطبا
Life is no life except in the measure you live moderately; for if
Life is no life unless you live in moderation; for if
you spend extravagantly and squander, you will meet hardship and ruin.
you spend excessively and squander, you will meet harm and ruin.
العِلمُknowledge زَينٌan adornment وَتَشريفٌand an honor لِصاحِبِهِfor its possessor
العِلمُ زَينٌ وَتَشريفٌ لِصاحِبِهِ
فاِطلُبso seek هُديتَmay you be guided فنونَbranches العِلمِknowledge وَالأَدَباand refinement
فاِطلُب هُديتَ فنونَ العِلمِ وَالأَدَبا
Knowledge is an adornment and an honor to its possessor;
Knowledge is an adornment and an honor to its possessor;
so seek—may you be rightly guided—the branches of knowledge and good breeding.
so seek—may you be guided—the branches of knowledge and refinement.
لاno خَيرَgood فيمَنin one who لَهُhe has أَصلٌnoble ancestry بِلاwithout أَدَبٍrefinement
لا خَيرَ فيمَن لَهُ أَصلٌ بِلا أَدَبٍ
حَتّىuntil يَكونَhe is عَلىtoward ماwhat زانَهُadorned him حَدِباsolicitous
حَتّى يَكونَ عَلى ما زانَهُ حَدِبا
There is no good in one of noble stock who lacks good breeding,
There is no good in one of noble ancestry without refinement,
until he becomes a devoted guardian of what has adorned him.
until he is devoted to what adorns him.
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 lineage إِذاwhen اِنتَسَباhe names his ancestry
فَدمٍ لَدى القَومِ مَعروقٍ إِذا اِنتَسَبا
How many a man of noble lineage is tongue-tied and given to mumbling,
How many a wellborn man, halting and garbled in speech,
dull among the people, though deep-rooted in pedigree when he recites his lineage—
dull-witted among his people, of known pedigree when he names his lineage,
فيin بَيتِa house مَكرُمَةٍhonor آباؤهُhis forefathers نُجُبٌnoble men
في بَيتِ مَكرُمَةٍ آباؤهُ نُجُبٌ
كانواthey were رؤوساًheads فَأَمسىthen he became بَعدهُمafter them ذَنَباa tail
كانوا رؤوساً فَأَمسى بَعدهُم ذَنَبا
born into a house of honor, his forefathers noble men:
comes from a house of honor, his forefathers noble men:
they were chiefs, yet after them he became a mere underling.
they were heads, yet after them he became a tail.
وَخامِلٍand an obscure man مُقرِفِlowborn الآباءِforefathers ذيpossessed of أَدَبٍrefinement
وَخامِلٍ مُقرِفِ الآباءِ ذي أَدَبٍ
نالَhe attained المَعاليَlofty honors بِالآدابِthrough refinement وَالرُتَباand ranks
نالَ المَعاليَ بِالآدابِ وَالرُتَبا
And how many an obscure man, of ignoble forebears, endowed with good breeding,
And an obscure man, of lowborn forefathers but endowed with refinement,
has attained the heights through cultivated manners and high ranks.
attained high honors and ranks through refinement.
أَضحىhe became عَزيزاًhonored عَظيمَgreat الشأَنِstanding مُشتَهِراًrenowned
أَضحى عَزيزاً عَظيمَ الشأَنِ مُشتَهِراً
فيin خَدِّهِhis cheek صَعَرٌa haughty tilt قَدindeed ظَلَّhe remained مُحتَجِباsecluded
في خَدِّهِ صَعَرٌ قَد ظَلَّ مُحتَجِبا
He has become mighty, illustrious in standing, and renowned,
He became honored, great in standing, renowned,
a proud tilt in his cheek, remaining screened from common view.
with a haughty tilt to his cheek, he has remained secluded.
العِلمُknowledge كَنزٌa treasure وَذُخرٌand a reserve لاno نَفادَexhaustion لَهُfor it
العِلمُ كَنزٌ وَذُخرٌ لا نَفادَ لَهُ
نِعمَexcellent is القَرينُthe companion إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle صاحَبَit accompanies صُحباcompanions
نِعمَ القَرينُ إِذا ما صاحَبَ صُحبا
Knowledge is a treasure and a store that is never exhausted—
Knowledge is a treasure and a reserve that never runs out;
how excellent a companion whenever it keeps someone company.
what a fine companion when it keeps friends company!
قَدmay يَجمَعُhe gathers المَرءُa man مالاًwealth ثُمَّthen يُسلَبُهُhe is stripped of it
قَد يَجمَعُ المَرءُ مالاً ثُمَّ يُسلَبُهُ
عَمّاafter قَليلٍa short while فَيَلقىand so he encounters الذُلَّhumiliation وَالحَرَباand destitution
عَمّا قَليلٍ فَيَلقى الذُلَّ وَالحَرَبا
A man may amass wealth, only to have it taken from him
A man may gather wealth, then be stripped of it
before long, and thus encounter humiliation and destitution.
before long, and so face humiliation and destitution.
وَجامِعُand the gatherer 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
But one who gathers knowledge is forever envied for it
And the gatherer of knowledge is always envied for it,
and need never fear its loss or its being stolen.
and fears neither its loss nor its theft.
ياO جامِعَgatherer العِلمِknowledge نِعمَexcellent is الذخرُthe treasured store 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, excellent is the treasure you amass:
O gatherer of knowledge, what a fine treasure you gather!
never deem pearls or gold its equal.
Never equate pearls or gold with it.
Sol 6.1