مَتىwhen تَتَقَضّىcomes to an end حاجَةُthe need المُتَكَلِّفُone who burdens himself
مَتى تَتَقَضّى حاجَةُ المُتَكَلِّفُ
وَلاand not سِيَّماthe like مِنof مُترَفِpampered النَفسِthe soul مُسرِفُextravagant
وَلا سِيَّما مِن مُترَفِ النَفسِ مُسرِفُ
When will the need of one who burdens himself come to an end,
When will the needy ostentatious one be satisfied,
especially that of a self-indulgent spendthrift?
Especially one given to extravagance and excess?
طَلَبتُI sought الغِنىwealth فيin كُلِّevery وَجهٍdirection فَلَمbut did not أَجِدI find
طَلَبتُ الغِنى في كُلِّ وَجهٍ فَلَم أَجِد
سَبيلَthe path الغِنىto wealth إِلّاexcept سَبيلَthe path التَعَفُّفِrefraining from begging
سَبيلَ الغِنى إِلّا سَبيلَ التَعَفُّفِ
I sought wealth in every direction, but found no
I sought wealth in every way, but found
path to wealth except the path of self-restraint.
No path to wealth except the path of self-restraint.
إِذاif كُنتَyou are لاnot تَرضىare content بِشَيءٍwith anything تَنالُهُyou attain it
إِذا كُنتَ لا تَرضى بِشَيءٍ تَنالُهُ
وَكُنتَand you are عَلىover ماwhat فاتَhas passed you by جَمَّfull of التَلَهُّفِregret
وَكُنتَ عَلى ما فاتَ جَمَّ التَلَهُّفِ
If you are not content with anything you attain,
If you are not content with what you attain,
and are full of regret over what has passed you by,
And pine intensely for what is past,
فَلَستَthen you are not مِنَfrom الهَمِّworry العَريضِimmense بِخارِجٍescaping
فَلَستَ مِنَ الهَمِّ العَريضِ بِخارِجٍ
وَلَستُand I am not مِنَfrom الغَيظِanger الطَويلِlong-lasting بِمُشتَفِfinding relief
وَلَستُ مِنَ الغَيظِ الطَويلِ بِمُشتَفِ
then you have no escape from immense worry,
You will not be rid of deep anxiety,
and I find no relief from long-lasting anger.
Nor I of prolonged rage.
أَرانيI see myself بِنَفسيof myself مُعجَباًadmiring مُتَغَرِّراًrecklessly endangering myself
أَراني بِنَفسي مُعجَباً مُتَغَرِّراً
كَأَنّيas though I عَلىto الآفاتِcalamities لَستُI am not بِمُشرِفِexposed
كَأَنّي عَلى الآفاتِ لَستُ بِمُشرِفِ
I see myself admiring myself, heedlessly courting danger,
I see myself vainly arrogant,
as though I were not exposed to calamities.
As if I were immune from faults.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَعَينُsurely the very embodiment of البائِسِthe wretched one الواهِنِfeeble القُوىstrength
وَإِنّي لَعَينُ البائِسِ الواهِنِ القُوى
وَعَينُand the very embodiment of الضَعيفِthe weak one البائِسِthe wretched one المُتَطَرِّفِone on the fringes
وَعَينُ الضَعيفِ البائِسِ المُتَطَرِّفِ
Yet I am the very embodiment of the wretch whose strength is feeble,
Yet I am the weakest of the weak,
and the very embodiment of the weak, wretched man on the fringes.
The most wretched of the wretched.
وَلَيسَand is not امرُؤٌa man لَمnot يَرعَhonor مِنكَin you بِجَهدِهِwith his utmost effort
وَلَيسَ امرُؤٌ لَم يَرعَ مِنكَ بِجَهدِهِ
جَميعَall الَّذيthat which تَرعاهُyou honor it مِنهُin him بِمُنصِفِfair
جَميعَ الَّذي تَرعاهُ مِنهُ بِمُنصِفِ
And no man who does not do his utmost to honor in you
No man has fully guarded against you
all that you honor in him is fair.
All that you have guarded against him.
خَليلَيَّmy two friends ماhow أَكفىsufficient اليَسيرَa little مِنَof الَّذيwhat
خَليلَيَّ ما أَكفى اليَسيرَ مِنَ الَّذي
نُحاوِلُwe seek إِنif كُنّاwe are بِماwith what كَفَّwards off need نَكتَفيwe are content
نُحاوِلُ إِن كُنّا بِما كَفَّ نَكتَفي
My two friends, how sufficient is a little of what
My friend, how sufficient is the little
we seek, if we are content with what wards off need!
We strive for, if with the sufficient we were content!
وَماand how أَكرَمَnoble العَبدَthe servant الحَريصَeager عَلىfor النَدىgenerosity
وَما أَكرَمَ العَبدَ الحَريصَ عَلى النَدى
وَأَشرَفَand how honorable نَفسَthe soul الصابِرِthe patient one المُتَعَفِّفِthe one refraining from begging
وَأَشرَفَ نَفسَ الصابِرِ المُتَعَفِّفِ
And how noble the servant eager to be generous,
And none honors the greedy man seeking gifts,
and how honorable the soul of the patient man who refrains from begging!
Nor uplifts the soul of the patient self-restrained.
Sol 6.1