كُنbe عِندَat the level of أَحسَنِthe best ظَنِّopinion مَنwhoever ظَنّاformed an opinion
كُن عِندَ أَحسَنِ ظَنِّ مَن ظَنّا
وَإِذاand when ظَنَنتَyou form an opinion فَأَحسِنِthen think well الظَنّاthe opinion
وَإِذا ظَنَنتَ فَأَحسِنِ الظَنّا
Live up to the best opinion anyone holds of you;
and when you form an opinion, think the best.
لاdo not تُتبِعَنَّever follow up يَداًa hand بَسَطتَyou extended بِهاwith it الthe
لا تُتبِعَنَّ يَداً بَسَطتَ بِها ال
مَعروفَkindness مِنكَfrom you أَذىًharm وَلاnor مَنّاreminders of favors
مَعروفَ مِنكَ أَذىً وَلا مَنّا
Never follow a hand with which you have offered
your kindness with harm or reminders of your favor.
وَالعَتبُand reproach يَنعَطِفُrelents الكَريمُthe noble man بِهِthrough it
وَالعَتبُ يَنعَطِفُ الكَريمُ بِهِ
وَيُرىand is seen اللَئيمُthe base man عَلَيهِin response to it مُستَنّاunruly
وَيُرى اللَئيمُ عَلَيهِ مُستَنّا
And reproach makes the noble man relent,
while the base man is seen growing unruly at it.
وَلَرُبَّand many a ذيpossessor of إِلفٍa beloved companion يُفارِقُهُparts from him
وَلَرُبَّ ذي إِلفٍ يُفارِقُهُ
فَإِذاthen when تَذَكَّرَhe remembers إِلفَهُhis beloved companion حَنّاhe yearns
فَإِذا تَذَكَّرَ إِلفَهُ حَنّا
And many a man parts from a beloved companion;
then, when he remembers his companion, he yearns.
وَلَقَلَّand seldom ماever اِعتَقَدَacquired اِمرُؤٌa man هِبَةًa gift
وَلَقَلَّ ما اِعتَقَدَ اِمرُؤٌ هِبَةً
إِلّاexcept that رَأَيتَyou see لَهُin him بِهاover it ضَنّاjealous attachment
إِلّا رَأَيتَ لَهُ بِها ضَنّا
And seldom does a man acquire a gift
without your seeing him loath to part with it.
عَجَباًhow astonishing! لَناat us وَلِطولِand at the length of غَفلَتِناour heedlessness
عَجَباً لَنا وَلِطولِ غَفلَتِنا
وَالمَوتُand death لَيسَis not بِغافِلٍheedless عَنّاof us
وَالمَوتُ لَيسَ بِغافِلٍ عَنّا
How strange we are, with our long heedlessness,
while death is not heedless of us.
سَنَبينُwe shall depart عَمّاfrom what نَحنُwe فيهِare in لِمَنto one who
سَنَبينُ عَمّا نَحنُ فيهِ لِمَن
سَيَبينُwill depart بَعدُafterward عَنِfrom الَّذيthat which بِنّاwe left
سَيَبينُ بَعدُ عَنِ الَّذي بِنّا
We shall leave what we now have to one
who will later leave what we have left.
ياO إِخوَةًbrothers خُنّاwe have betrayed المُحيطَthe One who encompasses بِناus
يا إِخوَةً خُنّا المُحيطَ بِنا
عِلماًin knowledge وَأَنفُسَناand our own souls الَّتيwhich خُنّاwe have betrayed
عِلماً وَأَنفُسَنا الَّتي خُنّا
O brothers, we have betrayed the One who encompasses us
in knowledge, and our own souls, which we have betrayed.
إِنّاindeed we وَإِنand even if طالَlasts long الزَمانُtime بِناfor us
إِنّا وَإِن طالَ الزَمانُ بِنا
غَرَضُthe target الحَوادِثِof calamities حَيثُماwherever كُنّاwe may be
غَرَضُ الحَوادِثِ حَيثُما كُنّا
Indeed we, though time stretches long for us,
are the target of calamities wherever we may be.
Sol 6.1