الخَيرُgoodness أَفضَلُthe best ماwhat لَزِمتاyou adhered to
الخَيرُ أَفضَلُ ما لَزِمتا
وَالشَرُّand evil أَخبَثُthe vilest ماwhat طَمِعتاyou coveted
وَالشَرُّ أَخبَثُ ما طَمِعتا
Goodness is the best thing you have held to.
Good is best when you adhere
And evil is the vilest thing you have coveted.
And evil is most vile when you aspire
وَالناسُand people ماnot سَلِمواthey were safe عَلىthrough الـthe (continued next line)
وَالناسُ ما سَلِموا عَلى الـ
ـأَيّامِdays مِنكَfrom you وَقَدwhile indeed سَلِمتاyou were safe
ـأَيّامِ مِنكَ وَقَد سَلِمتا
And people have not been safe through the
People did not fare well with the days
days from you, though you have been safe.
Yet you made your peace with them
أَمّاas for الزَمانُtime فَواعِظٌthen, an admonisher
أَمّا الزَمانُ فَواعِظٌ
وَمُبَيَّنٌand made clear لَكَto you إِنif فَهِمتاyou understood
وَمُبَيَّنٌ لَكَ إِن فَهِمتا
As for time, it is an admonisher,
Time surely moralizes
and made clear to you, if you understand.
And makes clear to you if you understand
وَكَفىand it suffices بِعِلمِكَwith your knowledge بِالأُموof the affairs (continued next line)
وَكَفى بِعِلمِكَ بِالأُمو
رِcompletion of 'affairs' إِنِif انتَفَعتَyou benefited بِماfrom what عَلِمتاyou learned
رِ إِنِ انتَفَعتَ بِما عَلِمتا
And sufficient is your knowledge of af-
Your knowledge of affairs is enough
-fairs, if you benefit from what you have learned.
If you benefit from what you have learned
أَنتَyou المُهَذَّبُthe refined one إِنif رَضيـwere content (continued next line)
أَنتَ المُهَذَّبُ إِن رَضيـ
ـتَyou (completes the preceding verb) بِماwith what رُزِقتَyou were provided وَماand what حُرِمتاyou were deprived of
ـتَ بِما رُزِقتَ وَما حُرِمتا
You are refined if you are con-
You are refined if you are content
-tent with what you were given and what you were denied.
With what you were given and denied
إِنَّindeed الأُلىthose who طَلَبواsought التُقىpiety
إِنَّ الأُلى طَلَبوا التُقى
يَتَيَقَّظونَthey remain vigilant وَأَنتَwhile you نِمتاyou slept
يَتَيَقَّظونَ وَأَنتَ نِمتا
Indeed, those who sought piety
The enlightened sought piety
remain vigilant, while you have slept.
Awakening while you slept
أَحسِنdo good وَإِلّاand otherwise لَمnot تُصِبyou succeed
أَحسِن وَإِلّا لَم تُصِب
إِنif أَنتَyou لَمnot تُحسِنdo good نَدِمتاyou regretted it
إِن أَنتَ لَم تُحسِن نَدِمتا
Do good; otherwise you will not succeed.
Do good, else you will regret
If you do not do good, you will regret it.
When you fail to do good
وَإِذاand if نَقِمتَyou resented عَلىin امرِئٍa person
وَإِذا نَقِمتَ عَلى امرِئٍ
خُلُقاًa character trait فَجانِبthen shun ماwhat نَقِمتاyou resented
خُلُقاً فَجانِب ما نَقِمتا
And if you resent in someone
And when you resent a person
a character trait, shun what you resent.
For their manners, avoid what you resented
وَارحَمand have mercy لِرَبِّكَfor your Lord's sake خَلقَهُHis creation
وَارحَم لِرَبِّكَ خَلقَهُ
فَلَيَرحَمَنَّكَthen He will surely have mercy on you إِنif رَحِمتاyou showed mercy
فَلَيَرحَمَنَّكَ إِن رَحِمتا
And for your Lord's sake, have mercy on His creation;
Have mercy on your Lord's creation
then He will surely have mercy on you, if you show mercy.
That He may have mercy on you
لاdo not تَظلِمَنَّever act unjustly تَكُنyou will be مِنَamong الـthe (continued next line)
لا تَظلِمَنَّ تَكُن مِنَ الـ
ـأَحزارِunclear; likely 'free people' وَاعفُand forgive إِذاwhen ظُلِمتاyou were wronged
ـأَحزارِ وَاعفُ إِذا ظُلِمتا
Never act unjustly; you will be among the
Do not oppress, be not of
free people [likely intended]; and forgive when you are wronged.
The tyrants, and pardon when oppressed
وَإِنِand if اتَّقَيتَyou feared اللَهَGod فيin
وَإِنِ اتَّقَيتَ اللَهَ في
كُلِّall الأُمورِthe matters فَقَدthen indeed غَنِمتاyou gained
كُلِّ الأُمورِ فَقَد غَنِمتا
And if you fear God in
And if you are mindful of God
all matters, you have indeed gained.
In all affairs, you have prospered
Sol 6.1