مَنْwhoever كَانَwas يَمْلِكُowns دِرْهَمَيْنِtwo dirhams تَعَلَّمَتْlearned
مَنْ كَانَ يَمْلِكُ دِرْهَمَيْنِ تَعَلَّمَتْ
شَفَتاهُhis two lips أَنْواعَkinds of الكَلامِspeech فَقَالاso both spoke
شَفَتاهُ أَنْواعَ الكَلامِ فَقَالا
Whoever owned two dirhams—well schooled were
He who owns two dirhams, his lips
His lips in every kind of speech, and both spoke.
Have learned all kinds of speech and say:
وَتَقَدَّمَand stepped forward الفُصَحاءُthe eloquent speakers فَاسْتَمَعواso they listened لهto him
وَتَقَدَّمَ الفُصَحاءُ فَاسْتَمَعوا له
وَرَأَيْتَهُand you saw him بَيْنَamong الوَرىhumankind مُخْتالاswaggering
وَرَأَيْتَهُ بَيْنَ الوَرى مُخْتالا
And the eloquent stepped forward and listened to him,
The eloquent came forward to listen to him,
And you saw him swaggering among the people.
And you saw him swaggering among people.
لولاwere it not for دَراهِمُهُhis dirhams الَّتيwhich فِيin كِيسِهِhis purse
لولا دَراهِمُهُ الَّتي فِي كِيسِهِ
لَرَأَيْتَهُyou would have seen him شَرَّthe worst of البَرِيَّةِcreation حالاin condition
لَرَأَيْتَهُ شَرَّ البَرِيَّةِ حالا
Were it not for his dirhams in his purse,
If not for the dirhams he has in his purse,
You would have seen him in the worst plight of all creation.
You would have seen him the worst of creatures.
إِنَّindeed الغَنيَّthe rich man إِذاwhen تَكَلَّمَspeaks كَاذِباًfalsely
إِنَّ الغَنيَّ إِذا تَكَلَّمَ كَاذِباً
قَالواthey say صَدَقْتَyou spoke truthfully وَماand not نَطَقْتَyou uttered مُحالاanything absurd
قَالوا صَدَقْتَ وَما نَطَقْتَ مُحالا
Indeed, when the rich man speaks falsely,
When a rich man lies, they say “You speak true,”
They say, “You spoke truly and uttered nothing absurd.”
And “You have not spoken falsehood at all.”
وَإِذاand when الفقيرُthe poor man أَصابَgot it right قالواthey say لَمْdid not تُصِبْyou get it right
وَإِذا الفقيرُ أَصابَ قالوا لَمْ تُصِبْ
وَكَذَبْتَand you lied ياO هذاyou there وَقُلْتَand you said ضلالاerror
وَكَذَبْتَ يا هذا وَقُلْتَ ضلالا
And when the poor man is right, they say, “You are wrong,
But when a poor man is right, they say “You missed,
And you lied, you there, and spoke nonsense.”
And lied, O you, and spoke heresy.”
إِنَّindeed الدَّراهِمَthe dirhams فِيin المَواطِنِthe settings كُلّهاall of them
إِنَّ الدَّراهِمَ فِي المَواطِنِ كُلّها
تَكْسُوclothe الرِّجَالَmen مَهابَةًawe-inspiring dignity وجَلالاand majesty
تَكْسُو الرِّجَالَ مَهابَةً وجَلالا
Indeed, dirhams, in every setting,
Dirhams in all places
Clothe men in awe-inspiring dignity and majesty.
Adorn men with awe and majesty.
فَهْيَso they are اللِّسانُthe tongue لِمنْfor whoever أَرادَdesires فَصاحةًeloquence
فَهْيَ اللِّسانُ لِمنْ أَرادَ فَصاحةً
وَهْيَand they are السِّلاحُthe weapon لِمَنْfor whoever أَرادَdesires قِتالاcombat
وَهْيَ السِّلاحُ لِمَنْ أَرادَ قِتالا
So they are the tongue for whoever desires eloquence,
They are the tongue for him who wants eloquence,
And they are the weapon for whoever desires combat.
And the weapon for him who wants to fight.
Sol 6.1