والعلِمُand knowledge إنْif كِلفَis devoted to الإنسانُa person خِدمَتَهُserving it
والعلِمُ إنْ كِلفَ الإنسانُ خِدمَتَهُ
فسوفthen will يجعَلُmake أحرارَthe free people الورىhumankind خَدمَهْhis servants
فسوف يجعَلُ أحرارَ الورى خَدمَهْ
And knowledge, if a person devotes himself to its service,
Knowledge, if man devotes himself to serving it
will then make the free among humankind his servants.
Will make the free people of the world its servants
ومَنْand whoever بنىbuilds قدرَهُhis standing بالمَجدِon glory وَرَّثهُbequeathed it to him
ومَنْ بنى قدرَهُ بالمَجدِ وَرَّثهُ
أسلافُهُhis forebears لاnot بعُلياهُthrough his own excellence فقدْthen indeed هَدَمَهْhas demolished it
أسلافُهُ لا بعُلياهُ فقدْ هَدَمَهْ
And whoever builds his standing on glory bequeathed to him
And he who built his worth on glory and inherited it
by his forebears, not on his own excellence, has demolished it.
From his ancestors, not his in-laws, has demolished it
مَنْwhoever صادَمَclashes with الدَّهَرTime مُغتَرَاًdeluded بقُوَّتِهِby his strength
مَنْ صادَمَ الدَّهَر مُغتَرَاً بقُوَّتِهِ
فاحكُمْthen judge علَيهِconcerning him بأنَّthat الدَّهرَTime قدindeed صَدَمَهْhas struck him
فاحكُمْ علَيهِ بأنَّ الدَّهرَ قد صَدَمَهْ
Whoever clashes with Time, deluded by his own strength—
He who recklessly collided with fate overestimating his strength
then judge that Time has indeed struck him.
Judge him as one whom fate has collided with
ومَنْand whoever يُبِحْgrants قُرَناءَcompanions السُّوءِof evil عِشرَتَهُhis companionship
ومَنْ يُبِحْ قُرَناءَ السُّوءِ عِشرَتَهُ
يكُنْwill be قُصاراهُhis final outcome مِنfrom إيناسِهِمْbefriending them نَدَمَهْhis regret
يكُنْ قُصاراهُ مِن إيناسِهِمْ نَدَمَهْ
And whoever grants evil companions his companionship
And he who socializes with wicked peers
will end with regret for befriending them.
Will regret their fellowship brought him shorter
كَمhow many منof وَجودٍan existence إذاwhen استَوْضَحْتَyou examine closely صورَتَهُits form
كَم من وَجودٍ إذا استَوْضَحْتَ صورَتَهُ
رأيْتَyou find أشرفَnobler مِنthan مَحصولِهِits yield عَدَمَهْits nonexistence
رأيْتَ أشرفَ مِن مَحصولِهِ عَدَمَهْ
How many a being, when you examine its form,
How many an existence, if you examine its image
you find its nonexistence nobler than what it yields.
You find its absence nobler than its yield
وُكلُّand every ذيpossessor of شَرَفٍhonor لولاwere it not for خَصائصُهُhis distinctive qualities
وُكلُّ ذي شَرَفٍ لولا خَصائصُهُ
مِنَof الفضائلِthe virtues ساوىwould equal رأسُهُhis head قَدَمَهْhis foot
مِنَ الفضائلِ ساوى رأسُهُ قَدَمَهْ
And every person of honor, but for his distinctive qualities
And everyone with nobility, if not for his virtues
of virtue, would have his head equal to his foot.
Of merits, would equal his head and his foot
وكَمْand how often يُقَبِّلُkisses ذوone endowed with التَّحصيلِlearning خَدَّthe cheek of فتىًa youth
وكَمْ يُقَبِّلُ ذو التَّحصيلِ خَدَّ فتىً
مِنَout of مداراتُهُhis tactful accommodation أيامَّهُhis days خَدَمَهْhe served him
مِنَ مداراتُهُ أيامَّهُ خَدَمَهْ
And how often a man of learning kisses the cheek of a youth
And how often the learned kisses the cheek of a lad
whom he has served in deference to his times.
Whose orbit of days has served him
أولىmost deserving الُّغورِthe breaches بأنْto تُخشىbe feared مَعَرَّتُهُits harm
أولى الُّغورِ بأنْ تُخشى مَعَرَّتُهُ
ئغرٌa breach يظنّthinks بعضٌsomeone أنَّهُthat he رَدَمَهْhas sealed it
ئغرٌ يظنّ بعضٌ أنَّهُ رَدَمَهْ
The breach whose harm most deserves to be feared
Fear most the one whose ignorance you think
is one that someone believes he has sealed.
Is a dam, when he is a rat who has demolished it
نَعمْyes وأحلىand sweetest مذاقٍtaste تَستلِذُّyou delight بهِin it
نَعمْ وأحلى مذاقٍ تَستلِذُّ بهِ
وَجهٌa face تشرَّبَhas drunk in طَعْمَthe flavor of العَيشِlife وائتَدَمَهْand taken it as relish
وَجهٌ تشرَّبَ طَعْمَ العَيشِ وائتَدَمَهْ
Yes—and the sweetest taste you delight in
Yes, and the sweetest taste you relish
is a face that has drunk in life's flavor and taken it as relish.
Is a face that has savored life and let it intoxicate him
Sol 6.1