خَمسينَfifty عاماًyears كنتُI had أمَّلْتُهاhoped for them
خَمسينَ عاماً كنتُ أمَّلْتُها
كانتthey were أماميbefore me ثمَّthen خلَّفتُهاI left them behind
كانت أمامي ثمَّ خلَّفتُها
Fifty years I had hoped for;
For fifty years I had wished for them,
they lay before me, then I left them behind.
They were before me, then I left them behind.
كنزُa treasure حياةٍlife ليmine أنفقْتُهُI spent it
كنزُ حياةٍ لي أنفقْتُهُ
علىon تصاريفَvicissitudes تصرَّفْتُهاI passed through them
على تصاريفَ تصرَّفْتُها
A treasure of life was mine; I spent it
A treasure of life that I spent,
on the vicissitudes I passed through.
On its different purposes that I managed.
لوif كانَwere عمريmy lifespan مائةًa hundred هدَّنيwould crush me
لو كانَ عمري مائةً هدَّني
تَذَكُّريmy remembering أنِّيthat I تَنَصَّفْتُهاhad reached its midpoint
تَذَكُّري أنِّي تَنَصَّفْتُها
If my life were a hundred years, I would be crushed
If my age was a hundred, it would have guided me,
by remembering that I had reached its midpoint.
To remember that I was fair to it.
ذوone possessing العَقلِreason لاnot يسلَمُis safe مِنfrom جاهِلٍan ignorant person
ذو العَقلِ لا يسلَمُ مِن جاهِلٍ
يسومُهhe subjects him to عَسْفاًoppression وإعناتاand harassment
يسومُه عَسْفاً وإعناتا
A man of reason is not safe from an ignorant man
The wise person cannot be safe from an ignorant one,
who subjects him to oppression and harassment.
Who aggressively and stubbornly mistreats him.
فَلْيخْتَرِso let him choose العَدلَfairness إذاwhen ماemphatic particle كنَىhe speaks indirectly
فَلْيخْتَرِ العَدلَ إذا ما كنَى
ولْيَلزَمِand let him keep to الإنصاتَsilent listening إنْif صاتاhe raises his voice
ولْيَلزَمِ الإنصاتَ إنْ صاتا
So let him choose fairness whenever he speaks indirectly,
So let him choose justice when he is oppressed,
and let him listen silently if the other raises his voice.
And let him adhere to listening if he is talked about.
Sol 6.1