هلْis there? مُنِعمٌa benefactor فيamong النَّاسِthe people أوor مُفضِلٌa generous giver
هلْ مُنِعمٌ في النَّاسِ أو مُفضِلٌ
يرغبُdesires فيin الشُكرِgratitude وفيand in الذِّكرِremembrance
يرغبُ في الشُكرِ وفي الذِّكرِ
Is there among the people a benefactor or a generous giver
Is there a generous or superior man
who desires gratitude and remembrance,
Who craves gratitude and mention?
يجودُgives generously بالقِيراطwith a carat منof بِرِّهِhis kindness
يجودُ بالقِيراط من بِرِّهِ
ويأخذُand receives القِنطارَthe hundredweight منof شُكريmy gratitude
ويأخذُ القِنطارَ من شُكري
who gives a carat of his kindness
He gives a carat of his righteousness
and receives a hundredweight of my thanks?
And takes a quintal of my gratitude.
كَلاَّno indeed! فقدfor indeed غابَhas vanished النَّدىgenerosity والسَّدىand bounty
كَلاَّ فقد غابَ النَّدى والسَّدى
وماتَand died أهلُpeople of الفَضلِvirtue والقَدْرِand standing
وماتَ أهلُ الفَضلِ والقَدْرِ
No! Generosity and bounty have vanished,
No! For benevolence and nobility have vanished.
and people of virtue and standing have died.
And people of merit and worth have died.
وأصبحَand have become النّاسُthe people وماand there is no فيهِمamong them
وأصبحَ النّاسُ وما فيهِم
حُرٌa noble person إلىtoward أُكرومَةٍa generous deed يَجريhastens
حُرٌ إلى أُكرومَةٍ يَجري
And now among the people there is no
Now people, including those among them
noble soul who hastens toward a generous deed.
Who are free, hasten to sycophancy.
ماwhatever شئتَyou wish منof مالٍmoney ومنand of ثَروَةٍwealth
ما شئتَ من مالٍ ومن ثَروَةٍ
ومنand of عَديدٍnumbers وافِرٍplentiful دَثْرِabundant
ومن عَديدٍ وافِرٍ دَثْرِ
They have as much money and wealth as you could wish,
Whatever wealth, riches,
and numbers, plentiful and abundant;
Abundance, and ample store you desire,
لكِنّهُمْbut they منbecause of ضيقِthe narrowness of أخلاقِهِمْtheir character
لكِنّهُمْ من ضيقِ أخلاقِهِمْ
فيin أَضَيقِthe tightest العُسرَةِhardship والفَقْرِand poverty
في أَضَيقِ العُسرَةِ والفَقْرِ
yet, because of the narrowness of their character,
But because of their narrow-mindedness
they are in the tightest straits of hardship and poverty.
They are in the direst poverty and need.
والمالُand wealth ماas long as لْمnot يحوِهِpossesses it فاضِلٌa virtuous person
والمالُ ما لْم يحوِهِ فاضِلٌ
أضيعُmore wasted منthan عِقدٍa necklace بلاwithout نَحرِa neck
أضيعُ من عِقدٍ بلا نَحرِ
And wealth, unless a virtuous person possesses it,
Wealth, unless held by one noble,
is more wasted than a necklace without a neck.
Is more squandered than a necklace without a string.
Sol 6.1