لاnot يصغرbecomes small الرجلthe man الكبيرgreat
لا يصغر الرجل الكبير
بعشرةِby associating with الرَّجلthe man الصغيرِlesser
بعشرةِ الرَّجل الصغيرِ
A great man is not made small
The great man is not belittled
by keeping company with a lesser man.
By the smallness of the small man
بلrather يكبرbecomes great الرجلthe man الصغيرlesser
بل يكبر الرجل الصغير
بخدمةby serving الرجلthe man الكبيرgreat
بخدمة الرجل الكبير
Rather, a lesser man becomes great
Rather, the small man is made greater
by serving a great man.
By serving the great man
ويركبُand is mounted التَبرُuncoined gold النفيسprecious علىupon
ويركبُ التَبرُ النفيس على
الدنيءthe lowly sort منof السيورleather straps
الدنيء من السيور
And precious gold is mounted upon
And precious eloquence is carried on
lowly leather straps.
The most inferior of mounts
ماذاwhat يضرُّharms البدرthe full moon قرnear- (fragment of قُرب)
ماذا يضرُّ البدر قر
ب-ness (completing قُرب) النجمthe star منto المستنيرthe radiant one
ب النجم من المستنير
What harm does the full moon suffer from the nearness
What does the splendor of the full moon care
of a star to that radiant orb?
If a star is less bright
بلrather ماwhat يضرُّharms السيلthe torrent مجراهits course
بل ما يضرُّ السيل مجراه
علىover الأرضthe earth الحدورdownward-sloping
على الأرض الحدور
Nay, what harm does its course do the torrent
Neither does a torrent care if its course
over downward-sloping earth?
Flows over crumbling earth
بلrather ماhow عسىcould صغرthe smallness السفينthe ships
بل ما عسى صغر السفين
يغضُّdetract منfrom عظمthe vastness البحورthe seas
يغضُّ من عظم البحور
Nay, how could the smallness of ships
Nor is the greatness of the ocean
detract from the vastness of the seas?
Diminished by a small boat
قدindeed زادنيhas increased me شرفاًin honor ولمand has not
قد زادني شرفاً ولم
ينقصهdiminish him منof شرفِhonor حضوريmy presence
ينقصه من شرفِ حضوري
He has indeed added to my honor, nor has
You have increased my honor and not
my presence diminished any of his.
Reduced your own by my presence
كالنارlike fire ليسis not بناقصٍdiminishing
كالنار ليس بناقصٍ
منهاfrom it اقتباسtaking a light المستعيرthe borrower
منها اقتباس المستعير
Like fire, which is not diminished
Like fire that loses no brightness
by a borrower's taking a light from it.
When another lights from it his torch
تلقيyou find الفتىthe young man سهلeasy
تلقي الفتى سهل
الشريعةthe path to water للجليسfor the companion وللعشيرand for the close friend
الشريعة للجليس وللعشير
You find the young man with an easy
To receive tradition is easy
path to water for companion and close friend.
For a student with good company
أوor ماnot رأيتَyou have seen البحرthe sea يغرقone drowns
أو ما رأيتَ البحر يغرق
منهfrom it بالخطبthrough a mishap اليسيرslight
منه بالخطب اليسير
Or have you not seen the sea—one may drown
Have you not seen the sea shrug off
in it through a slight mishap?
Stirred by the slightest storms
والناسand people مثلlike الجسمthe body يعتمدrelies
والناس مثل الجسم يعتمد
القبيلthe front علىupon الدبيرthe back
القبيل على الدبير
And people are like a body, in which
And people are like one body
the front relies upon the back.
The whole dependent on each part
يتحاملbears itself up العضوthe limb الخطيرimportant
يتحامل العضو الخطير
بقوَّةby the strength of العضوthe limb الحقيرinsignificant
بقوَّة العضو الحقير
The mighty limb bears itself up
So the essential member relies
by the strength of the lowly limb,
On the strength of the fragile part
كتحاملlike the resting of الرمحthe spear الطويلlong
كتحامل الرمح الطويل
بزجَّهupon its butt-spike ذاكthat القصيرshort
بزجَّه ذاك القصير
just as the long spear rests
As the lengthy lance depends
upon that short butt-spike of its.
On the power of the shorter hand
Sol 6.1