أَرىI see شِيَمَthe ways of الناسِpeople الأَذىharm وَأَشدُّهُمand the harshest of them
أَرى شِيَمَ الناسِ الأَذى وَأَشدُّهُم
أَذىًin harm جاهِلٌan ignoramus أَوليتَهyou bestowed on him مِنكَfrom you إِحساناkindness
أَذىً جاهِلٌ أَوليتَه مِنكَ إِحسانا
I see people's ways as hurtful, and the most harmful of them
is an ignoramus on whom you have bestowed your kindness.
يجيئُكَcomes to you عيرٌan ass مِنهُمfrom among them فَتسوسُهُso you train him
يجيئُكَ عيرٌ مِنهُم فَتسوسُهُ
إِلىuntil أَنthat غَداhe became فيamong الناسِpeople يُحسَبُis reckoned إِنساناa human being
إِلى أَن غَدا في الناسِ يُحسَبُ إِنسانا
An ass among them comes to you, and you train him,
until he comes to be counted a human being among people.
فَيَبأىthen he grows haughty وَيُزهىand grows conceited زاهِداًdisdainful فيكَof you نابِزاًbelittling
فَيَبأى وَيُزهى زاهِداً فيكَ نابِزاً
لِحقِّكof your rightful due يُبديhe displays عَنكَfrom you فيin العلمِlearning غُنياناindependence
لِحقِّك يُبدي عَنكَ في العلمِ غُنيانا
Then he grows haughty and conceited, scorning you and belittling
your rightful due, professing independence of you in learning.
وَلَوand even if أنَّهthat he قَدindeed فاقَsurpassed فيin الفَضلِexcellence صحبَهُhis companions
وَلَو أنَّه قَد فاقَ في الفَضلِ صحبَهُ
لَماwould not كانَbe إِلاexcept العيرthe ass طَرطرَwagged آذاناears
لَما كانَ إِلا العير طَرطرَ آذانا
Even if he has surpassed his companions in excellence,
he would be nothing but an ass wagging its ears.
وَمَنand whoever كانَis تلميذاًa pupil وَيَزعمُand claims أَنَّهُthat he
وَمَن كانَ تلميذاً وَيَزعمُ أَنَّهُ
كَشيخٍlike a master لَهُof his فَالجهلُthen ignorance أَولاهhas bestowed on him حِرماناdeprivation
كَشيخٍ لَهُ فَالجهلُ أَولاه حِرمانا
And whoever is a pupil, yet claims that he
is his master's equal—ignorance has bestowed deprivation on him.
لَدىwith الشَيخِthe master مِنof علمٍknowledge زَواياcorners غَريبةٌunfamiliar
لَدى الشَيخِ مِن علمٍ زَوايا غَريبةٌ
قَدalready اكسبَهاhe acquired them مُذsince عاشَhe lived فيin العلمlearning أَزماناages
قَد اكسبَها مُذ عاشَ في العلم أَزمانا
The master has unfamiliar corners of knowledge,
acquired over the ages he has spent in learning.
عَجِبتُI marvel لمثليat one like me عِشتُI have lived سَبعينseventy حِجَّةًyear
عَجِبتُ لمثلي عِشتُ سَبعين حِجَّةً
أعانيI labor over لِسانَtongue العُربِthe Arabs جَمعاًcollecting وَتِبياناand elucidating
أعاني لِسانَ العُربِ جَمعاً وَتِبيانا
I marvel at one like myself: I have lived seventy years,
laboring over the Arabs' tongue, collecting and elucidating it.
فَماso not صحَّproved certain عِنديto me غَيرُother than أَنيthat I مُقصِّرٌfalling short
فَما صحَّ عِندي غَيرُ أَني مُقصِّرٌ
وَقَدand indeed فاتَناescaped us مِنهof it كثيرٌmuch وأَعياناand baffled us
وَقَد فاتَنا مِنه كثيرٌ وأَعيانا
So nothing has proved certain to me except that I fall short,
and much of it has escaped us and baffled us.
فَكيفَthen what بمَنof one who أَضحىhas become سُكُردانa catch-all receptacle صُحفِهِhis pages
فَكيفَ بمَن أَضحى سُكُردان صُحفِهِ
يقلِّبُhe leafs فيthrough ذاthis ثمَّthen ذَلِكَthat أَحياناsometimes
يقلِّبُ في ذا ثمَّ ذَلِكَ أَحيانا
Then what of one who has become a catch-all receptacle for his pages,
leafing through this, then that, from time to time?
يَرىhe thinks أَنَّهُthat he قَدalready صارَhas become شَيئاًsomething وَلمyet has not يَكُنbeen
يَرى أَنَّهُ قَد صارَ شَيئاً وَلم يَكُن
كَشَيءٍlike anything وَلَكنbut rather جَرَّhe dragged للجَهلِfor ignorance أَرساناhalters
كَشَيءٍ وَلَكن جَرَّ للجَهلِ أَرسانا
He thinks he has become something, yet he has not amounted
to anything; instead, he has dragged halters for ignorance.
وَأُمٌand a mother وَلودٌprolific هَذهthis الأَرضُthe earth لاnot يُرىis seen
وَأُمٌ وَلودٌ هَذه الأَرضُ لا يُرى
بِهاupon it مُدَّعٍa pretender إِلاexcept وَيُفضَحُand is exposed خُذلاناhumiliating failure
بِها مُدَّعٍ إِلا وَيُفضَحُ خُذلانا
And this earth is a prolific mother: one never sees
a pretender upon it without being exposed and disgraced.
Sol 6.1