وَجَليسٍand a companion حَسَنِpleasant المَحcompany (first part)
وَجَليسٍ حَسَنِ المَح
ضَرِcompany (completion) مَأمونَtrustworthy المَغيبِabsence
ضَرِ مَأمونَ المَغيبِ
And a companion, pleasant in
Company, trustworthy in absence:
مَيِّتٌdead يُخبِرُinforms حَيّاًa living person
مَيِّتٌ يُخبِرُ حَيّاً
بِخَفِيّاتِabout hidden things الغُيوبِthe unseen
بِخَفِيّاتِ الغُيوبِ
Dead, he informs the living
Of the hidden secrets of the unseen.
أَبلَهٌfoolish غَيرَnot لَبيبٍwise
أَبلَهٌ غَيرَ لَبيبٍ
وَهوَyet he فيin حالِthe state of اللَبيبِthe wise person
وَهوَ في حالِ اللَبيبِ
Foolish, without wisdom,
Yet in the guise of the wise;
جاهِلٌignorant غَيرَnot أَديبِa man of letters
جاهِلٌ غَيرَ أَديبِ
وَهوَyet he عَونٌa helper لِلأَديبِto the man of letters
وَهوَ عَونٌ لِلأَديبِ
Ignorant, no man of letters,
Yet a helper to the man of letters;
أَخرَسٌmute غَيرَnot خَطيبِan orator
أَخرَسٌ غَيرَ خَطيبِ
وَلَهُand he has لَفظُthe speech of الخَطيبِthe orator
وَلَهُ لَفظُ الخَطيبِ
Mute, no orator,
Yet possessing an orator's speech;
مُفحَمٌunable to compose verse يَنظُمُcomposes شِعراًpoetry
مُفحَمٌ يَنظُمُ شِعراً
مِثلَlike إِقبالِthe approach of الحَبيبِthe beloved
مِثلَ إِقبالِ الحَبيبِ
No poet, yet he composes verse
Like the beloved's approach;
ساكِتٌsilent يَرويrelates حَديثاًa tale
ساكِتٌ يَروي حَديثاً
مِثلَlike إِعراضِthe turning away of الرَقيبِthe watcher
مِثلَ إِعراضِ الرَقيبِ
Silent, he relates a tale
Like the watcher's turning away.
نَمَّقَتهُadorned him الكَفُّthe hand حَتّىuntil
نَمَّقَتهُ الكَفُّ حَتّى
هُوَhe كَالوَشيِlike brocade القَشيبِfresh
هُوَ كَالوَشيِ القَشيبِ
The hand adorned him until
He was like fresh brocade,
مِنof سَوادٍblackness وَبَياضٍand whiteness
مِن سَوادٍ وَبَياضٍ
كَشَبابٍlike youth وَمَشيبِand gray hair
كَشَبابٍ وَمَشيبِ
Of black and white,
Like youth and gray hair.
فيهِin him إِمتاعٌdelight لِأَبصاfor eyes (first part)
فيهِ إِمتاعٌ لِأَبصا
رٍeyes (completion) وَأُنسٍand solace لِلقُلوبِfor hearts
رٍ وَأُنسٍ لِلقُلوبِ
In him is delight for
The eyes, and solace for hearts.
دَبَّcrept فيهِنَّamong them دَبيبُcreeping creatures
دَبَّ فيهِنَّ دَبيبُ
كانَwas مِنamong شَرِّthe worst of الدَبيبِcreeping things
كانَ مِن شَرِّ الدَبيبِ
Vermin crept among them,
Among the vilest of creeping things:
مِنof صَغيراتِsmall جُسومٍbodies
مِن صَغيراتِ جُسومٍ
وَكَبيراتِand great الذُنوبِsins
وَكَبيراتِ الذُنوبِ
Small in body,
And great in wrongdoing.
أَخَذَتtook مِنهاfrom them نَصيباًa share
أَخَذَت مِنها نَصيباً
فَاِلتَوىso became spoiled مِنهاbecause of them نَصيبيmy share
فَاِلتَوى مِنها نَصيبي
They took a share of them,
So my share was spoiled by them.
أَفرَحَتgladdened قَلبَthe heart of جَهولٍan ignoramus
أَفرَحَت قَلبَ جَهولٍ
وَكَوَتand seared قَلبَthe heart of لَبيبِa wise person
وَكَوَت قَلبَ لَبيبِ
They gladdened an ignoramus's heart
And seared a wise man's heart.
وَيلَwoe to هاتيكَthose المَعانيmeanings
وَيلَ هاتيكَ المَعاني
مِنof بَديعٍthe wondrous وَغَريبِand rare
مِن بَديعٍ وَغَريبِ
Woe to those meanings,
Wondrous and rare,
وَأَفانينَand varieties of كَلامٍspeech
وَأَفانينَ كَلامٍ
بَينَbetween سَهلٍeasy وَصَليبِand difficult
بَينَ سَهلٍ وَصَليبِ
And the varied forms of speech,
Both easy and difficult,
مِنof بَديعٍthe wondrous وَفَصيحٍand eloquent
مِن بَديعٍ وَفَصيحٍ
وَصَحيحٍand sound وَمُصيبِand apt
وَصَحيحٍ وَمُصيبِ
Wondrous and eloquent,
Sound and apt!
بَدَّلَreplaced الإِفصاحَeloquence مِنهُنfrom them (first part)
بَدَّلَ الإِفصاحَ مِنهُن
نَthem (completion) بِإِفسادٍwith corruption عَجيبِastonishing
نَ بِإِفسادٍ عَجيبِ
They replaced the eloquence
In them with astonishing corruption.
فَنُجومُso the stars of العِلمِknowledge وَالفَهand understanding (first part)
فَنُجومُ العِلمِ وَالفَه
مِunderstanding (completion) تَهاوَتtumbled down لِلغُروبِtoward setting
مِ تَهاوَت لِلغُروبِ
So the stars of knowledge and
Understanding tumbled toward their setting.
كُلُّevery شَيءٍthing سَوفَwill يَفنىperish
كُلُّ شَيءٍ سَوفَ يَفنى
عَنafter بَعيدٍa long time وَقَريبِand a short time
عَن بَعيدٍ وَقَريبِ
Everything will perish,
After a long time or a short one.
Sol 6.1