خَليلَيَّO my two friends باعُreach الدَهرِof Time بِالعُرفِin kindness ضَيِّقٌnarrow
خَليلَيَّ باعُ الدَهرِ بِالعُرفِ ضَيِّقٌ
عَلىtoward كُلِّevery ذيpossessor of عَقلٍreason وَبِالنُكرِand in harm واسِعُwide
عَلى كُلِّ ذي عَقلٍ وَبِالنُكرِ واسِعُ
My two friends, Time's reach in kindness is narrow
toward every man of reason, but wide in harm.
وَواقِعُand what alights of نُعماهُits bounty عَنِaway from الحُرِّthe noble man طائِرٌflies away
وَواقِعُ نُعماهُ عَنِ الحُرِّ طائِرٌ
وَطائِرُand the bird of بَلواهُits affliction عَلىupon الحُرِّthe noble man واقِعُalights
وَطائِرُ بَلواهُ عَلى الحُرِّ واقِعُ
What alights of its bounty flies away from the noble,
while the bird of its affliction alights upon the noble.
مَتىwhen ماever يُصِبنيit strikes me بِالقَوارِعِwith crushing blows طَرفُهُits glance
مَتى ما يُصِبني بِالقَوارِعِ طَرفُهُ
أَصابَتهُstrike it هِمّاتيmy aspirations وَهُنَّand they قَوارِعُcrushing blows
أَصابَتهُ هِمّاتي وَهُنَّ قَوارِعُ
Whenever its glance strikes me with crushing blows,
my aspirations strike it, themselves crushing blows.
وَهِمّاتُand the aspirations of مِثليone like me لِلخُطوبِof calamities جَوالِبٌsummoners
وَهِمّاتُ مِثلي لِلخُطوبِ جَوالِبٌ
كَماjust as أَنَّهُنَّthat they are لِلخُطوبِof calamities دَوافِعُrepellers
كَما أَنَّهُنَّ لِلخُطوبِ دَوافِعُ
The aspirations of one like me draw calamities,
just as they also drive calamities away.
تُريكَthey show you اِشتِعالاًa blaze بِالنُجومِamong the stars طَوالِعاًrising
تُريكَ اِشتِعالاً بِالنُجومِ طَوالِعاً
وَهُنَّand they إِذاwhen لاحَتshine forth نُجومٌstars طَوالِعُrising
وَهُنَّ إِذا لاحَت نُجومٌ طَوالِعُ
They show you a blaze among the rising stars,
and when they shine, they are themselves rising stars.
وَتُزريand put to shame عَلىin comparison with البيضِbright swords الطَوالِعُthe rising ones إِنif مَضَتthey advance
وَتُزري عَلى البيضِ الطَوالِعُ إِن مَضَت
وَهُنَّand they عَلىdespite العِلّاتِflaws بيضٌbright swords قَواطِعُcleaving
وَهُنَّ عَلى العِلّاتِ بيضٌ قَواطِعُ
These rising aspirations shame bright swords when they advance,
and, for all their flaws, they are bright, cleaving swords.
تَخافُنِيَfear me الأَيّامُthe days وَهيَwhile they تُخيفُنيfrighten me
تَخافُنِيَ الأَيّامُ وَهيَ تُخيفُني
وَلِلنَكسِand a weakling has تَهديدٌa threat إِذاwhen ريعَhe is frightened رائِعُterrifying
وَلِلنَكسِ تَهديدٌ إِذا ريعَ رائِعُ
The days fear me, even as they frighten me;
even a weakling's threat is fearsome when he is frightened.
وَلَوand even if كُنَّthey were فيin عَينَيmy eye لَماit would not قَذِيَتbe irritated بِهاby them
وَلَو كُنَّ في عَينَي لَما قَذِيَت بِها
فَكَيفَso how تَرىdo you think أَنّيthat I إِذاwhen صُلنَthey attack خاشِعُsubmissive
فَكَيفَ تَرى أَنّي إِذا صُلنَ خاشِعُ
Even if they were in my eye, it would not smart from them;
so how can you think I cower when they attack?
أَتَطلُعُcan there arise? مِنهاfrom them فيwithin دِياريmy lands طَوالِعٌvanguards
أَتَطلُعُ مِنها في دِياري طَوالِعٌ
بِسوءٍwith harm وَهِمّاتيwhile my aspirations عَلَيهاagainst them طَلائِعُscouts
بِسوءٍ وَهِمّاتي عَلَيها طَلائِعُ
Can their vanguards rise within my lands,
bringing harm, while my aspirations stand as scouts against them?
يُقارِعُit battles مِنّيin me باسِلاًa valiant man ذاpossessing حَفيظَةٍzeal for honor
يُقارِعُ مِنّي باسِلاً ذا حَفيظَةٍ
يَقومُstands إِزاءَfacing النَصرِvictory حينَwhen يُقارَعُhe is challenged
يَقومُ إِزاءَ النَصرِ حينَ يُقارَعُ
It faces in me a valiant man, fierce in guarding his honor,
who stands face to face with victory when challenged.
فَتىa young man بِأَتَمِّwith the fullest الفَضلِexcellence لَيسَis not بِقانِعِcontent
فَتى بِأَتَمِّ الفَضلِ لَيسَ بِقانِعِ
وَلَكِنbut بِأَدنىwith the barest بُلغَةِsustenance of العَيشِlife قانِعُcontent
وَلَكِن بِأَدنى بُلغَةِ العَيشِ قانِعُ
A young man not content with the fullest excellence,
yet content with life's barest sustenance.
فَماfor no صَحِبَتهُhas accompanied him لِلأَنامِfrom humankind صَنيعَةٌfavor
فَما صَحِبَتهُ لِلأَنامِ صَنيعَةٌ
وَيَصحُبُهُمand accompany them مِنهُfrom him وَفيهِand in him صَنائِعُfavors
وَيَصحُبُهُم مِنهُ وَفيهِ صَنائِعُ
No favor from mankind has ever accompanied him,
yet favors, from him and embodied in him, accompany them.
وَلَمand has not يَتَواضَعhumbled himself فيin مُصاداةِcourting مِنَّةٍa favor
وَلَم يَتَواضَع في مُصاداةِ مِنَّةٍ
وَكُلُّand every مُصاديone courting مِنَّةٍa favor مُتَواضِعُself-abasing
وَكُلُّ مُصادي مِنَّةٍ مُتَواضِعُ
He has never humbled himself in courting a favor,
and whoever courts a favor humbles himself.
لَهُhe has شَرَفٌnobility فيin آلِthe house of ساسانِSasan باذِخٌtowering
لَهُ شَرَفٌ في آلِ ساسانِ باذِخٌ
وَذِكرٌand renown بِأَطرافِat the ends of البَسيطَةِthe earth شائِعُwidespread
وَذِكرٌ بِأَطرافِ البَسيطَةِ شائِعُ
His nobility in the house of Sasan towers high,
and his renown spreads to the ends of the earth.
تُؤَدِّبُهُschool him الأَيّامُthe days حينَwhen تَضُرُّهُthey harm him
تُؤَدِّبُهُ الأَيّامُ حينَ تَضُرُّهُ
وَكَمand many a ضَرَرٍharm لِلمَرءِfor a man فيهِin it مَنافِعُbenefits
وَكَم ضَرَرٍ لِلمَرءِ فيهِ مَنافِعُ
The days school him when they harm him,
and many a harm holds benefits for a man.
وَماand not ضاعَis lost مِثليone like me حَيثُwherever حَلَّتhave halted رِكابُهُhis riding camels
وَما ضاعَ مِثلي حَيثُ حَلَّت رِكابُهُ
بَلىbut yes حَيثُwhere ضاعَis lost المَجدُglory مِثلِيَone like me ضائِعُis lost
بَلى حَيثُ ضاعَ المَجدُ مِثلِيَ ضائِعُ
One like me is never lost wherever his riding camels halt;
but yes—where glory is lost, one like me is lost.
وَمِثلِيَand one like me مَخضوعٌshown submission لَهُto him غَيرَexcept أَنَّهُthat he
وَمِثلِيَ مَخضوعٌ لَهُ غَيرَ أَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen كانَhe is مَجهولَunrecognized in الفَضائِلِvirtues خاضِعُsubmissive
إِذا كانَ مَجهولَ الفَضائِلِ خاضِعُ
One like me is bowed to; yet he
bows when his virtues go unrecognized.
وَمِثلِيَand one like me مَتبوعٌfollowed عَلىin كُلِّevery حالَةٍcircumstance
وَمِثلِيَ مَتبوعٌ عَلى كُلِّ حالَةٍ
فَإِنbut if يَنقَلِبturns وَجهُthe face of الزَمانِTime فَتابِعُthen a follower
فَإِن يَنقَلِب وَجهُ الزَمانِ فَتابِعُ
One like me is followed in every circumstance;
but if Time turns its face, he becomes a follower.
Sol 6.1