كَمmany a غايَةٍَgoal لَكُمof yours تَقاصَرَfell short دونَهاshort of it
كَم غايَةٍَ لَكُم تَقاصَرَ دونَها
مَنwhoever رامَهاsought it فَكَأَنَّهُso, as though he ماnot رامَهاsought it
مَن رامَها فَكَأَنَّهُ ما رامَها
Many a goal of yours lay beyond the reach
of whoever sought it—as though he had never sought it.
يَعلوhe surpasses كِرامَthe noble العالَمينَof all peoples وَإِنَّماwhereas ... only
يَعلو كِرامَ العالَمينَ وَإِنَّما
يَعلوsurpass كِرامُthe noble العالَمينَof all peoples لِئامَهاtheir ignoble people
يَعلو كِرامُ العالَمينَ لِئامَها
He surpasses the noble of all peoples, whereas
the noble of all peoples surpass only the ignoble among them.
وَإِذاand when تَسامىaspire الأَكرَمونَthe noblest إِلىto العُلاeminence
وَإِذا تَسامى الأَكرَمونَ إِلى العُلا
نالواthey reached مَناسَمَهاits hoof-tips وَنِلتَand you reached سَنامَهاits hump
نالوا مَناسَمَها وَنِلتَ سَنامَها
And when the noblest aspire to eminence,
they reach its hoof-tips, while you reach its hump.
أَمِنَfelt secure المَكارِمِthe noble virtues أَنthat يُبَدَّدَbe scattered شَملُهاtheir company
أَمِنَ المَكارِمِ أَن يُبَدَّدَ شَملُها
لَمّاwhen رَأَتكَthey saw you نِظامَهits binding thread وَنِظامَهاand their binding thread
لَمّا رَأَتكَ نِظامَه وَنِظامَها
The noble virtues felt safe from having their company scattered
when they saw you as its binding thread and theirs.
ذَلَّتyielded لَهُto him نُوَبُcalamities الزَمانِof time وَأَصبَحَتand became
ذَلَّت لَهُ نُوَبُ الزَمانِ وَأَصبَحَت
فيin عِقوَتَيهِhis two courtyards جِبالُهاtheir mountains آكامُهاtheir hillocks
في عِقوَتَيهِ جِبالُها آكامُها
Time's calamities yielded to him, and
in his two courtyards their mountains became mere hillocks.
Sol 6.1