إِنَّindeed الأَميرَthe prince حِمامُdeath الجارِعِthe gulper الجانيthe wrongdoer
إِنَّ الأَميرَ حِمامُ الجارِعِ الجاني
وَمُستَرادُand the sought-for refuge أَمانيhopes الموثَقِthe bound العانيthe captive
وَمُستَرادُ أَماني الموثَقِ العاني
Indeed, the prince is death to the gulping wrongdoer,
The prince is a dove of the hungry granary,
and the refuge sought by the bound captive's hopes.
And fulfiller of the wishes of the bound prisoner,
إِذاwhen ثَوىsettles جارُa protected neighbor قَومٍa people فيin بِلادِهِمِtheir lands
إِذا ثَوى جارُ قَومٍ في بِلادِهِمِ
فَجارُهُthen his protected neighbor نازِلٌlodging فيon رَأسِthe summit of غُمدانِGhumdan
فَجارُهُ نازِلٌ في رَأسِ غُمدانِ
When a people's protégé settles in their land,
When a neighbor dwells unjustly in the land of a people,
his protégé lodges on Ghumdan's summit.
His neighbor descends at the top of scabbards.
كَمhow many صامِتٍsilent wealth (coins) صامِتِيِّof Ṣāmit الضَربِminting فُزتُI gained بِهِit
كَم صامِتٍ صامِتِيِّ الضَربِ فُزتُ بِهِ
مِنهُfrom him وَحَليٍand adornments مِنَof المَعروفِkindness حَلّانيhe adorned me
مِنهُ وَحَليٍ مِنَ المَعروفِ حَلّاني
How many silent coins, Ṣāmitī-struck, have I gained
How often have I remained silent, my silence hitting
from him, and how many ornaments of kindness he has adorned me with!
Him and fine gifts from goodwill sustaining me,
يُعطىis given فَيَكسِبُنيand so he earns me حَمداًpraise بِنائِلِهِthrough his bounty
يُعطى فَيَكسِبُني حَمداً بِنائِلِهِ
وَتالِديand my inherited wealth وافِرٌabundant باقٍremaining intact وَقُنيانيand my acquired possessions
وَتالِدي وافِرٌ باقٍ وَقُنياني
Gifts are given, and through his bounty he earns me praise,
He gives me so I earn praise through his gifts
while my inherited and acquired wealth remains abundant and intact.
And my successive offspring remain enduring and multiplying.
فَمَنso whoever رَآنيhas seen me مِنَamong الأَقوامِthe peoples كُلِّهِمِall of them
فَمَن رَآني مِنَ الأَقوامِ كُلِّهِمِ
فَقَدthen indeed رَأىhas seen مُحسِناًa benefactor مِنfrom غَيرِother than إِحسانِbeneficence
فَقَد رَأى مُحسِناً مِن غَيرِ إِحسانِ
Whoever among all peoples has seen me
So whoever of all people has seen me,
has seen a benefactor who has bestowed nothing:
Has seen one who does good without doing good.
جانيa harvester of نَخيلٍdate palms سِواهُsomeone other than him كانَhad أَلَّفَهاgathered them
جاني نَخيلٍ سِواهُ كانَ أَلَّفَها
غَرساًas a planting وَساكِنُand a dweller in قَصرٍa palace غَيرُهُsomeone other than him البانيthe builder
غَرساً وَساكِنُ قَصرٍ غَيرُهُ الباني
a gatherer from date palms another had laid out
He has associated palm trees whose planter other than him
as a grove, and a dweller in a palace built by another.
Was their cultivator and resident of a palace not built by him.
هَلwill أَنتَyou صائِنُsafeguarding عِرضيmy honor ليfor me وَمُفلِتيand delivering me
هَل أَنتَ صائِنُ عِرضي لي وَمُفلِتي
بِماءِwith the water of وَجهيmy face سَليماًunharmed مِنfrom سُلَيمانِSulayman
بِماءِ وَجهي سَليماً مِن سُلَيمانِ
Will you safeguard my honor for me and deliver me
Are you slandering my honor, O you who are slipping away
with the water of my face intact, from Sulayman?
With the water of my face safe from Sulayman?
فَتىa young man فَتاءٍyouthful vigor وَفِتيانِيَّةٍand chivalry وَأَخوand a brother to
فَتى فَتاءٍ وَفِتيانِيَّةٍ وَأَخو
نَوائِبٍadversities وَمُلِمّاتٍand calamities وَأَزمانِand times
نَوائِبٍ وَمُلِمّاتٍ وَأَزمانِ
A young man of youthful vigor and chivalry, a brother to
A young man, young and brother
adversities, calamities, and the times.
Of misfortunes, gathering clouds and times!
مِسَنُّa whetstone for فِكرٍthought إِذاwhen كَلَّتgrow dull مَضارِبُهُits cutting edges
مِسَنُّ فِكرٍ إِذا كَلَّت مَضارِبُهُ
يَوماًone day وَصَيقَلُand a polisher of أَلبابٍintellects وَأَذهانِand minds
يَوماً وَصَيقَلُ أَلبابٍ وَأَذهانِ
A whetstone for thought, should its cutting edges grow dull
A mature mind, when its lightnings flash
one day, and a polisher of intellects and minds.
A day, polishing intellects and minds.
ذوone possessing الوُدِّaffection مِنّيtoward me وَذوand one possessing القُربىkinship بِمَنزِلَةٍof equal standing
ذو الوُدِّ مِنّي وَذو القُربى بِمَنزِلَةٍ
وَإِخوَتيand my brothers أُسوَةٌequal عِنديin my eyes وَإِخوانيand my friends
وَإِخوَتي أُسوَةٌ عِندي وَإِخواني
A loving friend and a kinsman hold the same place with me;
One affectionate to me, and close kin are to me
my brothers and my friends are equal in my eyes.
As good examples, and my brothers, comrades.
لاdo not تُخلِقَنmake threadbare خُلُقيmy character فيهِمtoward them وَقَدand already سَطَعَتhas blazed
لا تُخلِقَن خُلُقي فيهِم وَقَد سَطَعَت
ناريmy fire وَجَدَّدَand renewed مِنof حاليmy condition الجَديدانِthe two renewers (night and day)
ناري وَجَدَّدَ مِن حالي الجَديدانِ
Do not make my character toward them threadbare, now that
Do not create my manners in them, and my
my fire has blazed and the two renewers, night and day, have renewed my condition.
Fire has blazed, and the two new moons have renewed my state.
فيin دَهرِيَmy age الأَوَّلِfirst المَذمومِdespised أَعرِفُهُمI recognize them
في دَهرِيَ الأَوَّلِ المَذمومِ أَعرِفُهُم
فَالآنَso now أُنكِرُهُمI disown them فيin دَهرِيَmy age الثانيsecond
فَالآنَ أُنكِرُهُم في دَهرِيَ الثاني
In my first, despised age I knew them;
In my first, blameworthy time, I knew them,
am I now to disown them in my second age?
And now I deny them in my second time.
لاقىmet إِذَنthen غَرسُهُمtheir planting أَكدىthe most barren ثَرىًsoil وَجَرَتand ran
لاقى إِذَن غَرسُهُم أَكدى ثَرىً وَجَرَت
مِنّيof me ظُنونُهُمtheir expectations فيon شَرِّthe worst مَيدانِracecourse
مِنّي ظُنونُهُم في شَرِّ مَيدانِ
Then their planting would have met the most barren soil, and
So the roots they planted met barren soil, and their
their hopes of me would have run on the worst racecourse.
Suspicions of me flowed in the worst field.
عِصابَةٌa band جاوَرَتneighbored آدابُهُمtheir learning أَدَبيmy learning
عِصابَةٌ جاوَرَت آدابُهُم أَدَبي
فَهُمso they وَإِنand even if فُرِّقواare scattered فيacross الأَرضِthe earth جيرانيmy neighbors
فَهُم وَإِن فُرِّقوا في الأَرضِ جيراني
A band whose learning dwells beside my own;
A gang whose manners neighbored my manners
so, though scattered across the earth, they are my neighbors.
And so they are my neighbors though dispersed in the land.
أَرواحُناour souls فيin مَكانٍa place واحِدٍone وَغَدَتand have come to be
أَرواحُنا في مَكانٍ واحِدٍ وَغَدَت
أَبدانُناour bodies فيin شَآمٍSham (Syria) أَوor خُراسانِKhurasan
أَبدانُنا في شَآمٍ أَو خُراسانِ
Our souls are in one place, while
Our spirits are in one place, and our
our bodies have come to be in Sham or Khurasan.
Bodies became in Syria or Khurasan.
وَرُبَّand many a نائيone far from المَغانيthe dwellings روحُهُhis soul أَبَداًforever
وَرُبَّ نائي المَغاني روحُهُ أَبَداً
لَصيقُclinging to روحيmy soul وَدانٍand one nearby لَيسَis not بِالدانيtruly near
لَصيقُ روحي وَدانٍ لَيسَ بِالداني
And many a man whose home is far away has a soul forever
And many a compatriot in exile, his soul forever
clinging to my soul, while one nearby is not truly near.
Clinging to my soul, close though not intimate.
أَفيis it concerning أَخٍa brother لِيَof mine فَردٍunique لاno قَسيمَequal لَهُto him
أَفي أَخٍ لِيَ فَردٍ لا قَسيمَ لَهُ
فيin خالِصِpure الوُدِّlove مِنfrom سِرّيmy secrecy وَإِعلانيand my public avowal
في خالِصِ الوُدِّ مِن سِرّي وَإِعلاني
Is it for a brother of mine, unique, with no equal
Is there for me an unmatched, peerless brother
in pure love, in what I hide and what I proclaim,
In the essence of affection, my secret and my proclamation?
تُرَدُّis turned back عَنfrom بَحرِكَyour sea المَورودِfrequented for water راجِعَةًreturning
تُرَدُّ عَن بَحرِكَ المَورودِ راجِعَةً
بِغَيرِwithout حاجاتِهاtheir needs دَلويmy bucket وَأَشطانيand my well-ropes
بِغَيرِ حاجاتِها دَلوي وَأَشطاني
that they are turned back from your frequented sea, returning
It turns back from your abundant sea, returning
with their needs unmet—my bucket and ropes?
Without its needs, my water-bucket and pulley.
مُسَلَّطٌempowered حَيثُwhere لاno سُلطانَauthority ليfor me وَيَديand my hand
مُسَلَّطٌ حَيثُ لا سُلطانَ لي وَيَدي
مَغلولَةُfettered النَفعِbenefit وَالسُلطانُand the authority سُلطانيmy authority
مَغلولَةُ النَفعِ وَالسُلطانُ سُلطاني
I am empowered where I have no authority, while my hand
One empowered where I have no power, and my hand
is fettered from doing good, though the authority is mine.
Is useless in benefit and empowerment is my empowerment.
كَالنارِlike fire بارِدَةًcold فيin عودِهاits wood وَلَهاand it has
كَالنارِ بارِدَةً في عودِها وَلَها
إِنif فارَقَتهُit leaves it اِشتِعالٌa blaze لَيسَis not بِالوانيat all feeble
إِن فارَقَتهُ اِشتِعالٌ لَيسَ بِالواني
Like fire, cold within its wood, yet it has,
Like fire, cold in its wood, which has,
if it leaves that wood, a blaze that never flags.
If it leaves it, a blaze not lasting.
ماwhatever أَنسَI forget لاnot أَنسَI forget قَولاًa saying قالَهُhe said it رَجُلٌa man
ما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ قَولاً قالَهُ رَجُلٌ
غَضَضتُI lowered فيin عَقبِهِits wake طَرفيmy gaze وَأَجفانيand my eyelids
غَضَضتُ في عَقبِهِ طَرفي وَأَجفاني
Whatever I forget, I will not forget words a man spoke,
I do not forget, I do not forget, the saying a man spoke
after which I lowered my gaze and eyelids:
At which I lowered my eyelids and lids after it.
نَلِreach الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades أَوِor الشِعرىSirius فَلَيسَfor he is not فَتىًa young man
نَلِ الثُرَيّا أَوِ الشِعرى فَلَيسَ فَتىً
لَمhas not يُغنِenriched خَمسينَfifty إِنساناًpeople بِإِنسانِtruly a human being
لَم يُغنِ خَمسينَ إِنساناً بِإِنسانِ
Reach the Pleiades or Sirius: no young man
Attain glory or poetry, and you will not be a young man
who has not enriched fifty people is truly human.
Unless you enrich fifty people through one person.
Sol 6.1