وإنand indeed مولييرMolière نجمa star لاno أفولsetting لهfor him
وإن موليير نجم لا أفول له
وأنand even if تغيبhe vanished فيthrough الأحقابthe ages واحتجباand was veiled
وأن تغيب في الأحقاب واحتجبا
Truly, Molière is a star that never sets,
And indeed Molière is a star that never sets,
though he vanished into the ages and passed from sight.
even if he vanishes through the ages and is veiled.
شريعةa watering place منof بيانeloquence الغربthe West صافيةpure
شريعة من بيان الغرب صافية
وإنand even if يكbe الشرقthe East أحياناsometimes بهاfrom it شرباdrank
وإن يك الشرق أحيانا بها شربا
A limpid fount of Western eloquence,
A pure watering place of the West's eloquence,
though the East has sometimes drunk from it;
though the East has sometimes drunk from it;
وآيةand a marvel الأدبliterature الرّومَىEuropean فيin لغةa language
وآية الأدب الرّومَى في لغة
لمdid not تُخلleave bereft منof سرهاits secret عجماnon-Arabs ولاnor عرباArabs
لم تُخل من سرها عجما ولا عربا
and the marvel of Roman letters, in a language
and a marvel of European literature, in a language
that shut out from its mystery neither non-Arabs nor Arabs.
that has left neither non-Arabs nor Arabs bereft of its secret.
لوif استطاعcould ذووهاits speakers منout of عنايتهمtheir care
لو استطاع ذووها من عنايتهم
بنشرهاfor spreading it علّموهاthey would teach it الجنthe jinn والشهباand the shooting stars
بنشرها علّموها الجن والشهبا
Had its people been able, such was their devotion
If its speakers could—so great is their care
to spreading it, they would have taught it to jinn and shooting stars.
for spreading it—they would teach it to jinn and shooting stars.
فاحفظso guard لسانكyour tongue واجهدand strive فيin صيانتهpreserving it
فاحفظ لسانك واجهد في صيانته
كماas يصونguards الكريمthe noble man العرضhonor والحسباand ancestral standing
كما يصون الكريم العرض والحسبا
So guard your tongue, and strive to preserve it,
So guard your tongue and strive to preserve it,
as a noble man guards honor and lineage.
as a noble man guards his honor and ancestral standing.
كأنماas though كانتwas الدنياthe world علىupon يدهhis hand
كأنما كانت الدنيا على يده
يصوِّرhe portrays الناسpeople عنهاfrom it كلماwhenever كَتباhe wrote
يصوِّر الناس عنها كلما كَتبا
As though the whole world lay within his hand,
As though the world lay in his hand,
from it he portrayed people whenever he wrote.
he draws people's portraits from it whenever he writes.
إذاwhen مضىhe proceeds يعرضdisplaying الأخلاقcharacter traits عاريةnaked
إذا مضى يعرض الأخلاق عارية
أراكhe shows you منof كلevery نفسsoul صورةa portrait عجباwondrous
أراك من كل نفس صورة عجبا
When he set about laying human character bare,
When he sets out to display character stripped bare,
he showed you, in every soul, a wondrous portrait.
he shows you a wondrous portrait of every soul.
يأتيhe approaches النفوسsouls فينضُوthen he strips off عنfrom طبائعهاtheir natures
يأتي النفوس فينضُو عن طبائعها
ستراa covering ويهتكand tears away عنfrom أهوالهاtheir horrors الحجباthe veils
سترا ويهتك عن أهوالها الحجبا
He enters souls and strips away from their natures
He approaches souls and strips from their natures
a covering, and tears the veils from their horrors.
a covering, and tears away the veils from their horrors.
فربماso perhaps ازددتyou gained more علماknowledge بالبخيلabout the miser وإنand even if
فربما ازددت علما بالبخيل وإن
نشأتyou grew up تلقاهyou meet him جَداas a grandfather أوor تراهyou see him أباas a father
نشأت تلقاه جَدا أو تراه أبا
Thus you may learn still more about a miser, even if
So you may learn more about the miser, even though
you grew up knowing him as your grandfather or saw him as your father.
you grew up knowing him as a grandfather or seeing him as a father.
وقدand perhaps يزيدكhe gives you more بالكذابabout the liar معرفةknowledge
وقد يزيدك بالكذاب معرفة
وأنتwhile you تضحىpass the morning وتمسىand pass the evening تسمعhear الكذباlies
وأنت تضحى وتمسى تسمع الكذبا
He may also deepen your knowledge of a liar,
And he may deepen your knowledge of the liar,
though morning and evening you keep hearing lies.
though you hear lies morning and evening.
وقدand perhaps يريكhe shows you أخاone with الوجهينthe two faces منكشفاexposed
وقد يريك أخا الوجهين منكشفا
وأنتwhile you تلقاهmeet him فيamong الإِخوانfriends منتقباveiled
وأنت تلقاه في الإِخوان منتقبا
He may show you the two-faced man laid bare,
And he may show you the two-faced man exposed,
although among your companions you meet him masked.
though you meet him veiled among friends.
Sol 6.1