لاnot يَكونُis السَرِيُّthe noble man مِثلُlike الدَنِيِّthe base man
لا يَكونُ السَرِيُّ مِثلُ الدَنِيِّ
لاno وَلاnor ذوone endowed with الذَكاءِintelligence مِثلُlike الغَبِيِّthe dullard
لا وَلا ذو الذَكاءِ مِثلُ الغَبِيِّ
The noble man is not like the base man,
no, nor is the intelligent man like the dullard.
لاnot يَكونُis الأَلَدُّthe fierce disputant ذوpossessing المَقولِthe tongue المُرthe keen-edged (continued)
لا يَكونُ الأَلَدُّ ذو المَقولِ المُر
هَفِcompletion of 'keen-edged' عِندَupon القِياسِcomparison مِثلُlike العَيِيِّthe tongue-tied
هَفِ عِندَ القِياسِ مِثلُ العَيِيِّ
The fierce disputant, with his keen-edged tongue, is not,
when compared, like the tongue-tied.
أَيُّwhat شَيءٍthing مِنَof اللِباسِclothing عَلىupon ذيone endowed with السَnobility (continued)
أَيُّ شَيءٍ مِنَ اللِباسِ عَلى ذي السَ
روِcompletion of 'nobility' أَبهىfairer مِنَthan اللِسانِthe tongue البَهِيِّthe splendid
روِ أَبهى مِنَ اللِسانِ البَهِيِّ
What garment upon a nobleman
is fairer than a splendid tongue?
يَنظِمُhe strings together الحُجَّةَthe argument السَنِيَّةَthe lofty فيin السَلthe unclear term (continued)
يَنظِمُ الحُجَّةَ السَنِيَّةَ في السَل
دِcompletion of the unclear term مُقيماًsetting it straight وَالمُسنَدِand the report traced to its source المَروِيِّthe transmitted
دِ مُقيماً وَالمُسنَدِ المَروِيِّ
He strings together the lofty argument in the [unclear term],
setting it straight, along with the transmitted report traced to its source.
وَتَرىand you see اللَحنَgrammatical error بِالحَسيبِin the well-born man أَخيpossessor of الهَيappearance (continued)
وَتَرى اللَحنَ بِالحَسيبِ أَخي الهَي
أَةِcompletion of 'appearance' مِثلُlike الصَداrust عَلىupon المَشرَفِيِّthe Mashrafi sword
أَةِ مِثلُ الصَدا عَلى المَشرَفِيِّ
And you see faulty grammar in a well-born man of fine bearing
like rust upon a Mashrafi sword.
فَاِطلُبِso seek النَحوَgrammar لِلحِجاجِfor disputation وَلِلشِعand for poetry (continued)
فَاِطلُبِ النَحوَ لِلحِجاجِ وَلِلشِع
رِcompletion of 'poetry' مُقيماًsetting it right وَالمُسنَدand the report traced to its source المَروِيِّthe transmitted
رِ مُقيماً وَالمُسنَد المَروِيِّ
So seek grammar for disputation and poetry,
setting it right, and for transmitted reports traced to their sources,
وَالخِطابِand discourse البَليغِthe eloquent عِندَwhen جَوابِreplying to الthe
وَالخِطابِ البَليغِ عِندَ جَوابِ ال
قَولِspeech تَزهىyou shine بِمِثلِهِwith its like فيin النَدِيِّthe assembly
قَولِ تَزهى بِمِثلِهِ في النَدِيِّ
and for eloquent discourse when replying to
speech—you shine with its like in the assembly.
وَاِرفُضِand reject القَولَthe talk مِنfrom طَغامٍboors جَفواthey turned away عَنfrom
وَاِرفُضِ القَولَ مِن طَغامٍ جَفوا عَن
هُit فَقادواso they led بَعضَهُsome of it لِلنَسِيِّinto oblivion
هُ فَقادوا بَعضَهُ لِلنَسِيِّ
And reject the talk of boors who turned away from
it, and so consigned some of it to oblivion.
قيمَةُthe worth المَرءِof a man كُلُّall ماthat يُحسِنُdoes well المَرthe man (continued)
قيمَةُ المَرءِ كُلُّ ما يُحسِنُ المَر
ءُcompletion of 'man' قَضاءًa judgment مِنَfrom الإِمامِthe Imam عَلِيِّAli
ءُ قَضاءً مِنَ الإِمامِ عَلِيِّ
A man's worth is everything a man does well—
a judgment from Imam Ali.
Sol 6.1