ياO أيُّهاyou الرجُلthe man المبْديdisplaying عَدَاوَتَهُhis enmity
يا أيُّها الرجُل المبْدي عَدَاوَتَهُ
رَوّreflect لِنَفْسِكَfor yourself أيّwhich الأمْرِcourse تَأَتمِرُyou decide upon
رَوّ لِنَفْسِكَ أيّ الأمْرِ تَأَتمِرُ
O man who openly displays his enmity,
O you man who shows his enmity
consider for yourself what course you will take.
Consider for yourself which command you will obey
لاَdo not تَحْسَبَنِّيthink me كَأقْوَامٍlike men مَلَكْتَهُمُyou mastered them
لاَ تَحْسَبَنِّي كَأقْوَامٍ مَلَكْتَهُمُ
طَوْعَobedient to الأعِنَّةِthe reins لَمَّاnot yet تَرْشَحُgrow damp العُذْرُthe bridle straps كذاthus
طَوْعَ الأعِنَّةِ لَمَّا تَرْشَحُ العُذْرُ كذا
Do not think me like men you have mastered,
Do not think me like the people you have ruled
pliant to the reins, the bridle straps not yet damp—thus.
By force when pretexts flow like excuses
وَمَاand not عَلِمْتI knew بِمَاof what أضْمَرْتَyou concealed منْof حَنَقٍrancor
وَمَا عَلِمْت بِمَا أضْمَرْتَ منْ حَنَقٍ
حتَّىuntil أَتَتْنِيcame to me بِهِwith it الرُّكْبَانُthe riders والنُّذرُand the warners
حتَّى أَتَتْنِي بِهِ الرُّكْبَانُ والنُّذرُ
And I knew nothing of the rancor you harbored
And I did not know what resentment you harbored
until riders and warners brought it to me.
Until the caravans and tidings brought it to me
فإنْso if نَفِسْتَyou begrudge علىto الأمجَادthe illustrious مَجْدَهُمُtheir glory
فإنْ نَفِسْتَ على الأمجَاد مَجْدَهُمُ
فَابْسُطْthen open يَدَيْكَyour two hands فإنْfor indeed الخَيْرَgoodness مُبْتَدَرُeagerly sought
فَابْسُطْ يَدَيْكَ فإنْ الخَيْرَ مُبْتَدَرُ
So if you begrudge the illustrious their glory,
If you wish for glory over glories
then open your hands, for goodness is eagerly sought.
Then extend your hands for the good is to be grasped
واعْلَمْand know بأنَّthat عَلِيَّAli الخَيْرِgoodness مِنْof نَفَرٍa band of men
واعْلَمْ بأنَّ عَلِيَّ الخَيْرِ مِنْ نَفَرٍ
مِثلِlike الأهلَّةِthe crescent moons لاnot يَعْلُوهُمُrises above them بَشَرُa mortal
مِثلِ الأهلَّةِ لا يَعْلُوهُمُ بَشَرُ
And know that Ali the Good belongs to a band of men
And know that I have the best of a company
like crescent moons, above whom no mortal rises.
Like crescents that no mortal transcends
لاnot يَرْتَقِيascends to الْحَاسِدُthe envier الغَضْبَانُthe angry one مَجْدَهُمُtheir glory
لا يَرْتَقِي الْحَاسِدُ الغَضْبَانُ مَجْدَهُمُ
مَاso long as دَامَremains بِالحَزْنِin the rugged land مِنْof صَمَّائِهَاits solid rock حَجَرُa stone
مَا دَامَ بِالحَزْنِ مِنْ صَمَّائِهَا حَجَرُ
The angry envier cannot ascend to their glory,
The angry envious one cannot ascend their glory
so long as the rugged land holds a stone of its solid rock.
As long as he remains stoned by its misfortunes
بِئْسَwretched is الفَتَىthe young man أنْتَyou إلاَّexcept أنَّthat بَيْنَكُمَاbetween you two
بِئْسَ الفَتَى أنْتَ إلاَّ أنَّ بَيْنَكُمَا
كَمَاjust as تَفَاضَلdiffered in excellence ضَوءُthe light الشَّمْسthe sun والقَمَرُand the moon
كَمَا تَفَاضَل ضَوءُ الشَّمْس والقَمَرُ
What a wretched man you are! Yet the difference between you two
Wretched is the youth you are unless between you
is like that between the light of the sun and the moon.
Is the difference between the light of sun and moon
وَلاَand not أخَالُكَI suppose you إلاَّexcept لَسْتَyou are not مُنْتَهِياًdesisting
وَلاَ أخَالُكَ إلاَّ لَسْتَ مُنْتَهِياً
حتَّىuntil يَمَسَّكَtouches you منfrom أظْفَارِهِhis claws ظُفُرُa claw
حتَّى يَمَسَّكَ من أظْفَارِهِ ظُفُرُ
And I can only think you will not desist
And I reckon you will not stop
until one of his claws touches you.
Until touched by its claws of triumph
لاdo not تَحْمَدَنَّever praise امْرَءاًa man حتَىuntil تُجَرّبَهُyou test him
لا تَحْمَدَنَّ امْرَءاً حتَى تُجَرّبَهُ
وَلاَand do not تَذُمَنَّever condemn مَنْone whom لَمْhas not يَبْلُهُtested him الخَبَرُexperience
وَلاَ تَذُمَنَّ مَنْ لَمْ يَبْلُهُ الخَبَرُ
Never praise a man until you have tested him,
Do not praise a man until you have tested him
nor condemn one whom experience has not tried.
And do not blame one not yet tried by experience
إنّيindeed I امْرؤٌa man قَلَّمَاseldom أُثَنِيI bestow praise عَلَىon أحَدٍanyone
إنّي امْرؤٌ قَلَّمَا أُثَنِي عَلَى أحَدٍ
حَتَّىuntil أرَىI see بَعْضَsome of مَاwhat يَأتِيhe does وَمَاand what يَذَرُhe leaves undone
حَتَّى أرَى بَعْضَ مَا يَأتِي وَمَا يَذَرُ
I am a man who seldom praises anyone
Truly I am a man who seldom praises anyone
until I see something of what he does and what he leaves undone.
Until I see some of what he does and some of what he leaves
إنيindeed I إذاwhen مَعْشَرٌa people كَانَتْwas عَدَاوَتُهُمْtheir enmity
إني إذا مَعْشَرٌ كَانَتْ عَدَاوَتُهُمْ
فِيin الصَّدْرthe breast أوْor كانَthere was مِنfrom أبْصَارِهِمْtheir eyes خَزَرُa hostile sidelong look
فِي الصَّدْر أوْ كانَ مِن أبْصَارِهِمْ خَزَرُ
As for me, when a people's enmity
When a people's enmity was
lies in the breast, or their eyes cast hostile sidelong looks,
In the heart or in their spying eyes
أمْشِيI walk الصوَاءَthe stony heights لأقْوَامٍtoward people أحاربُهُمْI fight them
أمْشِي الصوَاءَ لأقْوَامٍ أحاربُهُمْ
حَتَّىuntil إذاwhen ظَهَرَتْbecame exposed لَدَيْهِمِamong them الفِقَرُthe vertebrae
حَتَّى إذا ظَهَرَتْ لَدَيْهِمِ الفِقَرُ
I tread the stony heights toward the people I fight,
I walk the naked plains against people I battle
until their spines stand exposed; then
Until destitution appears before them
جمَّعْتُI gathered together صَبرْاًpatiently جَرَامِيزيِmy limbs بِقَافِيَةٍwith a rhymed verse
جمَّعْتُ صَبرْاً جَرَامِيزيِ بِقَافِيَةٍ
لاnot يَبْرَحُvanishes الدَّهْرَthroughout time مِنْهَاfrom it فِيهُمُin them أثَرُa trace
لا يَبْرَحُ الدَّهْرَ مِنْهَا فِيهُمُ أثَرُ
I patiently draw my limbs together for a rhymed verse
I gathered the patience of a ode in rhyme
whose mark upon them never fades with time.
Which will not leave the ages without trace among them
Sol 6.1