ماnot فيin المَقامِstaying لِذيfor one with عَقلٍreason وَذيand one with أَدَبِrefinement
ما في المَقامِ لِذي عَقلٍ وَذي أَدَبِ
مِنany راحَةٍcomfort فَدَعِso leave الأَوطانَthe homelands وَاِغتَرِبِand go abroad
مِن راحَةٍ فَدَعِ الأَوطانَ وَاِغتَرِبِ
For one with reason and refinement, staying offers no
There is no rest for one of sense and manners
Comfort—so leave your homelands and go abroad.
In his homeland, so journey abroad and be a stranger
سافِرtravel تَجِدyou will find عِوَضاًa replacement عَمَّنin place of whomever تُفارِقُهُyou part from him
سافِر تَجِد عِوَضاً عَمَّن تُفارِقُهُ
وَاِنصَبand toil فَإِنَّfor indeed لَذيذَthe sweetness العَيشِlife فيin النَصَبِtoil
وَاِنصَب فَإِنَّ لَذيذَ العَيشِ في النَصَبِ
Travel, and you will find a replacement for those you leave behind.
Travel and find recompense for those you leave
And toil, for the sweetness of life lies in toil.
Exert yourself, for the sweetest life is with strife
إِنّيindeed I رَأَيتُI have seen وُقوفَstanding still الماءِwater يُفسِدُهُspoils it
إِنّي رَأَيتُ وُقوفَ الماءِ يُفسِدُهُ
إِنif ساحَit flows طابَit turns sweet وَإِنand if لَمnot يَجرِit runs لَمnot يَطِبِit turns sweet
إِن ساحَ طابَ وَإِن لَم يَجرِ لَم يَطِبِ
Indeed, I have seen how stillness spoils water.
I saw still water go bad and stale
If it flows, it turns sweet; if it does not run, it does not turn sweet.
While flowing water stays fresh and hale
وَالأُسدُand lions لَولاwere it not for فِراقُleaving الأَرضِthe ground مااِفتَرَسَتwould not seize prey
وَالأُسدُ لَولا فِراقُ الأَرضِ مااِفتَرَسَت
وَالسَهمُand the arrow لَولاwere it not for فِراقُleaving القَوسِthe bow لَمnot يُصِبِhit the mark
وَالسَهمُ لَولا فِراقُ القَوسِ لَم يُصِبِ
And lions, without leaving their ground, would not seize prey.
Without leaving land, lions wouldn't hunt
And the arrow, without leaving the bow, would not hit its mark.
Without leaving bows, arrows wouldn't find their mark
وَالشَمسُand the sun لَوif وَقَفَتit stood still فيin الفُلكِthe orbit دائِمَةًperpetually
وَالشَمسُ لَو وَقَفَت في الفُلكِ دائِمَةً
لَمَلَّهاwould tire of it الناسُpeople مِنamong عُجمٍnon-Arabs وَمِنand among عَرَبِArabs
لَمَلَّها الناسُ مِن عُجمٍ وَمِن عَرَبِ
And the sun, if it stood still forever in its orbit,
If the sun stood still in the sky forever
People, non-Arabs and Arabs alike, would tire of it.
People of East and West would soon tire of her
وَالتِبرُand raw gold كَالتُربِlike dust مُلقىًlying فيin أَماكِنِهِits places
وَالتِبرُ كَالتُربِ مُلقىً في أَماكِنِهِ
وَالعودُand agarwood فيin أَرضِهِits land نَوعٌa kind مِنَof الحَطَبِfirewood
وَالعودُ في أَرضِهِ نَوعٌ مِنَ الحَطَبِ
And raw gold, lying where it is found, is like dust.
Pearls in their beds are like dirt clods lying
And agarwood, in its own land, is a kind of firewood.
Trees in their roots are just so much firewood drying
فَإِنso if تَغَرَّبَgoes abroad هَذاthis عَزَّbecomes difficult مَطلَبُهُits acquisition
فَإِن تَغَرَّبَ هَذا عَزَّ مَطلَبُهُ
وَإِنand if تَغَرَّبَgoes abroad ذاكَthat عَزَّbecomes precious كَالذَهَبِlike gold
وَإِن تَغَرَّبَ ذاكَ عَزَّ كَالذَهَبِ
So if this goes abroad, it becomes hard to obtain;
When this one travels, his quest gains force
And if that goes abroad, it becomes as precious as gold.
When that one travels, he's worth his weight in gold, of course
Sol 6.1