قالواThey said سَكَتَّyou kept silent وَقَدthough خُوصِمتَyou were argued with قُلتُI said لَهُمto them
قالوا سَكَتَّ وَقَد خُوصِمتَ قُلتُ لَهُم
إِنَّIndeed الجَوابَthe reply لِبابِto the door of الشَرِّevil مِفتاحُis a key
إِنَّ الجَوابَ لِبابِ الشَرِّ مِفتاحُ
They said, “You kept silent though you were argued with.” I said to them:
“A reply is the key to the door of evil.”
والصمَّتُand silence عَنtoward جاهِلٍan ignorant person أَوor أَحمَقٍa fool شَرَفٌis an honor
والصمَّتُ عَن جاهِلٍ أَو أَحمَقٍ شَرَفٌ
وَفيهِand in it أَيضاًalso لِصَونِfor preserving العِرضِhonor إِصلاحُis a remedy
وَفيهِ أَيضاً لِصَونِ العِرضِ إِصلاحُ
And silence toward an ignorant or foolish person is honorable;
In it, too, lies a way to safeguard one’s honor.
أَماDo you not تَرىsee الأُسدَthe lions تُخشىare feared وَهِيَwhile they are صامِتَةٌsilent
أَما تَرى الأُسدَ تُخشى وَهِيَ صامِتَةٌ
وَالكَلبُand the dog يخسىis shooed away لَعَمريby my life وَهوَwhile it is نَبّاحُbarking
وَالكَلبُ يخسى لَعَمري وَهوَ نَبّاحُ
Do you not see that lions are feared while they are silent,
And the dog is shooed away, by my life, while it barks?
Sol 6