إِذاwhen سَبَّنيhe insults me نَذلٌa scoundrel تَزايَدتُI increase رِفعَةًin stature
إِذا سَبَّني نَذلٌ تَزايَدتُ رِفعَةً
وَماand not العَيبُthe disgrace إِلّاexcept أَنthat أَكونَI am مُسابِبُهtrading insults with him
وَما العَيبُ إِلّا أَن أَكونَ مُسابِبُه
When a scoundrel insults me, I rise in stature.
When the ignoble disparage me, I rise higher in nobility,
And the only disgrace is for me to trade insults with him.
And no fault is there save that I am their disparager's target.
وَلَوand if لَمnot تَكُنwere نَفسيmy soul عَلَيَّto me عَزيزَةًdear
وَلَو لَم تَكُن نَفسي عَلَيَّ عَزيزَةً
لَمَكَنتُهاI would have empowered it مِنover كُلِّevery نَذلٍscoundrel تُحارِبُهit fights him
لَمَكَنتُها مِن كُلِّ نَذلٍ تُحارِبُه
And were my soul not dear to me,
Had my soul not been precious to me,
I would have let it fight every scoundrel.
I would have protected it from every ignoble warrior.
وَلَوand if أَنَّنيthat I أَسعىI strive لِنَفعيfor my benefit وَجَدتَنيyou would find me
وَلَو أَنَّني أَسعى لِنَفعي وَجَدتَني
كَثيرَmuch التَوانيslackness لِلَّذيfor that which أَناI طالِبُهseeking it
كَثيرَ التَواني لِلَّذي أَنا طالِبُه
And were I striving for my own benefit, you would find me
And had I strived for my own benefit I would have been,
much given to delay in pursuing what I seek.
Often hesitant towards what I seek.
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I أَسعىI strive لِأَنفَعَso that I may benefit صاحِبيmy companion
وَلَكِنَّني أَسعى لِأَنفَعَ صاحِبي
وَعارٌand a disgrace عَلىupon الشَبعانِthe well-fed man إِنif جاعَgoes hungry صاحِبُهhis companion
وَعارٌ عَلى الشَبعانِ إِن جاعَ صاحِبُه
But I strive to benefit my companion,
But I strive to benefit my companion,
and it is a disgrace to the well-fed man if his companion goes hungry.
And it is a disgrace upon the sated one if his companion goes hungry.
Sol 6.1