أهْوِنْmake light بصرفِof the vicissitudes الدهرِof time أنَّfor لهُit has
أهْوِنْ بصرفِ الدهرِ أنَّ لهُ
حدَّاًan edge إِذاif قاومْتَهُyou resist it انْكَسراit breaks
حدَّاً إِذا قاومْتَهُ انْكَسرا
Make light of time's vicissitudes, for they have
How trivial to endure fate's turns,
an edge that breaks when you resist them.
When opposed, it breaks;
واشرحْand open لهto it صدراًa breast فلاso neither جَزَعاًanguish
واشرحْ له صدراً فلا جَزَعاً
تُبْدِيyou display لماat what يأتِيcomes ولاnor بَطَراboastful joy
تُبْدِي لما يأتِي ولا بَطَرا
And open your heart to them; let neither anguish
Open your chest to it, neither anxious
nor boastful joy show at what comes.
Nor conceited at what comes.
كَمْhow often قدindeed جَزِعْتَyou felt anguish لوقعِat the impact حادثةٍof a calamity
كَمْ قد جَزِعْتَ لوقعِ حادثةٍ
لمdid not تلقَyou encounter عندat حدوثِهاits occurrence ضَرَراharm
لم تلقَ عند حدوثِها ضَرَرا
How often you have dreaded the impact of a calamity,
How anxious you've been when misfortune struck,
yet suffered no harm when it occurred.
Though, when it happened, it brought no harm.
ونظرتَand you looked للميسورِtoward what is attainable تُدْرِكُهُyou attain it
ونظرتَ للميسورِ تُدْرِكُهُ
حتَّىuntil إِذاwhen أدْركتَهُyou attained it انْحَسَراit receded
حتَّى إِذا أدْركتَهُ انْحَسَرا
And you looked to what was attainable, seeking to grasp it,
You looked to what's easy to attain
until, once you grasped it, it receded.
Until when attained, it diminished.
والصفوَand the clear خذهُtake it ماwhat أتاكَit came to you بهِwith it
والصفوَ خذهُ ما أتاكَ بهِ
واتْركْand leave علىwith عِلّاتِهits flaws الكَدَراthe murky
واتْركْ على عِلّاتِه الكَدَرا
And take the clear that time brings you,
Take the pure that comes your way
and leave the murky, with all its flaws.
And leave murkiness to its causes.
ودعِand let be الطِّباعَnatural dispositions وماand what يُوافِقُهاsuits them
ودعِ الطِّباعَ وما يُوافِقُها
فالطبعُfor nature إنْif قاهرتَهُyou try to overpower it قَهَراit overpowers you
فالطبعُ إنْ قاهرتَهُ قَهَرا
And let natural dispositions and what suits them be,
Renounce nature and its accord
for nature, if you try to overpower it, overpowers you.
For if you overcome it, you've conquered.
والنارُand fire إنْif صوَّبْتَهاyou direct it downward صَعِدَتْit rises
والنارُ إنْ صوَّبْتَها صَعِدَتْ
والماءُand water إنif صَعَّدْتَهُyou raise it upward انحَدَراit descends
والماءُ إن صَعَّدْتَهُ انحَدَرا
And fire, if you direct it downward, rises,
Fire rises if you aim it.
and water, if you raise it upward, descends.
Water flows down if you force it up.
Sol 6.1