أَجُبَيلُO Jubayl إِنَّindeed أَباكَyour father كارِبُnearing يَومِهِhis day of death
أَجُبَيلُ إِنَّ أَباكَ كارِبُ يَومِهِ
فَإِذاso when دُعيتَyou are summoned إِلىto العَظائِمِgreat undertakings فَاِعجَلِthen make haste
فَإِذا دُعيتَ إِلى العَظائِمِ فَاِعجَلِ
O Jubayl, your father is nearing his final day.
So when you are summoned to great undertakings, make haste.
أوصيكَI counsel you إيصاءَwith the counsel of اِمرِئٍa man لَكَtoward you ناصِحٍwell-wishing
أوصيكَ إيصاءَ اِمرِئٍ لَكَ ناصِحٍ
طَبِنٍastute بِرَيبِabout the vicissitudes of الدَهرِtime غَيرِnot مُغَفَّلِheedless
طَبِنٍ بِرَيبِ الدَهرِ غَيرِ مُغَفَّلِ
I counsel you as a man who wishes you well,
Keenly aware of time's reversals, not heedless.
اللَهَGod فَاِتَّقِهِso fear Him وَأَوفِand fulfill بِنَذرِهِthe vow made to Him
اللَهَ فَاِتَّقِهِ وَأَوفِ بِنَذرِهِ
وَإِذاand if حَلَفتَyou swear an oath مُمارِياًwhile disputing فَتَحَلَّلِthen seek release from your oath
وَإِذا حَلَفتَ مُمارِياً فَتَحَلَّلِ
Fear God, and fulfill your vow to Him.
And if you swear an oath in dispute, seek release from it.
وَالضَيفَand the guest أَكرِمهُhonor him فَإِنَّfor indeed مَبيتَهُhis overnight lodging
وَالضَيفَ أَكرِمهُ فَإِنَّ مَبيتَهُ
حَقٌّa right وَلاand do not تَكُbe لُعنَةًan object of curses لِلنُزَّلِfor guests
حَقٌّ وَلا تَكُ لُعنَةً لِلنُزَّلِ
And honor the guest, for his night's lodging
Is his due; do not be someone whom guests curse.
وَاِعلَمand know بَأَنَّthat الضَيفَthe guest مُخبِرُwill tell أَهلِهِhis family
وَاِعلَم بَأَنَّ الضَيفَ مُخبِرُ أَهلِهِ
بِمَبيتِabout the lodging of لَيلَتِهِhis night وَإِنand even if لَمnot يُسأَلِhe is asked
بِمَبيتِ لَيلَتِهِ وَإِن لَم يُسأَلِ
And know that the guest will tell his family
Of his night's lodging, even if he is not asked.
وَدَعِand forgo القَوارِصَcutting remarks لِلصَديقِtoward a friend وَغَيرِهِand others besides him
وَدَعِ القَوارِصَ لِلصَديقِ وَغَيرِهِ
كَيso that لاnot يَرَوكَthey see you مِنَamong اللِئامِthe ignoble العُزَّلِthe unarmed
كَي لا يَرَوكَ مِنَ اللِئامِ العُزَّلِ
And spare friend and others your cutting words,
So they do not see you among the base and unarmed.
وَصِلِand maintain ties with المُواصِلَone who maintains ties ماas long as صَفاis pure لَكَtoward you وُدُّهُhis affection
وَصِلِ المُواصِلَ ما صَفا لَكَ وُدُّهُ
وَاِحذَرand beware حِبالَthe snares of الخائِنِthe betrayer المُتَبَدِّلِthe fickle
وَاِحذَر حِبالَ الخائِنِ المُتَبَدِّلِ
And keep ties with one who keeps them, while his affection for you stays pure.
And beware the snares of the fickle betrayer.
وَاِترُكand leave مَحَلَّthe dwelling of السَوءِevil لاdo not تَحلُلsettle بِهِin it
وَاِترُك مَحَلَّ السَوءِ لا تَحلُل بِهِ
وَإِذاand if نَباproves inhospitable بِكَto you مَنزِلٌa dwelling فَتَحَوَّلِthen move away
وَإِذا نَبا بِكَ مَنزِلٌ فَتَحَوَّلِ
And leave the place of evil; do not dwell in it.
And if a dwelling proves inhospitable to you, move away.
دارُthe abode of الهَوانِhumiliation لِمَنfor whoever رَآهاregards it as دارَهُhis home
دارُ الهَوانِ لِمَن رَآها دارَهُ
أَفَراحِلٌis, then, one who departs عَنهاfrom it كَمَنlike one who لَمnot يَرحَلِhe has departed
أَفَراحِلٌ عَنها كَمَن لَم يَرحَلِ
The abode of humiliation is for whoever regards it as his home;
Is one who leaves it, then, like one who has not left?
وَإِذاand if هَمَمتَyou intend بِأَمرِa deed of شَرٍّevil فَاِتَّئِدthen pause
وَإِذا هَمَمتَ بِأَمرِ شَرٍّ فَاِتَّئِد
وَإِذاand if هَمَمتَyou intend بِأَمرِa deed of خَيرٍgood فَاِفعَلِthen do it
وَإِذا هَمَمتَ بِأَمرِ خَيرٍ فَاِفعَلِ
And if you contemplate an evil deed, pause;
And if you contemplate a good deed, do it.
وَإِذاand if أَتَتكَreach you مِنَfrom العَدُوِّthe enemy قَوارِصٌcutting remarks
وَإِذا أَتَتكَ مِنَ العَدُوِّ قَوارِصٌ
فَاِقرُصthen sting back كَذاكَin the same way وَلاand do not تَقُلsay لَمnot أَفعَلِI did it
فَاِقرُص كَذاكَ وَلا تَقُل لَم أَفعَلِ
And if cutting words reach you from the enemy,
Then sting him likewise; do not say, "I did not do it."
وَإِذاand if اِفتَقَرتَyou become poor فَلاthen do not تَكُنbe مُتَخَشِّعاًabjectly submissive
وَإِذا اِفتَقَرتَ فَلا تَكُن مُتَخَشِّعاً
تَرجوhoping for الفَواضِلَbounties عِندَfrom غَيرِone other than المُفضِلِa generous giver
تَرجو الفَواضِلَ عِندَ غَيرِ المُفضِلِ
And if you become poor, do not abase yourself,
Hoping for bounty from one who is not generous.
وَإِذاand when لَقيتَyou meet القَومَthe host فَاِضرِبthen strike فيهِمُamong them
وَإِذا لَقيتَ القَومَ فَاِضرِب فيهِمُ
حَتّىuntil يَرَوكَthey see you طِلاءَtar coating for أَجرَبَa mangy camel مُهمَلِneglected
حَتّى يَرَوكَ طِلاءَ أَجرَبَ مُهمَلِ
And when you face the host, strike among them,
Until they see you as tar on a neglected, mangy camel.
وَاِستَغنِand be self-sufficient ماas long as أَغناكَenriches you رَبُّكَyour Lord بِالغِنىwith wealth
وَاِستَغنِ ما أَغناكَ رَبُّكَ بِالغِنى
وَإِذاand if تُصِبكَbefalls you خَصاصَةٌpoverty فَتَجَمَّلِthen bear it with dignity
وَإِذا تُصِبكَ خَصاصَةٌ فَتَجَمَّلِ
And be self-sufficient while your Lord enriches you with wealth;
And if poverty befalls you, bear it with dignity.
وَاِستَأنِand give time to حِلمَكَyour judgment فيin أَمورِكَyour affairs كُلِّهاall of them
وَاِستَأنِ حِلمَكَ في أَمورِكَ كُلِّها
وَإِذاand if عَزَمتَyou resolve عَلىupon الهَوىdesire فَتَوَكَّلِthen trust in God
وَإِذا عَزَمتَ عَلى الهَوى فَتَوَكَّلِ
And give your judgment time in all your affairs;
And once you resolve on what you desire, put your trust in God.
وَإِذاand if تَشاجَرَcontend فيin فُؤادِكَyour heart مَرَّةًat some time
وَإِذا تَشاجَرَ في فُؤادِكَ مَرَّةً
أَمرانِtwo courses فَاِعمِدthen turn لِلأَعَفِّto the more virtuous الأَجمَلِthe more becoming
أَمرانِ فَاِعمِد لِلأَعَفِّ الأَجمَلِ
And if ever there is strife within your heart
Between two courses, choose the purer, nobler one.
وَإِذاand when لَقيتَyou meet الباهِشينَthose reaching eagerly إِلىtoward النَدىbounty
وَإِذا لَقيتَ الباهِشينَ إِلى النَدى
غُبراًdust-covered أَكُفُّهُمtheir hands بِقاعٍon a plain مُمحِلِdrought-stricken
غُبراً أَكُفُّهُم بِقاعٍ مُمحِلِ
And when you meet men reaching out for bounty,
Their hands dust-covered on a drought-stricken plain,
فَأَعِنهُمُthen help them وَأَيسِرand cast lots بِماwith what يَسَرواthey cast lots بِهِwith it
فَأَعِنهُمُ وَأَيسِر بِما يَسَروا بِهِ
وَإِذاand if هُمُthey نَزَلواthey camp بِضَنكٍin hardship فَاِنزِلِthen camp
وَإِذا هُمُ نَزَلوا بِضَنكٍ فَاِنزِلِ
Then aid them, and join their game of lots with what they stake;
And if they camp in hardship, camp there too.
Sol 6.1