أَقِلّيlessen your reproaches فَإِنَّfor indeed اللَومَreproach أَشكَلَbecame obscure واضِحُهْits clear part
أَقِلّي فَإِنَّ اللَومَ أَشكَلَ واضِحُهْ
وَكَمand how many مِنof نَصيحٍa sincere adviser لاnot تُمَلُّare found tiresome نَصائِحُهْhis counsels
وَكَم مِن نَصيحٍ لا تُمَلُّ نَصائِحُهْ
Lessen your reproaches, for what was clear in blame has grown obscure.
And many a sincere adviser has counsels that never grow tiresome.
عَلامَwhy قَعَدتِyou sat القُرفُصىwith knees drawn up تَعذُلينَنيyou reproach me
عَلامَ قَعَدتِ القُرفُصى تَعذُلينَني
كَأَنِّيَas though I جانٍcommitting كُلَّevery ذَنبٍsin وَجارِحُهْand its perpetrator
كَأَنِّيَ جانٍ كُلَّ ذَنبٍ وَجارِحُهْ
Why sit with your knees drawn up, reproaching me,
As though I had committed every sin and perpetrated it?
أَضاقَتhas grown narrow? عَلَيَّfor me الأَرضَthe earth أَمor لَستُI am not واثِقاًconfident
أَضاقَت عَلَيَّ الأَرضَ أَم لَستُ واثِقاً
بِحَزمٍin firm resolve تُغاديهِvisit it in the morning القَناthe spears وَتُراوِحُهْand visit it in the evening
بِحَزمٍ تُغاديهِ القَنا وَتُراوِحُهْ
Has the earth grown too narrow for me, or am I not confident
In a resolve that spears visit morning and evening?
مَتىwhen هانَwas humbled حُرٌّa noble man لَمnot يُرِقshed ماءَwater وَجهِهِhis face
مَتى هانَ حُرٌّ لَم يُرِق ماءَ وَجهِهِ
وَلَمand not تُختَبَرwere tested يَوماًever بِرَدٍّby a repulse صَفائِحُهْhis sword blades
وَلَم تُختَبَر يَوماً بِرَدٍّ صَفائِحُهْ
When has a noble man been humbled who never spilled the water of his face,
And whose sword blades were never once tested by a repulse?
سَأَصبِرُI shall endure حَتّىuntil يَعلَمَknows الصَبرُpatience أَنَّنيthat I
سَأَصبِرُ حَتّى يَعلَمَ الصَبرُ أَنَّني
أَخوهُits brother الَّذيwho تُطوىare folded عَلَيهِaround him جَوانِحُهْits ribs
أَخوهُ الَّذي تُطوى عَلَيهِ جَوانِحُهْ
I shall endure until patience knows that I
Am its brother, around whom its ribs are folded.
وَأَقبَلُand I accept مَيسورَwhat is readily available الزَمانِtime وَإِنَّماand only
وَأَقبَلُ مَيسورَ الزَمانِ وَإِنَّما
أَرىI see العَيشَlife مَقصوراًconfined علىto مَنwhoever يُسامِحُهْis lenient with it
أَرى العَيشَ مَقصوراً على مَن يُسامِحُهْ
And I accept what time readily offers; I only
See life as reserved for those who deal gently with it.
فَأُخلِصُso I devote مَدحيmy praise لِلَّذيto the one who إِنif دَعَوتُهُI called upon him
فَأُخلِصُ مَدحي لِلَّذي إِن دَعَوتُهُ
أَجابَanswered وَإِلّاand if not أَسعَدتَنيgladdened me مَدائِحُهْpraises of him
أَجابَ وَإِلّا أَسعَدتَني مَدائِحُهْ
So I devote my praise to the one who, if I call upon him,
Answers; otherwise, praises of him gladden me.
هَلِis ...? العَيشُlife إِلّاexcept العِزُّhonor وَالأَمنُand security وَالغِنىand wealth
هَلِ العَيشُ إِلّا العِزُّ وَالأَمنُ وَالغِنى
غِنىwealth النَفسِthe soul وَالمَغبوطُand the enviable one مَنwhoever ذَلَّwas humbled كاشِحُهْhis spiteful foe
غِنى النَفسِ وَالمَغبوطُ مَن ذَلَّ كاشِحُهْ
Is life anything but honor, security, and wealth—
Wealth of the soul? And enviable is he whose spiteful foe is humbled.
وَمِنand among هِمَمِhigh aspirations الفِتيانِyoung men تَفريجُrelieving كُربَةٍdistress
وَمِن هِمَمِ الفِتيانِ تَفريجُ كُربَةٍ
وَإِطلاقُand freeing عانٍa captive باتَspent the night وَالبُؤسُand misery فادِحُهْweighing heavily on him
وَإِطلاقُ عانٍ باتَ وَالبُؤسُ فادِحُهْ
And among young men's high aims is the easing of distress,
And freeing a captive who spent the night crushed by misery,
وَضَيفٍand a guest تَخَطّىcrossed اللَيلَthe night يَسأَلُasking مَنwho فَتىًa young man
وَضَيفٍ تَخَطّى اللَيلَ يَسأَلُ مَن فَتىً
يُضيفُoffers hospitality فَدَلَّتهُso they guided him عَلَيهِto him نوابِحُهْhis barking dogs
يُضيفُ فَدَلَّتهُ عَلَيهِ نوابِحُهْ
And a guest who crossed the night, asking, 'Which young man
Offers hospitality?'—his barking dogs led the guest to him.
فَأَذهَبَso he removed عَنهُfrom him الضُرَّsuffering حُرٌّa noble man خِصالُهُhis qualities
فَأَذهَبَ عَنهُ الضُرَّ حُرٌّ خِصالُهُ
عُجابٌwondrous وَلكِنand yet مُحصَناتٌwell fortified نَواصِحُهْhis sincere counsels
عُجابٌ وَلكِن مُحصَناتٌ نَواصِحُهْ
Then a noble man relieved his suffering, a man whose qualities
Are wondrous, yet whose sincere counsels are well fortified.
وَلَهفَةِand the anguish of مَظلومٍa wronged man تَمَنّاكَhe wished for you حاضِراًpresent
وَلَهفَةِ مَظلومٍ تَمَنّاكَ حاضِراً
وَقَدand already ذُعِرَتwere frightened أَسرابُهُhis flocks وَسوارِحُهْand his grazing beasts
وَقَد ذُعِرَت أَسرابُهُ وَسوارِحُهْ
And the anguish of a wronged man who wished you were present,
While his flocks and grazing beasts had been frightened;
فَجِئتَso you came تَخوضُwading through اللَيلَthe night خَوضاًa plunging لِنَصرِهِto aid him
فَجِئتَ تَخوضُ اللَيلَ خَوضاً لِنَصرِهِ
وَلَولاكَand but for you لَمnot يَدفَعward off عَنِfrom السَرحِthe grazing herd سارِحُهْits herdsman
وَلَولاكَ لَم يَدفَع عَنِ السَرحِ سارِحُهْ
So you came, wading through the night to aid him,
And but for you, its herdsman would not have defended the grazing herd.
وَكَمand how many مِنof عَدُوٍّan enemy باتَspent the night يَحرُقُgrinds نابَهُhis fang
وَكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ باتَ يَحرُقُ نابَهُ
عَلَيَّagainst me كَماas يَستَقدِحُstrikes sparks from المَرخَmarkh wood قادِحُهْits fire-kindler
عَلَيَّ كَما يَستَقدِحُ المَرخَ قادِحُهْ
And many an enemy spent the night grinding his fang
Against me, as a fire-kindler strikes sparks from markh wood.
أَعاذِلَO reproacher لَمnot أَجرَحI wound كَريماًa noble man وَلَمand not أَلُمI blame
أَعاذِلَ لَم أَجرَح كَريماً وَلَم أَلُم
لَئيماًa base man وَبَعضُand some الشَرِّevil يَجمَحُruns wild جامِحُهْits unbridled force
لَئيماً وَبَعضُ الشَرِّ يَجمَحُ جامِحُهْ
O reproacher, I have not wounded a noble man, nor blamed
A base man; the unbridled force of some evil runs wild.
وَإِلّاand if not يَكُنis ماليmy wealth كَثيراًabundant فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I
وَإِلّا يَكُن مالي كَثيراً فَإِنَّني
كَثيرٌa multitude إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis صاحَcried out بِالجَيشِto the army صائِحُهْits caller
كَثيرٌ إِذا ما صاحَ بِالجَيشِ صائِحُهْ
And if my wealth is not abundant, I
Am a multitude when the army's herald cries out,
وَأَقبَلَتِand advanced الأَبطالُthe champions جُرداًunarmored وَصافَحَتand shook hands
وَأَقبَلَتِ الأَبطالُ جُرداً وَصافَحَت
رِجالٌmen بِأَطرافِwith the points of القَناthe spears مَنwhomever تُصافِحُهْthey shake hands with him
رِجالٌ بِأَطرافِ القَنا مَن تُصافِحُهْ
And the champions advance unarmored, and handshakes are exchanged
By men, with the points of spears, with those they greet.
وَلَيسَand is not الفَتىthe noble youth مَنone who باتَspent the night يَحسُبُcounts رِبحَهُhis profit
وَلَيسَ الفَتى مَن باتَ يَحسُبُ رِبحَهُ
بَطيئاًslow ضَنيناًmiserly بِالَّذيwith what هُوَhe رابِحُهْgains it
بَطيئاً ضَنيناً بِالَّذي هُوَ رابِحُهْ
And a noble youth is not one who spends the night counting his profit,
Slow and miserly with what he earns,
يَرىhe thinks أَنَّهُthat he لاno حَقَّclaim إِلّاexcept لِنَفسِهِfor himself
يَرى أَنَّهُ لا حَقَّ إِلّا لِنَفسِهِ
عَلَيهِupon him وَأَنَّand that الجودَgenerosity بِالمالِwith money فاضِحُهْdisgraces him
عَلَيهِ وَأَنَّ الجودَ بِالمالِ فاضِحُهْ
Who thinks no one but himself has any claim
Upon him, and that generosity with money disgraces him.
لَهُhe has عِلَلٌexcuses دونَbarring access to الطَعامِthe food كَثيرَةٌmany
لَهُ عِلَلٌ دونَ الطَعامِ كَثيرَةٌ
وَوَجهٌand a face قَبيحٌugly أَربَدُdusky اللَونِin color كالِحُهْits scowling aspect
وَوَجهٌ قَبيحٌ أَربَدُ اللَونِ كالِحُهْ
He has many excuses for withholding food,
And an ugly face, dusky in color and grim in its look.
كَثيرُfull of هُمومِcares النَفسِthe soul كَزٌّtightfisted كَأَنَّهُas though he
كَثيرُ هُمومِ النَفسِ كَزٌّ كَأَنَّهُ
مِنfrom البُخلِmiserliness قُفلٌa lock ضاعَwent missing عَنهُfrom it مَفاتِحُهْits keys
مِن البُخلِ قُفلٌ ضاعَ عَنهُ مَفاتِحُهْ
Full of inward cares, tightfisted, as though he were
From miserliness, a lock whose keys have gone missing.
فَلاso let not يَشمَتَنgloat قَومٌpeople أَصابواfound بِمَكرِهِمthrough their guile
فَلا يَشمَتَن قَومٌ أَصابوا بِمَكرِهِم
عَلَيَّagainst me سَبيلاًan avenue أَغلَقَتهاclosed it مَسالِحُهْits guard-posts
عَلَيَّ سَبيلاً أَغلَقَتها مَسالِحُهْ
So let no people gloat who, through their guile, found
An avenue against me, which its guard-posts have barred.
وَلاand no ذَنبَfault لِلعودِfor the aloeswood الذِمارِيِّDhimari إِنَّماonly
وَلا ذَنبَ لِلعودِ الذِمارِيِّ إِنَّما
يُحَرَّقُis burned مَنwhoever دَلَّتpointed عَلَيهِto him رَوائِحُهْhis fragrances
يُحَرَّقُ مَن دَلَّت عَلَيهِ رَوائِحُهْ
And Dhimari aloeswood is blameless; only
He whose fragrances point him out is burned.
وَماand not المَكرُguile إِلّاexcept لِلنِّساءِfor women وَإِنَّماand only
وَما المَكرُ إِلّا لِلنِّساءِ وَإِنَّما
عَدُوُّكَyour enemy مَنthe one who يُشجيكَtorments you حَتّىuntil تُصالِحُهْyou make peace with him
عَدُوُّكَ مَن يُشجيكَ حَتّى تُصالِحُهْ
And guile belongs to women alone; none but
The one who torments you until you make peace with him is your enemy.
Sol 6.1