لَوif صِيغَwere cast مِنfrom فِضَّةٍsilver نَفسٌa soul عَلىaccording to قَدرِworth
لَو صِيغَ مِن فِضَّةٍ نَفسٌ عَلى قَدرِ
لَعادَit would become مِنthrough فَضلِهِits excellence لَمّاwhen صَفاit became pure ذَهَباgold
لَعادَ مِن فَضلِهِ لَمّا صَفا ذَهَبا
If a soul were cast in silver according to its worth,
If a soul were cast in silver according to merit
If a soul were fashioned from silver to match its worth,
it would become gold through its excellence once purified.
It would, when most refined, turn to purest gold
It would turn, by its sheer virtue when purified, into gold.
ماnot لِفَتىًfor a young man حَسَبٌnoble standing إِلّاexcept إِذاwhen كَمُلَتwere perfected
ما لِفَتىً حَسَبٌ إِلّا إِذا كَمُلَت
أَخلاقُهُhis virtues وَحَوىand he acquired الآدابَrefinement وَالحَسَباand honor
أَخلاقُهُ وَحَوى الآدابَ وَالحَسَبا
A young man has no noble standing unless perfected
A man has no pedigree worth noting
A youth possesses no true standing unless his character is whole,
are his virtues, and he has acquired refinement and honor.
Save by perfection of his qualities and manners true
And he encompasses both refinement and merit.
فَاِطلُبso seek فَدَيتُكَmay I be your ransom عِلماًknowledge وَاِكتَسِبand acquire أَدَباًrefinement
فَاِطلُب فَدَيتُكَ عِلماً وَاِكتَسِب أَدَباً
تَظفَرwill attain يَداكَyour two hands بِهِit وَاِستَعجِلِand hasten الطَّلَباthe quest
تَظفَر يَداكَ بِهِ وَاِستَعجِلِ الطَّلَبا
So seek knowledge—may I be your ransom—and acquire refinement;
Seek then, my son, knowledge and gentility
So seek knowledge—may I be your ransom—and acquire culture,
your hands will attain it; hasten the quest.
That fortune's hands may reach thee - grasp and ask them bold
That your hands may triumph through it, and hasten in the quest.
لِلّهِto God دَرُّbounty (a term of praise) فَتىًa young man أَنسابُهُhis ancestry كَرَمٌgenerosity
لِلّهِ دَرُّ فَتىً أَنسابُهُ كَرَمٌ
ياAh حَبَّذاhow splendid كَرَمٌgenerosity أَضحىhas become لَهُfor him نَسَباlineage
يا حَبَّذا كَرَمٌ أَضحى لَهُ نَسَبا
How admirable is a young man whose ancestry is generosity!
God's grace on him, a man whose noble line
How excellent is the youth whose lineage is generosity,
Ah, how splendid is generosity that has become his lineage!
Is the flower of nobleness in very deed
How splendid is a generosity that has become his very kin!
هَلِis ...? المُروءَةُnoble conduct إِلّاother than ماwhat تَقومُyou fulfill بِهِit
هَلِ المُروءَةُ إِلّا ما تَقومُ بِهِ
مِنَof الذِمامِbinding obligations وَحِفظِand protecting الجارِthe neighbor إِنif عَتَباhe reproaches
مِنَ الذِمامِ وَحِفظِ الجارِ إِن عَتَبا
Is noble conduct anything but fulfilling
What but thy deeds defines a gentleman
Is chivalry anything other than the duties you uphold,
your obligations and protecting your neighbor, even if he reproaches you?
Thy constancy, thy kindness to thy neighbor, though he chide
Of honoring pacts, and protecting the neighbor even when he casts blame?
مَنwhoever لَمdid not يُؤَدِّبهُteach him good conduct دينُthe faith of المُصطَفىthe Chosen One أَدَباًconduct
مَن لَم يُؤَدِّبهُ دينُ المُصطَفى أَدَباً
مَحضاًpure تَحَيَّرَbecame bewildered فيamid الأَحوالِcircumstances وَاِضطَرَباand became unsettled
مَحضاً تَحَيَّرَ في الأَحوالِ وَاِضطَرَبا
Whoever the Chosen One's faith does not teach good conduct
He whom our Prophet's faith refined not, made him pure,
He whom the religion of the Chosen One does not refine with true discipline,
that is pure becomes bewildered amid circumstances and unsettled.
Will wander perplexed amid events, distraught.
Will remain bewildered in his affairs, purely lost and unsettled.
Sol 6.1