يَابَنْتِيO my daughter إِنْif أردْتِyou desire آيةَa marvel حُسْنٍof beauty
يَابَنْتِي إِنْ أردْتِ آيةَ حُسْنٍ
وجَمالاًand beauty يَزِينُadorns جِسْماًa body وعَقْلاَand a mind
وجَمالاً يَزِينُ جِسْماً وعَقْلاَ
O my daughter, if you desire a marvel of beauty
O my daughter, if you wish for beauty
And a beauty that adorns both body and mind,
That adorns body and mind,
فانْبِذِيthen cast off عادةَthe habit التَّبرجِflaunting beauty نَبْذاًutterly (emphasis)
فانْبِذِي عادةَ التَّبرجِ نَبْذاً
فجمالُfor the beauty النُّفوسِof souls أسْمَىloftier وأعْلَىand higher
فجمالُ النُّفوسِ أسْمَى وأعْلَى
Then utterly cast off the habit of flaunting your beauty;
Then reject firmly the habit of wantonness,
For the beauty of souls is loftier and higher.
For beauty of the soul is highest and noblest.
يَصْنَعmake الصّانِعُونthe artisans وَرْداًroses ولَكِنْand yet
يَصْنَع الصّانِعُون وَرْداً ولَكِنْ
وَرْدَةُthe rose الرَّوضof the garden لاnot تُضَارَعُis matched شَكْلاin form
وَرْدَةُ الرَّوض لا تُضَارَعُ شَكْلا
Artisans make roses, but
Craftsmen can make roses, but
The garden's rose cannot be matched in form.
No crafted rose can equal one grown in a meadow.
صِبْغَةُthe coloring اللّهِof God صِبْغَةٌa coloring تَبْهَرdazzles النَّفْـthe soul (first part)
صِبْغَةُ اللّهِ صِبْغَةٌ تَبْهَر النَّفْـ
ـسَcompletion of 'the soul' تعالىexalted is الإلَهُGod عَزّis mighty وجَلاّand is majestic
ـسَ تعالى الإلَهُ عَزّ وجَلاّ
God's coloring is a coloring that dazzles the soul;
God's dye makes the soul radiant,
Exalted is God, mighty and majestic.
Exalted is God, Mighty and Sublime.
ثمَّthen كُونيbe كالشَّمسlike the sun تَسْطَعshines لِلنَّاupon the people (first part)
ثمَّ كُوني كالشَّمس تَسْطَع لِلنَّا
سِcompletion of 'the people' سَواءًequally مَْwho (apparently مَنْ) عَزّare honored مِنْهُمamong them وَذلاّand are lowly
سِ سَواءً مَْ عَزّ مِنْهُم وَذلاّ
Then be like the sun, shining upon people,
Then be like the sun shining equally
Equally, the honored among them and the lowly.
On all people, high and low.
فامْنَحِيso grant المُثْرِيَاتِthe wealthy women لِيناًgentleness ولُطْفاًand kindness
فامْنَحِي المُثْرِيَاتِ لِيناً ولُطْفاً
وامْنَحِيand grant البائساتِthe destitute women بِرّاًcharity وفَضْلاand generosity
وامْنَحِي البائساتِ بِرّاً وفَضْلا
So grant wealthy women gentleness and kindness,
Be gentle and kind to the wealthy,
And grant destitute women charity and generosity.
And give goodness and favor to the poor.
زِينَةُthe adornment الوَجْهof the face أَنthat تَرَىsees العَيْنُthe eye فيهin it
زِينَةُ الوَجْه أَن تَرَى العَيْنُ فيه
شَرَفاًhonor يَسْحَرُenchants العُيُونَthe eyes ونُبْلاand nobility
شَرَفاً يَسْحَرُ العُيُونَ ونُبْلا
The face's adornment is for the eye to see in it
The adornment of the face is to see in it
Honor that enchants the eyes, and nobility.
Nobility that dazzles eyes and is excellent.
واجعَلِيand make شيِمةَthe character trait الْحَيَاءِof modesty خِماراًa veil
واجعَلِي شيِمةَ الْحَيَاءِ خِماراً
فَهْوَfor it بِالْغَادةfor the graceful maiden الكَريمةِnoble أَوْلَىmost fitting
فَهْوَ بِالْغَادة الكَريمةِ أَوْلَى
And make the virtue of modesty a veil,
Let modesty be your head-scarf,
For it best befits a noble, graceful maiden.
For it best suits the generous and noble.
ليسis not لِلْبِنْتfor the girl فيin السَّعادةhappiness حَظُّa share
ليس لِلْبِنْت في السَّعادة حَظُّ
إنif تَنَاءَىwithdraws الحياءُmodesty عَنْهاfrom her ووَلَّىand departs
إن تَنَاءَى الحياءُ عَنْها ووَلَّى
A girl has no share in happiness
A girl who abandons modesty
If modesty withdraws from her and departs.
Will have no share of happiness.
والْبَسِيand wear مِنْfrom عَفَافthe chastity نَفْسِكِof your soul ثوْباًa garment
والْبَسِي مِنْ عَفَاف نَفْسِكِ ثوْباً
كلُّevery ثَوْبgarment سِوَاهother than it يَفْنَىperishes ويَبْلَىand wears out
كلُّ ثَوْب سِوَاه يَفْنَى ويَبْلَى
And wear a garment of your soul's chastity;
Cloak yourself in the chastity of your soul,
Every other garment perishes and wears out.
All other cloaks fade and wear away.
وإذاand when ماever (emphasis) رأَيتَyou see بُؤْساًmisery فَجُودِيthen give generously
وإذا ما رأَيتَ بُؤْساً فَجُودِي
بدُموعwith tears الإِحْسَانof kindness يَهْطِلْنthey pour down هَطْلاin torrents
بدُموع الإِحْسَان يَهْطِلْن هَطْلا
And whenever you see misery, give generously
And when you see poverty, be generous
With tears of kindness, pouring down in torrents.
With the downpour of beneficence.
فدُمُوعfor tears الإِحسانof kindness أَنْضَرmore radiant فيon الْخدّthe cheek
فدُمُوع الإِحسان أَنْضَر في الْخدّ
وأَبَهىand lovelier منthan اللآلِيpearls وأَغْلَىand more precious
وأَبَهى من اللآلِي وأَغْلَى
For tears of kindness are more radiant on the cheek,
The tears of beneficence are lush on the cheek
And lovelier than pearls, and more precious.
And lovelier than gems and more precious.
وانظُرِيand look فيinto الضَّميرthe conscience إِنif شِئْتِyou wish for مرآa mirror (first part)
وانظُرِي في الضَّمير إِن شِئْتِ مرآ
ةًcompletion of 'a mirror' ففيهfor in it تبدُوappear النفوسُthe souls وتُجْلَىand are revealed
ةً ففيه تبدُو النفوسُ وتُجْلَى
And look into your conscience if you want a mirror;
And look into your conscience if you wish
For in it souls appear and are revealed.
To see souls revealed and unveiled.
ذاكَthat نُصْحِيmy counsel إلىto فتَاتِيmy girl وسُؤْليand my request
ذاكَ نُصْحِي إلى فتَاتِي وسُؤْلي
وابْنَتَيand my daughter لاnot ترُدّrefuses للأَبto the father سُؤْلاa request
وابْنَتَي لا ترُدّ للأَب سُؤْلا
That is my counsel to my girl, and my request;
This is my advice to my daughters
And my daughter will not refuse her father a request.
And dear girls, do not deny a father's request.
Sol 6.1