أَلَيسَis not? أَبوكُمyour father آدَمAdam إِنif عُزيتُمُyour ancestry is traced
أَلَيسَ أَبوكُم آدَم إِن عُزيتُمُ
يَكونُhe is سَليلاًa descendant لِلتُرابِof dust إِذاwhen عُزيhis ancestry is traced
يَكونُ سَليلاً لِلتُرابِ إِذا عُزي
Is not your father Adam, if your ancestry is traced,
himself a descendant of dust, when his ancestry is traced?
يُوَدُّwishes الفَتىthe young man لَوif only عاشَhe lived آخِرَthe end of دَهرِهِhis lifetime
يُوَدُّ الفَتى لَو عاشَ آخِرَ دَهرِهِ
سَليماًunharmed مُؤَتّىfavored لاnot أُميتَput to death وَلاnor رُزيstricken with loss
سَليماً مُؤَتّى لا أُميتَ وَلا رُزي
The young man wishes he could live to the end of his days,
safe and favored, neither put to death nor stricken with loss.
أَنامٌhumankind لَعَمريby my life لَيسَis not فيهِin it مُوَفَّقٌone guided
أَنامٌ لَعَمري لَيسَ فيهِ مُوَفَّقٌ
لِرُشدٍto sound judgment وَلاnor يَحظىgains بِخَيرٍwith good إِذاwhen جُزيhe is recompensed
لِرُشدٍ وَلا يَحظى بِخَيرٍ إِذا جُزي
Among mankind, by my life, none is guided
to sound judgment, nor gains good when recompensed.
وَبازٍand a hawk يُغاديcomes at dawn to الطَيرَthe birds مُهتَضِماًoppressing لَهاtoward them
وَبازٍ يُغادي الطَيرَ مُهتَضِماً لَها
فَهَلso does? يَرتَجيhope for النَصفَjustice الضَعيفُthe weak one إِذاwhen بُزيhe is robbed
فَهَل يَرتَجي النَصفَ الضَعيفُ إِذا بُزي
And a hawk comes upon the birds at dawn, oppressing them;
can the weak, then, hope for justice when robbed?
وَجَدتُand I found سَفيهَthe fool القَومِof the people مِنbecause of سوءِbadness رَأيِهِhis judgment
وَجَدتُ سَفيهَ القَومِ مِن سوءِ رَأيِهِ
إِذاwhen قيلَit was said خَفfear مِنof قادِرٍone with power فَوقَناabove us هَزيhe scoffed
إِذا قيلَ خَف مِن قادِرٍ فَوقَنا هَزي
And I found that the people's fool, through his bad judgment,
scoffed when told, 'Fear one with power above us.'
وَرَدناwe entered إِلىinto الدُنياthe world بِإِذنٍwith permission مَليكِناour Sovereign
وَرَدنا إِلى الدُنيا بِإِذنٍ مَليكِنا
لِمَغزىًfor a purpose وَلَسناand we are not عالِمينَknowing بِماof what غُزيwas intended
لِمَغزىً وَلَسنا عالِمينَ بِما غُزي
We entered the world by our Sovereign's leave,
for a purpose, yet we do not know what was intended.
ذَوُthose possessing النُسكِreligious devotion خَيرُthe best of الناسِpeople فيin كُلِّevery مَوطِنٍplace
ذَوُ النُسكِ خَيرُ الناسِ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ
وَزِيُّهُمand their garb بَينَamong المَعاشِرِcommunities خَيرُthe finest زيgarb
وَزِيُّهُم بَينَ المَعاشِرِ خَيرُ زي
The devout are the best of people in every place,
and their garb among communities is the finest garb.
وَهَلand does? يَنفَعُbenefit الوَشيُthe brocade السَحيبُtrailing مُضَلَّلاًa misguided man
وَهَل يَنفَعُ الوَشيُ السَحيبُ مُضَلَّلاً
وَإِنand if ذُكِرَتis mentioned فيamong القَومِthe people شيمَتُهُhis character خُزيhe is disgraced
وَإِن ذُكِرَت في القَومِ شيمَتُهُ خُزي
And can trailing brocade benefit a misguided man?
And if his character is mentioned among the people, he is disgraced.
وَمِنand of عَجبٍwonder دَعواكَyour claim عِلماًknowledge وَحِكمَةًand wisdom
وَمِن عَجبٍ دَعواكَ عِلماً وَحِكمَةً
وَعِلمُكَand your knowledge شَيءٌsomething قيلَwas said بِالظَنِّby conjecture أَوor حُزيwas guessed at
وَعِلمُكَ شَيءٌ قيلَ بِالظَنِّ أَو حُزي
And strange indeed is your claim to knowledge and wisdom,
while your knowledge is something asserted on conjecture or guessed at.
وَجِئتَand you came بِنَمِيٍّwith a base-metal coin إِلىto مُتَعَصِّبٍa zealot
وَجِئتَ بِنَمِيٍّ إِلى مُتَعَصِّبٍ
فَناداكَso he called to you دينارٌa dinar بِكَفِّكَin your palm هِبرِزيof pure gold
فَناداكَ دينارٌ بِكَفِّكَ هِبرِزي
And you came with a base coin to a zealot,
so he called to you: 'A dinar of pure gold is in your palm!'
Sol 6.1