قَطَعَwaylaying الطَريقَthe road بِمَهمَهٍin a trackless wilderness وَنَظيرَهُand its counterpart
قَطَعَ الطَريقَ بِمَهمَهٍ وَنَظيرَهُ
فيin المِصرِthe city فَعِلَthe work of مُنَجِّمٍan astrologer وَمُعَزِّمِand a conjurer
في المِصرِ فَعِلَ مُنَجِّمٍ وَمُعَزِّمِ
Highway robbery in a trackless wilderness has its counterpart
in the city: the work of an astrologer and a conjurer.
تَتَوافَقُcoincide الأَسماءُthe names مِنّاamong us وَالكِنىand the bynames
تَتَوافَقُ الأَسماءُ مِنّا وَالكِنى
مُتَبايِناتٌdiffering فَاِنهَso curb جَهلاًignorance وَاِحزَمِand be prudent
مُتَبايِناتٌ فَاِنهَ جَهلاً وَاِحزَمِ
Our names coincide, while our bynames
differ; put an end to ignorance and be prudent.
هَيهاتَhow far apart! ماnot الجَوزاءُal-Jawza تَرزُمgrunts عِندَهاbeside it
هَيهاتَ ما الجَوزاءُ تَرزُم عِندَها
وَجناءُa sturdy she-camel كَالجَوزاءِlike al-Jawza ذاتِpossessing المِرزَمِal-Mirzam
وَجناءُ كَالجَوزاءِ ذاتِ المِرزَمِ
How far apart! Al-Jawza, beside which there grunts
a sturdy she-camel, is not like al-Jawza with al-Mirzam.
وَتَشابُهُand resemblance الأَخلاقِof character مِنamong مُتَباعِديthose far apart in نَجرٍlineage
وَتَشابُهُ الأَخلاقِ مِن مُتَباعِدي نَجرٍ
وَلَيسَand is not خُزَيمَةٌKhuzayma مِنdescended from أَخزَمِAkhzam
وَلَيسَ خُزَيمَةٌ مِن أَخزَمِ
And character can be alike among those of widely differing lineage;
yet Khuzayma is not descended from Akhzam.
وَبِعَينِand in the spring of سُلوانَSulwan الَّتيwhich فيin قُدسِهاits holy city, Jerusalem
وَبِعَينِ سُلوانَ الَّتي في قُدسِها
طَعمٌa taste يُوَهِّمُmakes one imagine أَنَّهاthat it مِنfrom زَمزَمِZamzam
طَعمٌ يُوَهِّمُ أَنَّها مِن زَمزَمِ
And in Sulwan's spring, in its holy city, Jerusalem,
is a taste that makes one imagine it comes from Zamzam.
وَالمَرءُand a person يُسخَطُis displeased with ماwhat أَتاهُcame to him وَكَمand how many فَتىًa young man
وَالمَرءُ يُسخَطُ ما أَتاهُ وَكَم فَتىً
كَالشَنِّlike a worn-out waterskin يَنفَعُbenefits أَهلَهُhis household بِمَهَزَّمِin a battered state
كَالشَنِّ يَنفَعُ أَهلَهُ بِمَهَزَّمِ
A man is displeased with what befalls him; and how many a youth,
like a worn-out waterskin, benefits his household though battered.
غَضِبَwas angered المُمَلَّكُthe enthroned ruler أَنَّthat خِرجاًtribute لَمnot يَفِرbecome abundant
غَضِبَ المُمَلَّكُ أَنَّ خِرجاً لَم يَفِر
وَالعَبدُand the slave أَنَّthat سَقاءَهُhis waterskin لَمnot يُخزَمِbe punctured
وَالعَبدُ أَنَّ سَقاءَهُ لَم يُخزَمِ
The king was angered that the tribute did not abound,
and the slave that his waterskin had not been punctured.
وَالخَيرُand goodness أَفضَلُthe best ماof what اِعتَقَدتَyou believe فَلاso do not تَكُنbe
وَالخَيرُ أَفضَلُ ما اِعتَقَدتَ فَلا تَكُن
هَمَلاًheedless وَصَلِّand pray بِقُبلَةٍfacing a direction of prayer أَوor زَمزِمِmurmur prayers
هَمَلاً وَصَلِّ بِقُبلَةٍ أَو زَمزِمِ
Goodness is the best belief you can hold; so do not be
heedless: pray facing a qibla, or murmur your prayers.
وَوَجَدتُand I found نَفسَthe soul of الحُرِّthe noble man تَجعَلُmakes كَفُّهُhis hand
وَوَجَدتُ نَفسَ الحُرِّ تَجعَلُ كَفُّهُ
صِفراًempty وَتُلزِمُهُand obliges him بِماto what لَمnot يُلزَمِbe obliged
صِفراً وَتُلزِمُهُ بِما لَم يُلزَمِ
And I have found that a noble man's soul leaves his hand
empty, and binds him to duties never imposed on him.
Sol 6.1