لاdo not تَأنَفَنَّdisdain مِنof اِحتِرافِكَyour practicing a trade طالِباًseeking
لا تَأنَفَنَّ مِن اِحتِرافِكَ طالِباً
حِلّاًlawful gain وَعَدِّand shun مَكاسِبَearnings الفُجّارِthe wicked
حِلّاً وَعَدِّ مَكاسِبَ الفُجّارِ
Do not disdain practicing your trade as you seek
lawful gain, and shun the earnings of the wicked.
فَالمَجدُfor glory أَدرَكَهُattained it عَلىdespite عِلّاتِهِits flaws
فَالمَجدُ أَدرَكَهُ عَلى عِلّاتِهِ
قَومٌa people بِيَثرِبَin Yathrib مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of النَجّارِal-Najjar
قَومٌ بِيَثرِبَ مِن بَني النَجّارِ
For glory, despite its flaws, was attained
by folk in Yathrib from Banu al-Najjar.
وَإِذاand if أَمِنَتyou feel secure عَلىregarding الظَعينَةِthe woman زِلَّةًa lapse
وَإِذا أَمِنَت عَلى الظَعينَةِ زِلَّةً
فَاِصفَحthen pardon إِنif اِطَّلَعَتshe peers out مِنَfrom الإِجّارِthe rooftop
فَاِصفَح إِن اِطَّلَعَت مِنَ الإِجّارِ
And if you trust that the woman will not err,
then pardon her if she peers out from the rooftop.
فَلِهَذِهِso, for this النَفسِthe soul لَكَذوبِindeed deceitful تَشَوّفٌa longing to peer
فَلِهَذِهِ النَفسِ لَكَذوبِ تَشَوّفٌ
حَتّىuntil تُكَفُّit is restrained عَنِfrom الأَذىharm بِهجارِwith a hobble
حَتّى تُكَفُّ عَنِ الأَذى بِهجارِ
For this ever-deceitful soul has a longing to peer,
until it is restrained from harm with a hobble.
وَالقَولُand speech يُوَجِعُcauses pain وَالعِتابُand reproach ضَغينَةٌrancor
وَالقَولُ يُوَجِعُ وَالعِتابُ ضَغينَةٌ
وَالهَجرُand estrangement مُشتَقٌّis derived عَنِfrom الإِهجارِfoul speech
وَالهَجرُ مُشتَقٌّ عَنِ الإِهجارِ
And speech wounds, and reproach is rancor;
and estrangement is derived from foul speech.
فَاِختَرso choose لِنَفسِكَfor yourself مَنزِلاًa dwelling تَخلوyou are alone بِهِin it
فَاِختَر لِنَفسِكَ مَنزِلاً تَخلو بِهِ
كُلُّall الثَعالِبِthe foxes رائِحٌgoing at evening لَوِجارِto a den
كُلُّ الثَعالِبِ رائِحٌ لَوِجارِ
So choose for yourself a dwelling where you can be alone;
every fox goes at evening to a den.
رَأسُthe head of ابنِthe son of آدَمَAdam أَصلُهُhis root وَفُروعُهُand his branches
رَأسُ ابنِ آدَمَ أَصلُهُ وَفُروعُهُ
قَدَماهُhis two feet ضِدُّthe reverse of النَبتِplants وَالأَشجارِand trees
قَدَماهُ ضِدُّ النَبتِ وَالأَشجارِ
The son of Adam's head is his root, and his branches
are his two feet—the reverse of plants and trees.
وَإِذاand if قَطَعتَyou cut off رُؤوسَthe heads of تِلكَthose فَجائِزٌthen it is possible
وَإِذا قَطَعتَ رُؤوسَ تِلكَ فَجائِزٌ
يَوماًone day تَراجُعُهاtheir regrowth بِحُكمٍunder a law جاريin force
يَوماً تَراجُعُها بِحُكمٍ جاري
And if you cut off their heads, it is possible
for them to grow back one day, under the prevailing law.
وَمَتّىand whenever نَزَعتَyou remove لِحِلفِfrom a companion of روحٍa soul هامَةًa head
وَمَتّى نَزَعتَ لِحِلفِ روحٍ هامَةً
فَهُوَthen it is الرَدىdeath عَمداًdeliberately بِغَيرِwithout شِجارِdispute
فَهُوَ الرَدى عَمداً بِغَيرِ شِجارِ
And whenever you remove the head of one allied to a soul,
that is death deliberately inflicted, beyond dispute.
وَالشَرُّand evil فيin طَبعِthe nature of الأَنامِhumankind فَإِنso if يُبِنit displays
وَالشَرُّ في طَبعِ الأَنامِ فَإِن يُبِن
شَيئاًanything سِواهُother than it فَلَيسَthen it is not خِيَمَthe character of نِجارِnative stock
شَيئاً سِواهُ فَلَيسَ خِيَمَ نِجارِ
And evil lies in human nature; if it displays
anything else, that is not its innate character.
هَفَتِwere swayed الجِبالُthe mountains مِنَamong الرِجالِmen بِعَسجَدٍby gold
هَفَتِ الجِبالُ مِنَ الرِجالِ بِعَسجَدٍ
أَوor فِضَّةٍsilver وَهُماand both مِنَamong الأَحجارِstones
أَو فِضَّةٍ وَهُما مِنَ الأَحجارِ
Mountains among men have been swayed by gold
or silver—and both are stones.
رَغِبواthey coveted فَأَزهَدُfor even the most ascetic مَنthose whom تَرىyou see فَوقَupon الثَرىthe earth
رَغِبوا فَأَزهَدُ مَن تَرى فَوقَ الثَرى
يَبغونَthey seek عِندَwith اللَهِGod رِبحَthe profit of تِجارِmerchants
يَبغونَ عِندَ اللَهِ رِبحَ تِجارِ
They coveted; for even the most ascetic of those you see upon the earth
seek from God the profit of merchants.
Sol 6.1