أَصبَحتُI have become غَيرَnot مُمَيَّزٍdistinguished مِنfrom عالَمٍa world of people
أَصبَحتُ غَيرَ مُمَيَّزٍ مِن عالَمٍ
مِثلَlike البَهائِمِbeasts كُلُّهُمall of them مُتَحَيِّرُbewildered
مِثلَ البَهائِمِ كُلُّهُم مُتَحَيِّرُ
I have become no different from a world of people;
I have become indistinguishable from a world,
like beasts, they are all bewildered.
Like animals, all of them confused.
يَتَخَيَّرونَthey choose عَلىfor المَليكِthe Sovereign قَضاءَهُHis decree
يَتَخَيَّرونَ عَلى المَليكِ قَضاءَهُ
سَفِهَacted foolishly الغُواةُthe misguided وَلَيسَand there is not فيهِمamong them خَيِّرُa good person
سَفِهَ الغُواةُ وَلَيسَ فيهِم خَيِّرُ
They presume to choose the Sovereign's decree for Him;
They condemn the king's judgment,
the misguided have acted foolishly; not one of them is good.
The foolish and among them there is no wise one.
فَاِكفُفso restrain لِسانَكَyour tongue أَنto تُعَيِّرَyou taunt وَاِعلَمَنand know for certain
فَاِكفُف لِسانَكَ أَن تُعَيِّرَ وَاِعلَمَن
أَنthat لَيسَis not يَأمَنُsafe from ماwhat يَعيبُhe condemns مُعَيِّرُa taunter
أَن لَيسَ يَأمَنُ ما يَعيبُ مُعَيِّرُ
So keep your tongue from taunting, and know for certain
Restrain your tongue from mocking and know
that no taunter is safe from the fault he condemns.
That he who finds fault is not safe from blame.
ماnot حَطَّlowered رُتبَتَكَyour rank الحَسودُthe envious man وَماand what الَّذيthat
ما حَطَّ رُتبَتَكَ الحَسودُ وَما الَّذي
ضَرَّharmed الأَميرَthe prince بِأَنby the fact that يُقالَit is said أُمَيِّرُa little prince
ضَرَّ الأَميرَ بِأَن يُقالَ أُمَيِّرُ
The envious man has not lowered your rank; and what
Envy has not lowered your status, nor has what
harm has a prince suffered by being called a 'little prince'?
They say harmed the prince if called a commander.
وَسُهَيلٌand Suhayl اللَمّاحُglittering صُغِّرَwas made diminutive لَفظُهُits name
وَسُهَيلٌ اللَمّاحُ صُغِّرَ لَفظُهُ
فَاِنظُرso look أَهَيَّرَهُhas he weakened it? بِذاكَby that مُهَيِّرُone who weakens
فَاِنظُر أَهَيَّرَهُ بِذاكَ مُهَيِّرُ
And glittering Suhayl's name has been made diminutive;
Though Suhayl the jester's name was belittled,
so see: has anyone thereby weakened it?
See if that detracted the one who belittled.
وَعَهِدتُنيand I remember myself زَمَنَin the time of الشَبيبَةِyouth ذاكِياًblazing
وَعَهِدتُني زَمَنَ الشَبيبَةِ ذاكِياً
قَبسيmy flame فَأَخمِدَthen it was quenched وَالخُطوبُand calamities تُغَيِّرُchange things
قَبسي فَأَخمِدَ وَالخُطوبُ تُغَيِّرُ
And I remember myself in youth: brightly burning
I knew myself in the days of youth to be bright,
was my flame—then quenched; calamities bring change.
My fire is extinguished and hardships bring change.
لاnot يَستَطيعُcan الناسُpeople دَفعَtaking away فَضيلَةٍa merit
لا يَستَطيعُ الناسُ دَفعَ فَضيلَةٍ
بِالقَدرِby destiny صَيَّرَهاhe assigned it إِلَيكَto you مُصَيِّرُone who assigns
بِالقَدرِ صَيَّرَها إِلَيكَ مُصَيِّرُ
People cannot take away a merit
People cannot prevent a merit,
that the Disposer has assigned to you by destiny.
Fate has destined it for you, the Planner.
هَذيthese الكَواكِبُstars لِلمَليكِfor the Sovereign شَواهِدٌwitnesses
هَذي الكَواكِبُ لِلمَليكِ شَواهِدٌ
مِنهاamong them الخَفيِّthe hidden one لِناظِرٍto an observer وَالنَيِّرُand the bright one
مِنها الخَفيِّ لِناظِرٍ وَالنَيِّرُ
These stars are witnesses to the Sovereign,
These stars are witnesses for the king,
some hidden from an observer, others shining bright.
Among them the hidden for the beholder and the clear.
نِمناwe slept وَماand not رَقَدَتthey slept وَحَلَّand settled down مُقيمُناour resident
نِمنا وَما رَقَدَت وَحَلَّ مُقيمُنا
وَالنَجمُand the star فيin أُفُقِthe horizon of السَماءِthe sky يُسَيَّرُis driven along
وَالنَجمُ في أُفُقِ السَماءِ يُسَيَّرُ
We slept, but they did not; our resident settled down,
We slept and our dwelling settled,
while the star is driven along the horizon of the sky.
As the star traverses the horizon of the sky.
وَالمَرءُand a man حَيّاهُgreeted him المَشيبُgray hair فَشانَهُand so marred him
وَالمَرءُ حَيّاهُ المَشيبُ فَشانَهُ
عِندَin the eyes of الحَبائِبِbeloved women وَهوَthough he is نَضرٌfresh-faced شَيِّرُhandsome
عِندَ الحَبائِبِ وَهوَ نَضرٌ شَيِّرُ
And gray hair has greeted a man and marred him
A man, his life is whitened so his distinction,
in his beloveds' eyes, though he is fresh-faced and handsome.
Is with the maidens though he be fresh and youthful.
آلَيتُI have sworn لاnot يَدريhe knows بِماof what هُوَit كائِنٌis to happen
آلَيتُ لا يَدري بِما هُوَ كائِنٌ
مُتَفائِلٌone who augurs well بِالأَمرِof the matter أَوor مُتَطَيِّرُone who augurs ill
مُتَفائِلٌ بِالأَمرِ أَو مُتَطَيِّرُ
I have sworn: what is to come is known to neither
I have despaired, not knowing what will happen,
one who augurs well of a matter nor one who augurs ill.
Hopeful or apprehensive of the matter.
كَالدارِlike a house صَبَّحَهاvisited it at dawn سِوىother than قُطّانُهاits residents
كَالدارِ صَبَّحَها سِوى قُطّانُها
فَثَوَواso they stayed بِهاin it وَتَحَمَّلَand departed المُتَدَيِّرُthe resident
فَثَوَوا بِها وَتَحَمَّلَ المُتَدَيِّرُ
Like a house visited at dawn by people other than its residents:
Like a house that was deserted except by its caretaker,
so they stayed there, while the one who made it home departed.
So they took refuge in it and the waverer endured.
Sol 6.1