إِذاif طَرَقَknocks at المِسكينُthe poor man دارَكَyour house فَاِحبُهُthen give him
إِذا طَرَقَ المِسكينُ دارَكَ فَاِحبُهُ
قَليلاًa little وَلَوeven if مِقدارَthe measure of حَبَّةِa seed of خَردَلِmustard
قَليلاً وَلَو مِقدارَ حَبَّةِ خَردَلِ
If a poor man knocks at your house, give him
If the poor come knocking at your door, love them
a little, even a mustard seed's worth.
A little, even if only the size of a mustard seed.
وَلاand do not تَحتَقِرscorn شَيئاًanything تُساعِفُهُyou help him بِهِwith it
وَلا تَحتَقِر شَيئاً تُساعِفُهُ بِهِ
فَكَمfor many a مِنof حَصاةٍpebble أَيَّدَتstrengthened ظَهرَthe back of مِجدَلِa fortress
فَكَم مِن حَصاةٍ أَيَّدَت ظَهرَ مِجدَلِ
And do not scorn anything with which you help him;
Do not belittle anything with which you might double it
for many a pebble has strengthened a fortress's back.
For how many pebbles have supported a fragile back?
وَماand not كَبِدُthe liver of العُصفورِthe sparrow وَهيَthough it is ضَئيلَةٌtiny
وَما كَبِدُ العُصفورِ وَهيَ ضَئيلَةٌ
بِعاجِزَةٍincapable عَنof ضَبطِهاits controlling نَفسَthe life of أَجدَلِa falcon
بِعاجِزَةٍ عَن ضَبطِها نَفسَ أَجدَلِ
Nor is a sparrow's liver, tiny though it is,
And the breast of a sparrow, how small it is,
unable to hold a falcon's life in its power.
Yet unable to be grasped by the hands of giants.
لَطالَhas indeed grown long عَلَيَّfor me الوَقتُtime وَالنَفسُwhile the soul عُمرُهاits lifespan
لَطالَ عَلَيَّ الوَقتُ وَالنَفسُ عُمرُها
كَأَقصَرِlike the shortest ظِلٍّshadow فيin الزَمانِtime الشَمَردَلِfar-stretching
كَأَقصَرِ ظِلٍّ في الزَمانِ الشَمَردَلِ
Time has dragged on for me, though the soul's lifespan
Long has time been upon me and my soul -
is like the shortest shadow in far-stretching time—
its life is as brief as the shadows in shifty sands.
مَدىthe span of حَيَوانٍa living creature فيin هَواءٍair وَلُجَّةٍand deep water
مَدى حَيَوانٍ في هَواءٍ وَلُجَّةٍ
وَأَرضٍand earth وَتُربٍand dust مُستَكِنٍّhidden وَجَندَلِand rocks
وَأَرضٍ وَتُربٍ مُستَكِنٍّ وَجَندَلِ
the span of creatures in air and ocean depths,
The lifespan of a creature in turbid air, on land
and on earth, in hidden dust, and among rocks.
and soil, sheltered and bundled.
فَبَيَّنَso make clear إِذاwhen حاوَلتَyou try إِفهامَto make understand سامِعٍa listener
فَبَيَّنَ إِذا حاوَلتَ إِفهامَ سامِعٍ
فَإِنَّfor indeed بَياناًclarity مِنof قَضاءٍjudgment مُعَدَّلِmade just
فَإِنَّ بَياناً مِن قَضاءٍ مُعَدَّلِ
So make things clear when you try to make a listener understand,
So make clear, if you try to enlighten a listener -
for clarity is part of just judgment.
for elucidation from just authority is ideal.
تَقولُyou say حُمَيدٌHumayd قالَsaid وَالمَرءُwhile the man مادَرىdoes not know
تَقولُ حُمَيدٌ قالَ وَالمَرءُ مادَرى
حُمَيدَHumayd اِبنَson of ثَورٍThawr أَمor حُمَيدَHumayd بنَson of بَحدَلِBahdal
حُمَيدَ اِبنَ ثَورٍ أَم حُمَيدَ بنَ بَحدَلِ
You say, "Humayd said," though the man does not know:
You say Humayd said, though man cannot know -
Humayd ibn Thawr, or Humayd ibn Bahdal?
Is it Humayd son of Thawr or Humayd son of Bahdal?
إِذاif ماemphatic particle دَعِيُّthe adopted son of القَومِthe clan ضاهىresembles صَريحَهُمtheir true-born son
إِذا ما دَعِيُّ القَومِ ضاهى صَريحَهُم
فَلاthen do not تَنكُرَنreject (emphatic) وَاِعدُدهُand count him آخَرَanother عَبدَلِʿAbdal
فَلا تَنكُرَن وَاِعدُدهُ آخَرَ عَبدَلِ
If a clan's adopted son resembles its true-born son,
When the tribe’s envoy rivals their eloquence,
do not reject him; count him as another ʿAbdal.
do not deny him - consider him the last servant.
أَلَيسَis not كَباقيlike the other أَحرُفِletters of الوَزنِthe word-pattern لامُهُits lām
أَلَيسَ كَباقي أَحرُفِ الوَزنِ لامُهُ
وَماand not فُصِلَتwas distinguished مِنfrom لامِthe lām of سَهلٍsahl ('easy') وَأَهدَلِand ahdal ('drooping')
وَما فُصِلَت مِن لامِ سَهلٍ وَأَهدَلِ
Is not its lām like the other letters of the word-pattern?
Is not his lam like the rest of the meter’s letters?
And it is no different from the lām in 'sahl' and 'ahdal'.
And has it not been separated from the lam of gentle sand?
Sol 6.1