إِذاif عَفَوتَyou forgive عَنِfor الإِنسانِa person سَيِّئَةًa wrong
إِذا عَفَوتَ عَنِ الإِنسانِ سَيِّئَةً
فَلاthen do not تُرَوِّعهُyou frighten him تَثريباًreproach وَتَقريعاand rebuke
فَلا تُرَوِّعهُ تَثريباً وَتَقريعا
If you forgive a person a wrong,
If you pardon a man his misdeed
do not frighten him with reproach and rebuke.
Then do not chastise or rebuke him
وَإِنand if كُفيتَyou are spared عَناءًhardship فَاِجتَنِبthen avoid كَلَفاًburdensome toil
وَإِن كُفيتَ عَناءً فَاِجتَنِب كَلَفاً
غانٍhaving no need عَنِfor النَزعِdrawing water مُرويone who waters الإِبلَthe camels تَشريعاby leading them directly to water
غانٍ عَنِ النَزعِ مُروي الإِبلَ تَشريعا
And if you are spared hardship, avoid burdensome toil:
And if you spare him hardship
one who waters camels directly has no need to draw water.
Avoid causing him undue trouble
وَالمَرءُand man يوجَدُis brought into being مِنfrom عُدمٍnothingness وَماand not نَقَلَتhave reported
وَالمَرءُ يوجَدُ مِن عُدمٍ وَما نَقَلَت
عَنهُof him الحَوادِثُevents مِنfrom عاداتِهِhis habits ريعاa turning away
عَنهُ الحَوادِثُ مِن عاداتِهِ ريعا
And man is brought into being from nothing; no record is made
A man's nature stays as it's always been
by events of his departing from his habitual ways.
No matter what life's travails convene
أَنif يَألَفِhe grows accustomed to الهَضبَhigh ground لاnot يَبغِhe seeks الوُهودَthe hollows بِهِin its place
أَن يَألَفِ الهَضبَ لا يَبغِ الوُهودَ بِهِ
أَوor يَألَفhe grows accustomed to الوَهدَa hollow لاnot يُؤثَرhe prefers بِهِin its place ريعاa height
أَو يَألَف الوَهدَ لا يُؤثَر بِهِ ريعا
If he grows used to high ground, he seeks no hollows in its place;
He may get used to living on the mountain
or, accustomed to a hollow, he prefers no height instead.
But won't abandon it for an easy terrain
وَفيand in الضَرورَةِnecessity يُلغىis set aside ماwhat تَعَوَّدَهُhe has grown accustomed to it
وَفي الضَرورَةِ يُلغى ما تَعَوَّدَهُ
وَالغَفرُand the young ibex يَأكُلُeats فيin الرَملِthe sand الأَساريعاcaterpillars
وَالغَفرُ يَأكُلُ في الرَملِ الأَساريعا
And in necessity, what he is accustomed to is set aside,
Necessity overrides accustomed ways
and the young ibex eats caterpillars in the sand.
And forgiveness eats paths into the dunes
وَكَيفَand how يَطلُبُhe seeks عَدلاًjustice مَنone who غَريزَتُهُhis instinct
وَكَيفَ يَطلُبُ عَدلاً مَن غَريزَتُهُ
تُوَلِّدُgenerates الظُلمَinjustice تَثميراًmaking it bear fruit وَتَفريعاand making it branch out
تُوَلِّدُ الظُلمَ تَثميراً وَتَفريعا
And how can one seek justice when his instinct
How can one who is naturally unjust
breeds injustice, making it bear fruit and branch out?
Seek justice, it's not in his fortune
لِكُلِّfor every حالٍstate سَجاياinnate traits وَالقَريضُand poetry بِناstructures
لِكُلِّ حالٍ سَجايا وَالقَريضُ بِنا
لاnot تَقتَضيكَdemand of you بِغَيرِoutside البِدءِthe opening تَصريعاmatching half-line rhyme and meter
لا تَقتَضيكَ بِغَيرِ البِدءِ تَصريعا
Each state has its own traits, and verse consists of structures
Every state has its own character
that demand matching half-line rhymes from you only at the opening.
Don't make it do what it didn't commence
Sol 6.1