ياO ذاكِرَyou who remember النَعماءِblessings إِنif نُسِيَتthey are forgotten
يا ذاكِرَ النَعماءِ إِن نُسِيَت
وَمَجَدِّدَand renewer of المَعروفِkindness إِنif دَرَساit has faded
وَمَجَدِّدَ المَعروفِ إِن دَرَسا
O you who remember blessings if they are forgotten,
And renew kindness if it has faded,
وَمُنَبِّهِand awakener of الآمالِhopes إِنif رَقَدَتthey have slept
وَمُنَبِّهِ الآمالِ إِن رَقَدَت
بِالطَولِwith bounty لاmay not أَغفىslumber وَلاnor نَعِساdoze
بِالطَولِ لا أَغفى وَلا نَعِسا
And awaken hopes if they have slept,
With bounty—may he neither slumber nor doze!
نَصلٌa blade إِذاwhen وَقَفَstand still النُصولُthe blades مَضىadvances
نَصلٌ إِذا وَقَفَ النُصولُ مَضى
جَبَلٌa mountain إِذاwhen اِضطَرَبَshake الجِبالُthe mountains رَساstands firm
جَبَلٌ إِذا اِضطَرَبَ الجِبالُ رَسا
A blade that advances when blades stand still;
A mountain that stands firm when mountains shake.
لِلَّهِGod be praised! بَحرٌa sea ماno sooner هَتَفتُI called out بِهِto him
لِلَّهِ بَحرٌ ما هَتَفتُ بِهِ
حَتّىthan اِستَهَلَّhe began pouring عَليَّupon me وَاِنبَجَساand gushed forth
حَتّى اِستَهَلَّ عَليَّ وَاِنبَجَسا
God be praised for such a sea! No sooner did I call to him
Than he poured down upon me and gushed forth.
أَجمَمتُI let replenish جُمَّتَهُhis pool فَفاضَso he overflowed بِهاwith it
أَجمَمتُ جُمَّتَهُ فَفاضَ بِها
يَطَأُhe treads on الرُبىthe hills وَيُبَلِّلُand wets اليَبَساthe dry ground
يَطَأُ الرُبى وَيُبَلِّلُ اليَبَسا
I let his pool replenish, and he overflowed with it,
Treading the hills and wetting the dry land.
زَخَرَتsurged غَوارِبُهُhis wave-crests إِلَيَّtoward me وَلَمand did not
زَخَرَت غَوارِبُهُ إِلَيَّ وَلَم
يَقُلِsay الرَجاءُhope لَعَلَّماperhaps وَعسىand maybe
يَقُلِ الرَجاءُ لَعَلَّما وَعسى
His wave-crests surged toward me, and never
Did hope say, 'Perhaps' or 'Maybe.'
وَأَغَرَّand a radiant man مُختَلِسٍseizing swiftly مَكارِمَهُhis noble deeds
وَأَغَرَّ مُختَلِسٍ مَكارِمَهُ
إِنَّindeed الكَريمِthe generous man يَرىsees النَدىgiving خُلَساsnatched opportunities
إِنَّ الكَريمِ يَرى النَدى خُلَسا
And a radiant man, snatching chances for his noble deeds—
Indeed, the generous man sees giving as chances to be seized.
غَرَسَhe planted الصَنائِعَkindnesses ثُمَّthen عادَreturned بِهِwith him
غَرَسَ الصَنائِعَ ثُمَّ عادَ بِهِ
عَودُrenewal النَدىof bounty فَسَقىso he watered الَّذيwhat غَرَساhe had planted
عَودُ النَدى فَسَقى الَّذي غَرَسا
He planted kindnesses; then he was brought back
By renewed bounty, and watered what he had planted.
كَالعَضبِlike a keen blade فيهِon it صاقِلٌa polisher عَمِلٌdiligent
كَالعَضبِ فيهِ صاقِلٌ عَمِلٌ
يَنفيhe removes القَذىimpurities وَيُباعِدُand keeps away الدَنَساstains
يَنفي القَذى وَيُباعِدُ الدَنَسا
Like a keen blade worked upon by a diligent polisher,
Who removes impurities and keeps stains away.
مِنfrom مَعشَرٍa people رَكِبواthey rode المَكارِمَnoble deeds فيin
مِن مَعشَرٍ رَكِبوا المَكارِمَ في
أَولىthe earliest part of الزَمانِtime مَصاعِباًuntamed mounts شُمُساunruly
أَولى الزَمانِ مَصاعِباً شُمُسا
From a people who rode noble deeds in
Time's earliest days as untamed, unruly mounts.
شَغَلواthey filled مَلابِسَهاits garments فَلَمso did not يَدَعواleave
شَغَلوا مَلابِسَها فَلَم يَدَعوا
لِلناسِfor people إِلّاexcept الدَنِسَsoiled اللُبُساclothing
لِلناسِ إِلّا الدَنِسَ اللُبُسا
They filled virtue's robes, leaving
For others only soiled clothing.
العاطِفونَthose who show kindness إِذاwhen الصَديقُthe friend نَباturns cold
العاطِفونَ إِذا الصَديقُ نَبا
وَالمُحسِنونَand those who do good إِذاwhen الزَمانُtime أَساdoes harm
وَالمُحسِنونَ إِذا الزَمانُ أَسا
Those who show kindness when a friend turns cold,
And do good when time does harm.
وَإِذاand when خِناقُthe noose الكَربِof distress ضاقَtightens بِناaround us
وَإِذا خِناقُ الكَربِ ضاقَ بِنا
رَدّواthey restore النُفوسَsouls وَرَدَّدواand make flow again النَفَساthe breath
رَدّوا النُفوسَ وَرَدَّدوا النَفَسا
And when distress's noose tightens around us,
They restore souls and make breath flow again.
ماnot ضَرَّharms مَنwhoever مُطِرواthey were rained down بِبَلدَتِهِupon his town
ما ضَرَّ مَن مُطِروا بِبَلدَتِهِ
إِنif كانَis ماءُthe water المُزنِof rain-clouds مُحتَبَساwithheld
إِن كانَ ماءُ المُزنِ مُحتَبَسا
No harm comes to one whose town receives them as rain,
If the rain-clouds' water is withheld.
لاmay not أَزلَقَmake slip اليَومُthe day العَبوسُscowling لَكُمfor you
لا أَزلَقَ اليَومُ العَبوسُ لَكُم
قَدَماًa foot وَلاnor أَطفىextinguish لَكُمfor you قَبَساa firebrand
قَدَماً وَلا أَطفى لَكُم قَبَسا
May the scowling day never make you lose
Your footing, nor extinguish a firebrand for you.
لاmay not تَفتُرُنَّever falter عَلىthrough الزَمانِtime وَإِنand if
لا تَفتُرُنَّ عَلى الزَمانِ وَإِن
عَثَرَstumbles الزَمانُtime بِعِزِّكُمagainst your might تَعِساmay it come to grief
عَثَرَ الزَمانُ بِعِزِّكُم تَعِسا
May you never falter through time; and if
Time stumbles against your might, may it come to grief!
Sol 6.1