تَجافَhold back عَنِfrom الأَعداءِthe enemies بُقياin mercy فَرُبَّماfor perhaps
تَجافَ عَنِ الأَعداءِ بُقيا فَرُبَّما
كُفيتَyou are spared وَلَمand did not تَعقُرyou wound بِنابٍwith a fang وَلاnor ظُفرِa claw
كُفيتَ وَلَم تَعقُر بِنابٍ وَلا ظُفرِ
Hold back from your enemies, sparing them, for you may
Be spared their harm without wounding with fang or claw.
وَلاand do not تَبرِwhittle away مِنهُمamong them كُلَّevery عودٍbranch تَخافُهُyou fear it
وَلا تَبرِ مِنهُم كُلَّ عودٍ تَخافُهُ
فَإِنَّfor indeed الأَعاديthe enemies يَنبُتونَthey sprout مَعَwith الدَهرِtime
فَإِنَّ الأَعادي يَنبُتونَ مَعَ الدَهرِ
Do not whittle down every branch among them that you fear,
For enemies keep sprouting with time.
دُخولٌentering عَلىonto زُحلوفَةِthe slippery slope الخَطبِof calamity بَعدَماafter
دُخولٌ عَلى زُحلوفَةِ الخَطبِ بَعدَما
تَرامَتtossed about بِهِمwith them أَرجاءُthe sides مُظلِمَةِdark القَعرِthe bottom
تَرامَت بِهِم أَرجاءُ مُظلِمَةِ القَعرِ
They plunge onto calamity’s slippery slope, after
The sides of a dark-bottomed abyss have tossed them about.
إِذاif شِئتَyou wish أَنto تَبقىremain خَلِيّاًfree مِنَof العِدىthe foes
إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَبقى خَلِيّاً مِنَ العِدى
فَعِشthen live عَيشَthe life خالٍone devoid مِنof عَلاءٍeminence وَمِنand of وَفرِwealth
فَعِش عَيشَ خالٍ مِن عَلاءٍ وَمِن وَفرِ
If you wish to remain free of foes,
Then live the life of one without eminence or wealth.
إِذاif أَنتَyou أَفنَيتَyou have annihilated العَرانينَthe chieftains وَالذُرىand the summits
إِذا أَنتَ أَفنَيتَ العَرانينَ وَالذُرى
رَمَتكَshot at you اللَياليthe nights عَنthrough يَدِthe hand الخامِلِthe obscure man الغِمرِthe inexperienced one
رَمَتكَ اللَيالي عَن يَدِ الخامِلِ الغِمرِ
If you annihilate the chieftains and the lofty peaks,
The nights will shoot at you through an obscure, inexperienced man’s hand.
وَهَبكَand suppose you اِتَّقَيتَyou have evaded السَهمَthe arrow مِنfrom حَيثُwhere يُتَّقىit is guarded against
وَهَبكَ اِتَّقَيتَ السَهمَ مِن حَيثُ يُتَّقى
فَمَنthen who لِيَدٍagainst a hand تَرميكَit shoots at you مِنfrom حَيثُwhere لاnot تَدريyou know
فَمَن لِيَدٍ تَرميكَ مِن حَيثُ لا تَدري
And suppose you evade the arrow from the quarter one guards against—
Who, then, can fend off a hand that shoots at you from where you do not know?
تُحاميyou defend عَلىfor دارِthe abode المَقامِof residence سَفاهَةًfoolishly
تُحامي عَلى دارِ المَقامِ سَفاهَةً
ضَلالاًmisguided إِذاthen رَأياًin judgment وَنَحنُwhile we مَعَwith السَفَرِthe journey
ضَلالاً إِذا رَأياً وَنَحنُ مَعَ السَفَرِ
You foolishly defend the abode of settled life—
How misguided a judgment, then, while we are on a journey!
Sol 6.1