صَبراًbe patient فَماfor none الفايزُthe victor إِلّاexcept مَنwhoever صَبَرendures
صَبراً فَما الفايزُ إِلّا مَن صَبَر
إِنَّindeed اللَياليthe nights واعِداتٌgiving promise بِالظَفَرof victory
إِنَّ اللَيالي واعِداتٌ بِالظَفَر
Be patient: none triumphs but one who endures.
The nights indeed promise victory.
لاno بُدَّescape أَنthat يَمضيproceed بِماwith what فيهِis in it القَدَرdestiny
لا بُدَّ أَن يَمضي بِما فيهِ القَدَر
يَلقىencounters الفَتىa young man مِنfrom دَهرِهِhis lifetime خَيراًgood وَشَرand evil
يَلقى الفَتى مِن دَهرِهِ خَيراً وَشَر
What destiny holds must come to pass.
A young man meets both good and evil in his lifetime.
لاno بُدَّescape أَنthat يَنهَضَrise جَدُّthe fortune مَنof whoever عَثَرhas stumbled
لا بُدَّ أَن يَنهَضَ جَدُّ مَن عَثَر
قَدmay يَنضُبُrun dry الخِلفُthe teat العَزيزُhard to milk وَيَدُرّand yield milk
قَد يَنضُبُ الخِلفُ العَزيزُ وَيَدُرّ
The fortune of one who stumbles must rise again.
The reluctant teat may run dry, then yield milk.
وَرُبَّand many a عَظمٍbone هيضَwas broken حيناًonce وَاِنجَبَرand knit again
وَرُبَّ عَظمٍ هيضَ حيناً وَاِنجَبَر
أَخوكَyour brother مَنone who كانَis مَآلاًa haven وَوَزَرand a refuge
أَخوكَ مَن كانَ مَآلاً وَوَزَر
And many a bone was once broken, then knit again.
Your brother is he who is a haven and a refuge,
إِذاwhen نَحاstrikes الدَهرُtime بِنابٍwith a fang وَعَقَرand maims
إِذا نَحا الدَهرُ بِنابٍ وَعَقَر
لَيسَnot الَّذيthe one who إِنif جانَبَcomes alongside الخَوفَfear اِنحَسَرshrinks back
لَيسَ الَّذي إِن جانَبَ الخَوفَ اِنحَسَر
When time strikes with a fang and maims.
Not one who shrinks back if he comes near fear,
أَقبَلَcomes forward فيin الأَمنِsafety وَوَلّىand turns away فيin الحَذَرalarm
أَقبَلَ في الأَمنِ وَوَلّى في الحَذَر
أَبلِغconvey مَقاليmy words ذَلِكَthat العَضبَkeen sword الذَكَرof hard steel
أَبلِغ مَقالي ذَلِكَ العَضبَ الذَكَر
Coming forward in safety and turning away in alarm.
Convey my words to that keen, well-tempered sword,
ذاpossessed of العُنُقِthe neck الأَغلَبِthick and strong وَالوَجهِand the face الأَغَرّradiant
ذا العُنُقِ الأَغلَبِ وَالوَجهِ الأَغَرّ
لَولاهُbut for him ماnot لاقَواthey would have found بِعوديin my timber مِنany خَوَرweakness
لَولاهُ ما لاقَوا بِعودي مِن خَوَر
He of the thick, strong neck and radiant face.
But for him, they would have found no weakness in my timber;
وَلَوand if تَعاطانيtried to seize me العَدُوُّthe enemy ماnot قَدَرcould
وَلَو تَعاطاني العَدُوُّ ما قَدَر
وَكانَand there would have been لِلخُصومِfor adversaries عَنّيfrom me مُزدَجَرa deterrent
وَكانَ لِلخُصومِ عَنّي مُزدَجَر
And had the enemy tried to seize me, he could not have;
And a deterrent would have kept adversaries from me.
حُرِمتُI was denied حَظّيmy share مِنهُof him مِنfrom دونِapart from البَشَرhumankind
حُرِمتُ حَظّي مِنهُ مِن دونِ البَشَر
خُصِصتُI was singled out بِالغُلَّةِfor burning thirst مِنfrom ذاكَthat المَطَرrain
خُصِصتُ بِالغُلَّةِ مِن ذاكَ المَطَر
I alone, of all mankind, was denied my share of him.
From that rain, I alone was allotted burning thirst,
وَقَدthough already سَقىwatered البَدوَthe nomads وَطَبَّقَand covered entirely الحَضَرthe townsfolk
وَقَد سَقى البَدوَ وَطَبَّقَ الحَضَر
عَسىmay الَّذيhe who ساءَcaused sorrow قَريباًsoon أَنto يَسُرّbring joy
عَسى الَّذي ساءَ قَريباً أَن يَسُرّ
Though it watered the nomads and drenched all the townsfolk.
May he who grieved me soon bring me joy.
فَليسَfor ... is not ظَنّيmy expectation فيهِof him كاذِبَfalse in الخَبَرreport
فَليسَ ظَنّي فيهِ كاذِبَ الخَبَر
وَلاnor رَجائيmy hope بِبَعيدِfar off المُنتَظَرthe awaited outcome
وَلا رَجائي بِبَعيدِ المُنتَظَر
For my confidence in him will not prove false,
Nor is the fulfillment of my hope far away.
قَدindeed زادَهُhas given him more اللَهُGod عَلىbeyond عُظمِgreatness الخَطَرof rank
قَد زادَهُ اللَهُ عَلى عُظمِ الخَطَر
مَكارِماًvirtues ذاتَbearing حُجولٍwhite leg-markings وَغُرَرand forehead blazes
مَكارِماً ذاتَ حُجولٍ وَغُرَر
God has indeed granted him, beyond his lofty station,
Virtues with white stockings and forehead blazes.
فاتَoutstripped بِهاwith them كُلَّevery جَوادٍnoble steed وَطِمِرّand fleet courser
فاتَ بِها كُلَّ جَوادٍ وَطِمِرّ
سَبقاًracing ahead إِلىto غايَةِthe goal كُلِّof every مُفتَخِرone who boasts
سَبقاً إِلى غايَةِ كُلِّ مُفتَخِر
With these he has outstripped every noble steed and fleet courser,
Racing ahead to the goal of all who vaunt their worth.
فَاللَهُso God يُعشيmay blind عَنهُaway from him ناظِرَthe eye الغِيَرof misfortune
فَاللَهُ يُعشي عَنهُ ناظِرَ الغِيَر
ماas long as طَلَعَrises النَجمُthe star وَأَورَقَand puts forth leaves الشَجَرthe trees
ما طَلَعَ النَجمُ وَأَورَقَ الشَجَر
So may God blind adversity's eye to him,
As long as stars rise and trees put forth leaves.
Sol 6.1