كُلُّevery اِمرِئٍman نَصبٌtoiling لِحاجَتِهِfor his need
كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ نَصبٌ لِحاجَتِهِ
وَعَلَيهِand against him يُحمَلُis counted أَوor لَهُfor him نَصَبُهhis toil
وَعَلَيهِ يُحمَلُ أَو لَهُ نَصَبُه
Every man toils for what he needs;
Each person has a purpose to fulfill,
His toil is counted against him or to his credit.
And on him burdens are loaded or goals set for him.
فَاِربَعso hold fast عَلىto خُلُقٍa character trait لَهُit has خَطَرٌhigh standing
فَاِربَع عَلى خُلُقٍ لَهُ خَطَرٌ
فيamong الصالِحينَthe righteous يَفوزُsucceeds مُحتَسِبُهone seeking reward for it
في الصالِحينَ يَفوزُ مُحتَسِبُه
So hold fast to a virtue of high standing
So four types of people with an aim take a risk:
Among the righteous; whoever seeks reward for it succeeds.
The pious are rewarded for their good deeds.
عِيُّinarticulacy الشَريفِthe highborn man يَشينُmars مَنصِبَهُhis rank
عِيُّ الشَريفِ يَشينُ مَنصِبَهُ
وَتَرىand you see الوَضيعَthe lowborn man يَزينُهُadorns him أَدَبُهhis refinement
وَتَرى الوَضيعَ يَزينُهُ أَدَبُه
A highborn man's inarticulacy mars his rank,
The noble man is disgraced by his position,
And you see the lowborn adorned by his refinement.
While you see the lowly adorned by his manners.
وَحِراثَةُand cultivating التَقوىpiety لِمُحتَرِثٍfor a cultivator
وَحِراثَةُ التَقوى لِمُحتَرِثٍ
كَرَمُhonor المَعادِthe hereafter وَماand not لَهُfor him حَسَبُهhis ancestral standing
كَرَمُ المَعادِ وَما لَهُ حَسَبُه
And cultivating piety brings its cultivator
Piety's farming for the farmer
Honor in the hereafter; his ancestry avails him nothing.
Is the honor of the hereafter, not his lineage.
وَتَنَقُّصُand belittling المَولىthe patron مَوالِيَهُhis clients
وَتَنَقُّصُ المَولى مَوالِيَهُ
عارٌa disgrace يَكونُis بِوَجهِهِon his face نَدَبُهits scar
عارٌ يَكونُ بِوَجهِهِ نَدَبُه
And a patron's belittling of his clients
The Master demeaning his servants
Is a disgrace whose scar marks his face.
Is a disgrace that shows in his face as a scar.
وَإِذاand when نَسيبُكَyour kinsman غُلَّwas fettered ساعِدُهُhis forearm
وَإِذا نَسيبُكَ غُلَّ ساعِدُهُ
وَنَأىand he is far away فَلَيسَthen is not بِنافِعٍof any use نَسَبُهhis kinship
وَنَأى فَلَيسَ بِنافِعٍ نَسَبُه
And when your kinsman's forearm is fettered
When your relative's arm grows weak
And he is far away, his kinship is of no use.
His lineage will not benefit him.
وَمِنَand among البَلاءَafflictions أَخٌa brother جِنايَتُهُhis wrongdoing
وَمِنَ البَلاءَ أَخٌ جِنايَتُهُ
عَلَقٌclinging بِناto us وَلِغَيرِناand for others, not us نَشَبُهhis wealth
عَلَقٌ بِنا وَلِغَيرِنا نَشَبُه
And one affliction is a brother whose wrongdoing
And of affliction, a crime whose author
Clings to us, while his wealth belongs to others.
Clings to us and to others in its branches.
خُذtake مِنfrom صَديقِكَyour friend غَيرَwithout مُتعِبِهِexhausting him
خُذ مِن صَديقِكَ غَيرَ مُتعِبِهِ
إِنَّindeed الجَوادَthe generous man يَؤودُهُburdens him تَعَبُهhis fatigue
إِنَّ الجَوادَ يَؤودُهُ تَعَبُه
Take from your friend without exhausting him;
Take from your friend without tiring him,
For the generous man is burdened by his fatigue.
For generosity exhausts the generous.
وَاِستَغنِand be content بِالوَجَباتِwith meals عَنrather than ذَهَبٍgold
وَاِستَغنِ بِالوَجَباتِ عَن ذَهَبٍ
لَمdid not يَبقَremain قَبلَكَbefore you لِاِمرِئٍfor any man ذَهَبُهhis gold
لَم يَبقَ قَبلَكَ لِاِمرِئٍ ذَهَبُه
And be content with meals rather than gold;
And be content with necessities, not gold -
No man before you has retained his gold.
No gold remains for anyone before you.
يَرِدُapproaches الحَريصُthe greedy man عَلىtoward مَتالِفِهِhis places of destruction
يَرِدُ الحَريصُ عَلى مَتالِفِهِ
وَاللَيثُand the lion يَبعَثُbrings on حَتفَهُits death كَلَبُهits ravenous fury
وَاللَيثُ يَبعَثُ حَتفَهُ كَلَبُه
The greedy man approaches the places of his own destruction,
The greedy man returns to his flatterer,
And the lion's ravenous fury brings on its death.
And the lion is killed by his own dog.
Sol 6.1