ياO بُؤسَwoe لِلفَضلِto al-Fadl لَوif only لَمnot يَأتِhe had done ماwhat عابَهُdisgraced him
يا بُؤسَ لِلفَضلِ لَو لَم يَأتِ ما عابَهُ
يَستَفرِغُhe drains السُمَّthe venom مِنfrom صَمّاءَa deaf viper قِرضابَهsharp-biting
يَستَفرِغُ السُمَّ مِن صَمّاءَ قِرضابَه
Woe to al-Fadl—if only he had not done what disgraced him!
Oh, how wretched is virtue, if no fault assails it,
He drains the venom from a deaf, sharp-biting viper.
It spews out poison from the venomous fangs of its detractor.
ماnot إِنemphatic particle يَزالُhe ceases وَفيهِthough in him العَيبُfault يَجمَعُهُhe gathers it
ما إِن يَزالُ وَفيهِ العَيبُ يَجمَعُهُ
جَهلاًignorantly لِأَعراضِagainst the honor of أَهلِthe people of المَجدِglory عَيّابَهa habitual faultfinder
جَهلاً لِأَعراضِ أَهلِ المَجدِ عَيّابَه
He never ceases—though he gathers every fault within himself—
Yet it remains, while culpability clings to it,
ignorantly reviling the honor of men of glory.
Ignorantly assailing the honorable for their reproacher’s flaws.
إِنif عابَنيhe disparaged me لَمnot يَعِبhe disparaged إِلّاexcept مُؤَدِّبَهُhis tutor
إِن عابَني لَم يَعِب إِلّا مُؤَدِّبَهُ
وَنَفسَهُand himself عابَhe disparaged لِماbecause عابَhe disparaged أُدّابَهhis tutors
وَنَفسَهُ عابَ لِما عابَ أُدّابَه
If he disparages me, he disparages only his own tutor;
If he denounced me, he disgraced none but his own mentor,
and he has disparaged himself by disparaging his tutors.
And dishonored himself by dishonoring his teacher.
فَكانَso he was كَالكَلبِlike a dog ضَرّاهُtrained it to hunt مُكَلِّبُهُits dog-trainer
فَكانَ كَالكَلبِ ضَرّاهُ مُكَلِّبُهُ
لِصَيدِهِfor his hunt فَعَداthen it charged فَاِصطادَthen it caught كَلّابَهits dog-handler
لِصَيدِهِ فَعَدا فَاِصطادَ كَلّابَه
So he was like a dog whose handler had trained it
Thus like a dog whose owner has provoked it,
for his hunt; it then charged and caught its own handler.
It turned rabid and attacked its own provocateur.
إِنif يَغدُرَنَّhe should indeed betray فَإِنَّthen indeed الغَدرَtreachery أَلبَسَهُclothed him
إِن يَغدُرَنَّ فَإِنَّ الغَدرَ أَلبَسَهُ
مِنَfrom الأُبُوَّةِthe fathers وَالأَجدادِand the forefathers جِلبابَهits cloak
مِنَ الأُبُوَّةِ وَالأَجدادِ جِلبابَه
If he does betray, then treachery has clothed him
If he betrays, betrayal has clothed him,
in its cloak, passed down from fathers and forefathers.
With the mantle of fatherhood and ancestry.
تِلكَthose المَساعيdeeds إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَخَّرَتthey brought low رَجُلاًa man
تِلكَ المَساعي إِذا ما أَخَّرَت رَجُلاً
أَحَبَّhe wished لِلناسِfor others عَيباًa fault كَالَّذيlike the one that عابَهdisgraced him
أَحَبَّ لِلناسِ عَيباً كَالَّذي عابَه
When such deeds bring a man low,
When endeavors debase a man thus,
he wishes on others a fault like the one that disgraced him.
He loves people's faults, as he who denounced him.
كَذاكَso مَنone who كانَwas هَدمُdestroying المَجدِglory عادَتَهُhis habit
كَذاكَ مَن كانَ هَدمُ المَجدِ عادَتَهُ
فَإِنَّهُfor indeed he لِبُناةِagainst the builders of المَجدِglory عَيّابَهa habitual faultfinder
فَإِنَّهُ لِبُناةِ المَجدِ عَيّابَه
So it is with one whose habit is to tear down glory:
So it is with one whose habit is destroying glory,
for he constantly finds fault with the builders of glory.
For he assails the builders of glory for their reproacher.
Sol 6.1