ياO بُؤسَwoe لِلفَضلِto al-Fadl لَوif only لَمnot يَأتِhe commits ماwhat عابَهُdisgraced him
يا بُؤسَ لِلفَضلِ لَو لَم يَأتِ ما عابَهُ
يَستَفرِغُhe pours out السُمَّthe poison مِنfrom صَمّاءَa deaf serpent قِرضابَهvoracious
يَستَفرِغُ السُمَّ مِن صَمّاءَ قِرضابَه
Woe to al-Fadl—if only he had not done what disgraced him!
Oh, how wretched is merit, if it does not come with what detracts it,
He pours out venom from a deaf, voracious serpent.
He spews his poison from the mouth of an asp, its fangs bare.
ماnot إِنfor emphasis يَزالُhe ceases وَفيهِand within him العَيبُfault يَجمَعُهُhe gathers it
ما إِن يَزالُ وَفيهِ العَيبُ يَجمَعُهُ
جَهلاًout of ignorance لِأَعراضِof the reputations أَهلِpeople of المَجدِglory عَيّابَهan inveterate faultfinder
جَهلاً لِأَعراضِ أَهلِ المَجدِ عَيّابَه
He remains—though he gathers faults within himself—
Ever finding fault though the fault remains his,
An ignorant faultfinder of the honor of men of glory.
Ignorant of the noble's dignity, a slanderer at his heels.
إِنif عابَنيhe censured me لَمnot يَعِبcensure إِلّاexcept مُؤَدِّبَهُhis tutor
إِن عابَني لَم يَعِب إِلّا مُؤَدِّبَهُ
وَنَفسَهُand himself عابَhe censured لِماbecause عابَhe censured أُدّابَهhis tutors
وَنَفسَهُ عابَ لِما عابَ أُدّابَه
If he censured me, he censured none but his own tutor;
If he finds me blameworthy, he blames only his own instructor,
And he censured himself by censuring his tutors.
And blames himself for blaming his own teacher.
فَكانَso he was كَالكَلبِlike the dog ضَرّاهُtrained it to hunt مُكَلِّبُهُits dog-trainer
فَكانَ كَالكَلبِ ضَرّاهُ مُكَلِّبُهُ
لِصَيدِهِfor his hunt فَعَداthen it charged فَاِصطادَthen it hunted down كَلّابَهits dog-keeper
لِصَيدِهِ فَعَدا فَاِصطادَ كَلّابَه
So he was like a dog its trainer had schooled
He is like a dog who bites what provokes him,
To hunt for him; it charged and hunted down its own keeper.
Then attacks his prey and seizes only its specter.
إِنif يَغدُرَنَّhe does betray فَإِنَّthen indeed الغَدرَtreachery أَلبَسَهُhas clothed him
إِن يَغدُرَنَّ فَإِنَّ الغَدرَ أَلبَسَهُ
مِنَfrom الأُبُوَّةِpaternal ancestry وَالأَجدادِand the forefathers جِلبابَهits cloak
مِنَ الأُبُوَّةِ وَالأَجدادِ جِلبابَه
If he betrays, then treachery has clothed him
If he betrays me, betrayal clothes him,
In its cloak, inherited from fathers and forefathers.
With lineage and ancestry as his cloak.
تِلكَthose المَساعيendeavors إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis أَخَّرَتhave set back رَجُلاًa man
تِلكَ المَساعي إِذا ما أَخَّرَت رَجُلاً
أَحَبَّhe wished لِلناسِfor people عَيباًa flaw كَالَّذيlike that which عابَهdisgraced him
أَحَبَّ لِلناسِ عَيباً كَالَّذي عابَه
When those endeavors bring a man low,
When efforts fail a man,
He wishes others a flaw like the one that disgraced him.
He loves finding fault in people, as he has found fault.
كَذاكَlikewise مَنwhoever كانَwas هَدمُdemolishing المَجدِglory عادَتَهُhis habit
كَذاكَ مَن كانَ هَدمُ المَجدِ عادَتَهُ
فَإِنَّهُfor indeed he لِبُناةِof the builders المَجدِglory عَيّابَهan inveterate faultfinder
فَإِنَّهُ لِبُناةِ المَجدِ عَيّابَه
Such is one whose habit is to tear down glory:
So it is with one whose habit is destroying glory,
For he is a relentless faultfinder of those who build glory.
For he slanders the architects of glory.
Sol 6.1