إذاwhen الهمُّresolve أمسىhas become وهوwhile it is داءٌan illness فأمضهِthen carry it through
إذا الهمُّ أمسى وهو داءٌ فأمضهِ
ولستَand you are not بمُمضيهcarrying it through وأنتwhile you تعادلُهwaver over it
ولستَ بمُمضيه وأنت تعادلُه
When a resolve becomes an illness, carry it through;
If sorrow becomes an illness by nightfall, endure it through the night.
you cannot carry it through while wavering over it.
You cannot dispel it, though you match it blow for blow.
ولاand do not تنزِلَنever entrust أمرَthe handling الشديدةof a crisis بامريءٍto a man
ولا تنزِلَن أمرَ الشديدة بامريءٍ
إذاwhen همَّhe resolves on أمراًa deed عوّقتهhindered him عواذِلهhis reproachers
إذا همَّ أمراً عوّقته عواذِله
Do not entrust the handling of a crisis to a man
Do not attempt the deeds of the mighty if,
who, when he resolves on a deed, is hindered by his reproachers.
when you are resolved on a grave matter, obstacles crowd in your way.
فماfor not كلُّall ماthat which حاولتهyou attempted it الموتdeath دونهin its way
فما كلُّ ما حاولته الموت دونه
ولاnor دونهin its way أرصادهits sentries وحبائلهand its snares
ولا دونه أرصاده وحبائله
For death does not bar everything you attempt,
Not everything that is avoided by death is beyond it,
nor do its sentries and its snares.
nor everything that escapes its snares and stratagems.
وماand not الفتكa surprise attack ماwhat آمرتَyou consulted others فيهabout it ولاnor الذيthat which
وما الفتك ما آمرتَ فيه ولا الذي
تحدّثyou tell منwhomever لاقيتyou met أنكthat you فاعلهwill do it
تحدّث من لاقيت أنك فاعله
A surprise attack is not something you consult others about, nor something
Do not boast about the mischief you have wrought in battle, nor name
you tell everyone you meet that you will do.
the foe you claim you will vanquish.
ولاand do not تجعلنever entrust سراًa secret إلىto غيرother than أهلهthose worthy of it
ولا تجعلن سراً إلى غير أهله
فتقعدlest you end up إنif أفشىhe divulges it عليكagainst you تجادلهarguing with him
فتقعد إن أفشى عليك تجادله
Do not entrust a secret to anyone unfit to keep it,
Do not confide your secret to one unworthy to share it,
lest, if he divulges it against you, you sit disputing with him.
lest he argue with you disrespectfully when it is disclosed.
ولاand do not تسألask for المالmoney البخيلthe miser ترىyou see لهhe has
ولا تسأل المال البخيل ترى له
غنىwealth بعدafter ضرّhardship أورثتهbequeathed to him أوائلهhis forebears
غنى بعد ضرّ أورثته أوائله
Do not ask a miser for money when you see that he has
Do not ask a miser for wealth. You will see that,
wealth after hardship bequeathed to him by his forebears.
after loss has made him wretched, his riches profit him nothing.
أرىI see المالwealth افياءَreturning shades الظلالof shadows فتارةًso, sometimes
أرى المال افياءَ الظلال فتارةً
يئوبit returns وأخرىand at other times يختلdeceives المالwealth خاتلهits deceiver
يئوب وأخرى يختل المال خاتله
I see wealth as shifting shade: at times
I see wealth as a fickle shade. Now
it returns; at others, wealth deceives its would-be deceiver.
it sickens, now the wealth of the rich man crumbles.
لعمركby your life ماnot أبقىhas left ليَfor me الدهرtime منany أخٍbrother
لعمرك ما أبقى ليَ الدهر من أخٍ
حفيٍّdevoted ولاnor ذيone possessed of خلّةٍfriendship ليfor me أواصلهI keep ties with him
حفيٍّ ولا ذي خلّةٍ لي أواصله
By your life, time has left me no brother
By your life! Time has left me no brother,
devoted to me, nor a friend with whom I keep ties,
no trusted friend, no companion with whom I can be intimate.
ولاnor منany خليلٍclose friend ليسthere are no فيهin him غوائلٌtreacheries
ولا من خليلٍ ليس فيه غوائلٌ
فشرّfor the worst الأخلاءof friends الكثيرnumerous غوائلهhis treacheries
فشرّ الأخلاء الكثير غوائله
nor a close friend free of treachery;
The worst brothers are those with many faults.
for the worst of friends is one whose treacheries are many.
Beware the multitude of their sins.
وقلand say لفؤادٍto a heart إنif نزاit leaps بكwithin you نزوةًa sudden leap
وقل لفؤادٍ إن نزا بك نزوةً
منfrom الروعِfright أفرغbe at ease أكثرُmost of الروعfear باطلهits groundless part
من الروعِ أفرغ أكثرُ الروع باطله
And tell your heart, if it leaps within you
Say to your heart, if passion tempts you
from fright: 'Be at ease; most fear is groundless.'
to a moment’s madness, empty your madness of most of its madness.
وكنand be أنتyou yourself ترعىyou guard سرّthe secret نفسكof yourself وأعلمنand know for certain
وكن أنت ترعى سرّ نفسك وأعلمن
بأنthat أقلthe fewest of الناسpeople للناسfor other people حامِلهits keeper
بأن أقل الناس للناس حامِله
Be yourself the guardian of your own secret, and know
Watch over your secret self. Remember that
that few people keep it for others.
the man who reveals his secret to the crowd carries his belongings in his arms.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle قتلتyou mastered الشيءthe thing علماًin knowledge فبحthen speak openly بهof it
إذا ما قتلت الشيء علماً فبح به
ولاand do not تقلsay الشيءthe thing الذيwhich أنتyou جاهلهignorant of it
ولا تقل الشيء الذي أنت جاهله
When you know a thing through and through, speak openly of it;
When you have mastered knowledge, proclaim it.
and do not speak of what you do not know.
Do not speak of what you do not know.
Sol 6.1