تَجَنَّبْavoid لِبَاسَwearing الخَزِّsilk-and-wool cloth إِنْif كُنْتَyou are عَاقِلاًwise
تَجَنَّبْ لِبَاسَ الخَزِّ إِنْ كُنْتَ عَاقِلاً
ولاand do not تَخْتَتمْwear a ring يَوْماًever بِفَصِّwith a ring-stone زَبَرْجَدِchrysolite
ولا تَخْتَتمْ يَوْماً بِفَصِّ زَبَرْجَدِ
Avoid wearing silk-and-wool cloth if you are wise,
And never wear a ring set with chrysolite.
ولاand do not تَتَطَيَّبْperfume yourself بِالغَواليwith costly perfumes تَعطُّراًfor fragrance
ولا تَتَطَيَّبْ بِالغَوالي تَعطُّراً
وَتَسْحَبَand trail أَذْيَالَthe hems of الملاءِthe cloaks المُعضَّدِpatterned
وَتَسْحَبَ أَذْيَالَ الملاءِ المُعضَّدِ
Nor scent yourself with costly perfumes,
Or trail the hems of patterned cloaks.
ولاand do not تَتَخَيَّرْselect صَيِّتَloud-sounding النَّعْلِthe sandals زاهِياًproudly
ولا تَتَخَيَّرْ صَيِّتَ النَّعْلِ زاهِياً
ولاand do not تَتَصَدَّرْtake the place of honor فيon الفِراشِthe couch المُمَهَّدِwell-prepared
ولا تَتَصَدَّرْ في الفِراشِ المُمَهَّدِ
Nor proudly choose loud-sounding sandals,
Nor take the place of honor on a well-prepared couch.
وكُنْand be هَملاًunregarded فيamong النَّاسِthe people أَغْبَرَdust-covered شَاعِثاًdisheveled
وكُنْ هَملاً في النَّاسِ أَغْبَرَ شَاعِثاً
تَرُوحُgo out in the evening وَتَغْدُوand go out in the morning فيin إِزارٍa waistcloth وَبُرْجُدِand a coarse cloak
تَرُوحُ وَتَغْدُو في إِزارٍ وَبُرْجُدِ
And be obscure among people, dusty and disheveled,
Going out at evening and morning in a waistcloth and a coarse cloak.
يَرىhe sees جِلْدَthe hide of كَبْشٍa ram تَحْتَهُbeneath him كُلَّماwhenever اسْتَوىhe settles
يَرى جِلْدَ كَبْشٍ تَحْتَهُ كُلَّما اسْتَوى
عَلَيْهِupon it سَريراًas a throne فَوْقَatop صَرْحٍa palace مُمَرَّدِsmoothly finished
عَلَيْهِ سَريراً فَوْقَ صَرْحٍ مُمَرَّدِ
He sees a ram's hide beneath him, whenever he settles
Upon it, as a throne atop a smooth-walled palace.
ولاand let not تَطْمَحِgaze longingly العَيْنانِthe two eyes مِنكَof yours إلىtoward امْرئٍa man
ولا تَطْمَحِ العَيْنانِ مِنكَ إلى امْرئٍ
لَهُhe has سَطَواتٌacts of force بِاللِّسانِwith the tongue وباليَدِand with the hand
لَهُ سَطَواتٌ بِاللِّسانِ وباليَدِ
Nor let your eyes gaze longingly toward a man
Who wields force with his tongue and hand.
تَراءَتْappeared لَهُto him الدُّنْياthe world بزِبْرِجِin the glitter of عَيْشِهاits life
تَراءَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيا بزِبْرِجِ عَيْشِها
وقادَتْand yielded لَهُto him الأَطْماعُdesires مِنْfrom غَيرِabsence of مِقْودِa rein
وقادَتْ لَهُ الأَطْماعُ مِنْ غَيرِ مِقْودِ
The world appeared to him in the glitter of the life it offers,
And his desires yielded to him without a rein.
فَأَسْمَنََso he fattened كَشحَيْهِhis two flanks وَأَهْزَلَand made lean دِيْنَهُhis faith
فَأَسْمَنََ كَشحَيْهِ وَأَهْزَلَ دِيْنَهُ
وَلمand did not يَرْتَقِبْanticipate فيin الْيَومِthe present day عاقبةَthe outcome of الغَدِtomorrow
وَلم يَرْتَقِبْ في الْيَومِ عاقبةَ الغَدِ
So he fattened his flanks and made his faith lean,
And took no heed today of tomorrow's outcome.
فَيَوْماًso one day تَراهُyou see him تَحْتَbeneath سَوْطٍa whip مُجَرَّداًstripped naked
فَيَوْماً تَراهُ تَحْتَ سَوْطٍ مُجَرَّداً
ويَوماًand another day تَراهُyou see him فَوْقَupon سَرْجٍa saddle مُنَضَّدِornamented
ويَوماً تَراهُ فَوْقَ سَرْجٍ مُنَضَّدِ
So one day you see him stripped beneath a whip,
And another day you see him on an ornamented saddle.
فَيُرْحَمُso he is pitied تاراتٍat times ويُحسَدُand he is envied تارَةًat another time
فَيُرْحَمُ تاراتٍ ويُحسَدُ تارَةً
فذاso this is شَرُّthe worst مَرْحُومٍone who is pitied وَشَرُّand the worst مُحَسَّدِone much envied
فذا شَرُّ مَرْحُومٍ وَشَرُّ مُحَسَّدِ
So he is sometimes pitied, and sometimes envied:
Thus he is the worst of the pitied, and the worst of the much-envied.
Sol 6.1