ماnot إنemphasizing negation يَعيبُكَdisgraces you فَقدُlack الحَليِjewelry والحُلَلِand fine robes
ما إن يَعيبُكَ فَقدُ الحَليِ والحُلَلِ
إنif أنتَyou بالهِمَمِin aspirations الشماءِlofty كنتَyou are مَليrichly endowed
إن أنتَ بالهِمَمِ الشماءِ كنتَ مَلي
Lack of jewelry and fine robes does not disgrace you
It is no fault of yours if you lack jewelry and finery,
if you are rich in lofty aspirations.
If you are sublime in spirit, you are a king to me.
قدindeed ضَلَّhas gone astray مَنwhoever ظَنَّthought أنthat المالَwealth يَدفعُwards off ماwhat
قد ضَلَّ مَن ظَنَّ أن المالَ يَدفعُ ما
أوهىhas undermined السؤالُbegging بعرضٍin honor فيهin it مُبتَذَلِdebased
أوهى السؤالُ بعرضٍ فيه مُبتَذَلِ
Astray is he who thinks that wealth can undo what
He who thought that wealth can avert what is decreed,
begging has done to honor, leaving it debased.
Has strayed; destiny laughs at such folly.
لاmay not باركَbless اللَهGod بعدَafter العرضِhonor فيin عَرضِgoods الدنthe world (first part)
لا باركَ اللَه بعدَ العرضِ في عَرضِ الدن
ياcompletion of “the world” ولاnor نِلتُmay I attain ماwhat بالعِزِّwith dignity لمnot أنَلِI attain
يا ولا نِلتُ ما بالعِزِّ لم أنَلِ
May God not bless, once honor is lost, the goods of this
No blessing on the honor of one whose honor is for sale,
world; nor may I gain what I could not gain with dignity.
I have not gained what I prize by being servile.
ورُبَّand many an جاهلةٍignorant woman هَبَّتrose up تُعاتِبُنيreproaches me
ورُبَّ جاهلةٍ هَبَّت تُعاتِبُني
أنbecause كنتُI was عَنrather than غَمرِa flood عيشٍof livelihood موثِرَpreferring الوشَلِa trickle
أن كنتُ عَن غَمرِ عيشٍ موثِرَ الوشَلِ
And many an ignorant woman has risen to reproach me
Many an ignorant woman chides me,
for preferring a trickle to life's abundant flood.
For choosing a life of hardship over ease.
قالتshe said رأيتُكَI have seen you ذاpossessing قولٍverse مُحَبرهُits polished form
قالت رأيتُكَ ذا قولٍ مُحَبرهُ
أبهىlovelier منَthan الروضِthe garden غِبَّafter الواكفِstreaming rain الهَطِلِpouring heavily
أبهى منَ الروضِ غِبَّ الواكفِ الهَطِلِ
She said, “I have seen you possessed of verse whose polished form
She says "I saw you composing an ode,
is lovelier than the garden after a streaming downpour.
More radiant than a garden after ample rains have fallen."
وفيand among الملوكِkings لهُfor it كُفؤٌa worthy match فامَّهُمُso seek them out
وفي الملوكِ لهُ كُفؤٌ فامَّهُمُ
حتىuntil يعيدوكَthey send you back ذاpossessing خَيلٍhorses وذاand possessing خَوَلservants
حتى يعيدوكَ ذا خَيلٍ وذا خَوَل
And among kings is a worthy match for it; seek them out,
"And yet among kings you have peers, go to them
until they send you back with horses and servants.”
So they may restore you to steeds and foals."
ولستُand I do not أصغيlisten وإنand even if لَجَّتِshe persists لِتَعدِلَto divert بيme
ولستُ أصغي وإن لَجَّتِ لِتَعدِلَ بي
عنfrom مَنهجِthe path الصونِpreserving honor بالتَعتابِthrough reproaches والعَذَلِand blame
عن مَنهجِ الصونِ بالتَعتابِ والعَذَلِ
But I do not listen, though she persists in trying to turn me
But I do not listen, though she importunes me
from the path of self-respect through reproaches and blame.
To swerve from the path of probity with her censure and rebuke.
وإنّand indeed مِنpart of كرميmy generosity بُخليmy stinginess بشعريَwith my poetry فيin
وإنّ مِن كرمي بُخلي بشعريَ في
تفريظpraising ذيone possessing كرمٍgenerosity أوor ذَمِّcensuring ذيone possessing بَخَلِmiserliness
تفريظ ذي كرمٍ أو ذَمِّ ذي بَخَلِ
And part of my generosity is my stinginess with my verse in
My generosity refuses to malign a generous man
praising a generous man or censuring a miser.
Or praise a miser, though this be my craft.
فلنso never ترانيyou will see me مُذيلاmaking freely available ماas long as حييتُI live لهُit (my verse)
فلن تراني مُذيلا ما حييتُ لهُ
فيin غيرِother than ذكرِmention الوَغىbattle والأعيُنِand eyes النُجُلِwide
في غيرِ ذكرِ الوَغى والأعيُنِ النُجُلِ
So you will never see me, while I live, lavishing it
Never shall you see me, while I live,
on anything but the mention of battle and wide eyes.
Degrade myself by pursuing any but the valiant, the proud.
يَأبىrefuses إبائيmy pride وآبائيand my forefathers ويأنَفُand scorns ليfor me
يَأبى إبائي وآبائي ويأنَفُ لي
مجدٌglory أنافَsoared ولمand did not يَقنَعsettle علىon زُحَلِSaturn
مجدٌ أنافَ ولم يَقنَع على زُحَلِ
My pride and my forefathers refuse it; for my sake it is scorned by
My pride, and that of my forebears, disdains
a glory that soared and would not rest even on Saturn.
Baseness, and never will I rest content as a reprobate.
نفسُthe soul الكريمof the noble person تعافُrejects الوردَa draught of water يَصحَبُهُaccompanies it
نفسُ الكريم تعافُ الوردَ يَصحَبُهُ
ذُلٌّhumiliation علىdespite ظماthirst الجَوفِthe belly مُشتَعِلِblazing
ذُلٌّ على ظما الجَوفِ مُشتَعِلِ
The noble soul rejects a draught accompanied by
The soul of a noble man shuns roses accompanied
humiliation, though thirst burns deep within.
By disgrace burning in his breast.
Sol 6.1