خفfear كتاباًa record وكاتباًand a scribe يتقصّىscrutinizes
خف كتاباً وكاتباً يتقصّى
فيهin it صغرىthe smallest of الألفاظthe words والألحاظand the glances
فيه صغرى الألفاظ والألحاظ
Fear a record and a scribe who scrutinizes
Be discreet, avoid writings and authors
within it the slightest words and glances.
Who split hairs in meanings and words,
واخفضand lower العينthe eye إنif سمتit rises لازدهاءٍout of pride
واخفض العين إن سمت لازدهاءٍ
وغضand curb النفسthe soul إنif طمتit surges باغتياظwith rage
وغض النفس إن طمت باغتياظ
And lower your gaze if it rises in pride,
And lower your eyes if with disdain they rise,
and curb your soul if it surges with rage.
Restrain the soul if it swells in rage.
طالhas long continued وعظٌadmonition مfrom (apparently truncated) اللياليthe nights فوعظٌthen more admonition
طال وعظٌ م الليالي فوعظٌ
بيدyet أنّاthat we لاnot نرعويwe mend our ways لاتّعاظto take heed
بيد أنّا لا نرعوي لاتّعاظ
Long have the nights brought admonition after admonition,
Long have been my nightly sermons, yet sermons
yet we do not mend our ways by taking heed.
We do not heed, nor from them draw a lesson.
حفظَmay preserve اللّهGod منwhoever أضاعabandoned الأمانيthe hopes
حفظَ اللّه من أضاع الأماني
عنout of حفاظٍa sense of honor يكنّهُshields him واحتفاظand vigilance
عن حفاظٍ يكنّهُ واحتفاظ
May God preserve whoever abandons his hopes
God guard him who loses hopes to greed
out of a sense of honor that shields him, and vigilance.
From one who envies him and lies in wait.
أيقظَawakened الطرفthe eye والأنامُwhile mankind نيامٌasleep
أيقظَ الطرف والأنامُ نيامٌ
منhe who يقيسُcompares الرقودthe sleepers بالأيقاظِwith the wakeful
من يقيسُ الرقود بالأيقاظِ
He has kept his eye awake while mankind sleeps—
Awaken your eyes while mankind slumbers,
he who compares the sleepers with the wakeful.
Who measures sleep against awakening?
Sol 6.1