أجلُّكَI esteem you أَنْthat يُلِمَّbefall بِكَupon you الْعِتَابُreproach
أجلُّكَ أَنْ يُلِمَّ بِكَ الْعِتَابُ
وَوُدَّكَand your affection لاَnot يُدَاخِلُهُintrudes upon it ارْتِيَابُdoubt
وَوُدَّكَ لاَ يُدَاخِلُهُ ارْتِيَابُ
I esteem you too highly for reproach to touch you;
I wish reproach would leave you be,
And no doubt intrudes upon your affection.
and doubt never taint your affection.
وَأسْتَعْدِيand I appeal to عُلاَكَyour eminence عَلَىagainst اخْتِصَارٍbrevity
وَأسْتَعْدِي عُلاَكَ عَلَى اخْتِصَارٍ
إِذَاwhenever مَاemphatic particle عَادَcomes back لِيto me مِنْكَfrom you الْجَوَابُthe reply
إِذَا مَا عَادَ لِي مِنْكَ الْجَوَابُ
And I appeal to your eminence against brevity
Spare me your long reply -
Whenever a reply from you comes back to me.
just a brief response when you can.
وَلْلإِنْصَافِand for fairness قُسْطَاسٌa balance قَوِيمٌtrue
وَلْلإِنْصَافِ قُسْطَاسٌ قَوِيمٌ
يَبِينُis distinguished بِهِby it مِنَfrom الْخَطَأَerror الصَّوَابُwhat is right
يَبِينُ بِهِ مِنَ الْخَطَأَ الصَّوَابُ
And fairness has a true balance,
Let there be impartial scales
By which right is distinguished from error.
to show what’s right and what is wrong.
أَيُطنِبُdo ... elaborate at length? فِيon مَعَانِيهَاtheir meanings الْمَعَالِيlofty virtues
أَيُطنِبُ فِي مَعَانِيهَا الْمَعَالِي
بِرَبْعِكُمُat your abode وَيُخْتَصَرُand is abridged الْكِتَابُthe letter
بِرَبْعِكُمُ وَيُخْتَصَرُ الْكِتَابُ
Do lofty virtues elaborate at length on their meanings
Will it ramble meaninglessly
At your abode, while the letter is abridged?
like a quartet, or be concise?
وَمَنْand one who يُعْطيgives الْجَزِيلَabundance بِلاَwithout حِسَابٍreckoning
وَمَنْ يُعْطي الْجَزِيلَ بِلاَ حِسَابٍ
يَكُونُthere is لَهُfor him عَلَىover لَفْظٍa word حِسَابُa reckoning
يَكُونُ لَهُ عَلَى لَفْظٍ حِسَابُ
And does one who gives lavishly without reckoning
He who gives generously, no count,
Keep a reckoning over a word?
will be counted by each word.
Sol 6.1