السيفُthe sword أَبْهىmore splendid للعُلاfor lofty glory
السيفُ أَبْهى للعُلا
والحَزْمُand resolve أَبْلَغُfarther-reaching فِيin المَدىreach
والحَزْمُ أَبْلَغُ فِي المَدى
The sword is more splendid for lofty glory,
The sword is most eloquent in the highlands,
and resolve reaches farther.
And patience most effective in the long run.
وشَرَائِعُand the laws الحَقِّthe truth الَّذِيwhich
وشَرَائِعُ الحَقِّ الَّذِي
يَمَّمْتَyou sought أَهْدىmore surely guiding لِلْهُدىto guidance
يَمَّمْتَ أَهْدى لِلْهُدى
And the laws of the truth that
The precepts of truth which you have resolved
you have sought lead more surely to guidance.
To follow are the best guides to guidance.
وعواقِبُand the outcomes الأَيَّامِthe days أَوْmore fitting (first part)
وعواقِبُ الأَيَّامِ أَوْ
لَىcompletion of 'more fitting' أَنْthat يَفِينَthey keep faith لِمَنْwith whoever وَفىkept faith
لَى أَنْ يَفِينَ لِمَنْ وَفى
And the outcomes of the days ought rather
The days' sequences are certainly
to keep faith with whoever has kept faith.
Most fair to him who is faithful.
والغَدْرُand treachery أَقْبَحُthe foulest مَاwhat تَزَوtook as provision (first part)
والغَدْرُ أَقْبَحُ مَا تَزَو
وَدَcompletion of 'took as provision' مَنْwhoever دَناdrew near أَوْor مَنْwhoever نَأَىwent far away
وَدَ مَنْ دَنا أَوْ مَنْ نَأَى
And treachery is the foulest thing
Treacherous cunning is foulest of all
taken as provision by anyone near or far.
That creeps into souls of intimate or stranger.
لوif تَغْدِرُacts treacherously الشَّمْسُthe sun انْتَهَتْended up
لو تَغْدِرُ الشَّمْسُ انْتَهَتْ
فِيin دُونِbelow مقدارِthe stature of السُّهاSuha, a faint star
فِي دُونِ مقدارِ السُّها
If the sun were treacherous, it would end up
If the sun played traitor from the sky,
below the stature of Suha.
In less than the twinkling of an eye all would perish.
أَوor دَبَّcrept غَدْرٌtreachery فِيinto الجِباthe mountains (first part)
أَو دَبَّ غَدْرٌ فِي الجِبا
لِcompletion of 'the mountains' لَعُدْنَthey would become أَمثالَthe likes of الحَصىpebbles
لِ لَعُدْنَ أَمثالَ الحَصى
Or if treachery crept into the mountains,
Or if the hills betrayed their awful trust
they would become like pebbles.
And brought avalanches crashing down like pebbles without number,
وإِقالَةُand pardoning العَثَراتِthe missteps أَحْmore life-giving (first part)
وإِقالَةُ العَثَراتِ أَحْ
ياcompletion of 'more life-giving' لِلنُّفوسِto souls مِنَthan الرَّدىdeath
يا لِلنُّفوسِ مِنَ الرَّدى
And pardoning missteps is more life-giving
To forgive frailties is best
to souls than death.
For saving the spirit from endless loss.
نَفْسٌa soul إذَاif أَحْيَيْتَهاyou gave it life
نَفْسٌ إذَا أَحْيَيْتَها
فكأَنَّمَاthen it is as though تُحْيِيyou give life to الوَرىall humankind
فكأَنَّمَا تُحْيِي الوَرى
If you give life to a soul,
When you give life to a soul, it is as if
then it is as though you give life to all humankind.
You gave life to all the world.
واللهُand God قَدْindeed ضَمِنَguaranteed الجَزَاthe reward (first part)
واللهُ قَدْ ضَمِنَ الجَزَا
ءَcompletion of 'the reward' لِكُلِّfor every مُقْتَدِرٍone with power عَفاpardoned
ءَ لِكُلِّ مُقْتَدِرٍ عَفا
And God has indeed guaranteed the reward
God has decreed that every wilful wrong
for everyone with power who pardons.
Shall carry its punishment, though the doer be undetected.
وهُوَand He الَّذِيthe One who أَوْحىrevealed بأَنthat (first part)
وهُوَ الَّذِي أَوْحى بأَن
نَcompletion of 'that' العَفْوَforgiveness أَقْرَبُnearer لِلتُّقىto piety
نَ العَفْوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتُّقى
And He is the One who revealed that
And He revealed that forgiveness is closer to piety
forgiveness is nearer to piety.
Because it is best for peace.
وسَلامُand peace منْone who يُسْمِيraises السَّلاthe greeting (first part)
وسَلامُ منْ يُسْمِي السَّلا
مَcompletion of 'the greeting' عَلَيْكَupon you مَاas long as مَتَعَrose high الضُّحىthe forenoon
مَ عَلَيْكَ مَا مَتَعَ الضُّحى
And peace from one who raises his greeting
Peace be with you always,
to you, as long as the morning rises high.
As dawn gives peace and fullness to the breaking day.
Sol 6.1