بِأَيِّwith which وَفِيٍّloyal man فيin زمانِكyour time تختصُّdo you single out
بِأَيِّ وَفِيٍّ في زمانِك تختصُّ
فيغلوso it grows dear غلُوّاًexceedingly فيin يديكَyour hands لهfor him رُخْصُcheapness
فيغلو غلُوّاً في يديكَ له رُخْصُ
Which loyal man in your time do you single out,
With what and in what times are you specialized?
so that his cheapness becomes exceedingly dear in your hands?
So it exceeds excessively in your hands, to which it has a license
وكمand how many منof عدوٍّan enemy كامنٍlurking فيin مُصادِقٍa friend
وكم من عدوٍّ كامنٍ في مُصادِقٍ
وَمَوضِعِand a place أمْنٍsafety فيهin it يحترسُkeeps watch اللِّصُّthe thief
وَمَوضِعِ أمْنٍ فيه يحترسُ اللِّصُّ
And how many an enemy lurks within a friend,
And how many latent enemies in an alleged friend
and how many a place of safety where the thief keeps watch!
And a place of safety in which the thief takes precautions
وكمand how many فرَسa horse فيin الحسنbeauty أُكمِلwas perfected خلقُهُits form
وكم فرَس في الحسن أُكمِل خلقُهُ
فلمَّاbut when عَداit ran فيin الشأوِthe race أدركهُovertook it النقصُdeficiency
فلمَّا عَدا في الشأوِ أدركهُ النقصُ
And how many a horse had its form perfected in beauty,
And how many horses perfected in beauty
but when it ran the race, deficiency overtook it.
Yet when competing in glory, deficiency overtook it
وكمand how many منظرٍa fine-looking one فيamong البُزْلِmature camels قدّمwas put first فيin السرىnight travel
وكم منظرٍ في البُزْلِ قدّم في السرى
فلمَّاbut when استَمَرَّcontinued النصُّthe hard driving أخّرَهُset it back النصُّthe hard driving
فلمَّا استَمَرَّ النصُّ أخّرَهُ النصُّ
And how many a fine-looking mature camel was put first in night travel,
And how many sights presented in morning are deferred
but when the hard driving continued, the hard driving set it back.
When the text continues, the text defers it
كذاكَlikewise خليلُclose friend المرءِthe man يدعوleads اختبارُهُtesting him
كذاكَ خليلُ المرءِ يدعو اختبارُهُ
إلىto ماwhat يكونis الزهدُindifference فيهtoward him أوِor الحرصُeagerness
إلى ما يكون الزهدُ فيه أوِ الحرصُ
Likewise, testing a man's close friend leads
So is the friend of a person, his trial calls
to either indifference toward him or eagerness for him.
To what would be asceticism in it or greed
ولاand no خَيْرَgood فيin خُلْقٍa character يُذَمّis condemned لجهلهfor its folly
ولا خَيْرَ في خُلْقٍ يُذَمّ لجهله
وَيُحْمَدُand is praised منهfor it قبْلَbefore خِبرَتِهِexperience of him الشخصُthe person
وَيُحْمَدُ منه قبْلَ خِبرَتِهِ الشخصُ
And no good lies in a character condemned for its folly,
And there is no good in a nature blamed for ignorance
though its bearer is praised for it before being tested.
And praised for its personality before experience
وماand not المالُwealth إلّاexcept كالجَناحِlike a wing لِناهِضٍfor one taking flight
وما المالُ إلّا كالجَناحِ لِناهِضٍ
وقدand sometimes يَعْتريهِbefalls it عنaway from حوائجهhis needs القَصُّclipping
وقد يَعْتريهِ عن حوائجه القَصُّ
And wealth is only like a wing to one taking flight,
And money is only like wings for one rising
yet clipping may befall it, keeping him from his needs.
And deficiency may afflict it from its needs
وكمand how many فاضلٍa worthy man ملبوسُهُhis clothing دونَbelow قَدْرِهِhis worth
وكم فاضلٍ ملبوسُهُ دونَ قَدْرِهِ
وِعَاa vessel of الجوهرِprecious essence الأجسامbodies لاnot الدرُّpearls والفصُّand the ring-stone
وِعَا الجوهرِ الأجسام لا الدرُّ والفصُّ
And how many a worthy man wears clothing beneath his worth!
And how many virtuous people dressed below their worth
Bodies, not pearls and ring-stones, are vessels of precious essence.
The essence distinguished bodies, not pearls and gems
Sol 6.1