حَسودan envious man مَريضsick القَلبthe heart يَخفيhides أَنينهhis groaning
حَسود مَريض القَلب يَخفي أَنينه
وَيُضحىand grows كَئيبdejected البالthe mind عِنديin my presence حَزينهsorrowful in it
وَيُضحى كَئيب البال عِندي حَزينه
An envious man, sick at heart, hides his groaning,
The envious sick at heart hides his moaning
And grows downcast in my presence, sorrowful in mind.
And feigns to be sad when with me communing
يَلومhe reproaches عَليon me إِنif رُحتI set out فيin العلمknowledge راغِباًeager
يَلوم عَلي إِن رُحت في العلم راغِباً
أَجمِّعI gather مِنfrom عِندwith الرُواةthe transmitters فُنونهits branches
أَجمِّع مِن عِند الرُواة فُنونه
He reproaches me if I set out eager for knowledge,
He blames me if I seek after knowledge keenly
Gathering its branches from the transmitters.
And gather lore from narrators wisely
وَأَملكand I possess أَبكارvirgins الكَلامspeech وَعَونهand its matrons
وَأَملك أَبكار الكَلام وَعَونه
وَاِحفَظand retain مِماof what أَستَفيدI learn عُيونهits choicest parts
وَاِحفَظ مِما أَستَفيد عُيونه
And I possess speech's virgins and its matrons,
And hold the virgin speech in mastery
And retain the choicest of what I learn.
And keep in memory all I gather seenly
وَيَزعمand he claims إِنthat العلمknowledge لاnot يَجلبbrings الغِنىwealth
وَيَزعم إِن العلم لا يَجلب الغِنى
وَيُحسنand makes favorable بِالجَهلof ignorance الذَميمcontemptible ظُنونهhis opinions
وَيُحسن بِالجَهل الذَميم ظُنونه
And he claims that knowledge does not bring wealth,
And claims that knowledge brings not richness only
And thinks well of contemptible ignorance.
And judges ignorance good witted, cleanly
فَياso, O لائِميmy reproacher دَعنيlet me أُغاليset a high value بِقيمَتيon my worth
فَيا لائِمي دَعني أُغالي بِقيمَتي
فَقيمةfor the worth كُلall الناسpeople مِماfrom what يحسِنونهthey do it well
فَقيمة كُل الناس مِما يحسِنونه
So, my reproacher, let me value myself highly,
Then cease to blame me; let me rate my value
For everyone's worth lies in what they do well.
By what I know and what I can do comely
إِذاwhen عُدَّare reckoned الناسpeople لَمnot أَكُI was دونَهُbeneath him
إِذا عُدَّ الناس لَم أَكُ دونَهُ
وَكُنتُand I was أَرىI see الفَخرglory المُسوِّدَconferring leadership دونَهapart from him
وَكُنتُ أَرى الفَخر المُسوِّدَ دونَه
When people are reckoned, I am not his inferior,
When people are counted, I am not the lowest
And I saw ennobling glory apart from him.
And always scorn to be of black coats mostly
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle رَأىperceive الراؤونthe observers نَطقيmy speech وَعيَّهand his inarticulacy
إِذا ما رَأى الراؤون نَطقي وَعيَّه
رأَواthey see حَرَكاتيmy movements قَدindeed هَتَكنَthey have rent سُكونهhis stillness
رأَوا حَرَكاتي قَد هَتَكنَ سُكونه
When observers perceive my speech and his inarticulacy,
When speakers see my eloquence and senses
They see that my movements have rent his stillness.
They find my ways have torn pretense to pieces
وَماand no ثُمَّthere ريبdoubt فيabout حَياتيmy life وَمَوتهand his death
وَما ثُمَّ ريب في حَياتي وَمَوته
فَأَعجَبso I marvel بِمَيتat a dead man كَيفَhow لاnot يَدفنونَهthey bury him
فَأَعجَب بِمَيت كَيفَ لا يَدفنونَه
And there is no doubt about my life and his death.
And in my life and death no doubt arises
So I marvel at a dead man: how is it they do not bury him?
That dead men should be left above ground uneasily
أَبىrefused اللَهGod ليfor me مِنout of صُنعهِHis beneficence أَنthat يَكونَنيhe should be me
أَبى اللَه لي مِن صُنعهِ أَن يَكونَني
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ذَكرناwe recount فَخرناour glory وَأَكونَهand I should be him
إِذا ما ذَكرنا فَخرنا وَأَكونَه
God, in His kindness to me, would not let him be me,
God willed that I when virtues are recited
When we recount our glory, or let me be him.
Be named among the first, and readily
Sol 6.1