فَتىًa youth عُلِّقَbecame enamored of الآدَابَletters فِيin مَيْعَةِthe bloom of الصِّبَاyouth
فَتىً عُلِّقَ الآدَابَ فِي مَيْعَةِ الصِّبَا
وَقَدْand indeed قَلَّwas scant مَاwhat تُجْدِيthey yield وَقَدْand indeed حَلَّhe undid مَاwhat شَدَاhe had bound
وَقَدْ قَلَّ مَا تُجْدِي وَقَدْ حَلَّ مَا شَدَا
A youth became enamored of letters in the bloom of youth,
Yet they yielded little, and he undid what he had bound.
فَلَمْso not يُغْنِهِenrich him عِلْمٌlearning بِسُوقِin a market of جَهَالَةٍignorance
فَلَمْ يُغْنِهِ عِلْمٌ بِسُوقِ جَهَالَةٍ
وَلَمْand not يُرْضِهِsatisfy him رِزْقٌa livelihood يَحِقُّis due فَيُجْتَدَىso is begged for
وَلَمْ يُرْضِهِ رِزْقٌ يَحِقُّ فَيُجْتَدَى
So learning did not enrich him in a market of ignorance,
Nor did a livelihood satisfy him, owed to him yet begged for.
وَآثَرَand he preferred أَنْto يَخْتَطَّchart فِيin العَيْشِlife خُطَّةًa course
وَآثَرَ أَنْ يَخْتَطَّ فِي العَيْشِ خُطَّةً
أَسَدَّsounder وَأَمْلَىand more capable أَنْto تُحَقِّقachieve مَقْصِدَاan aim
أَسَدَّ وَأَمْلَى أَنْ تُحَقِّق مَقْصِدَا
He chose to chart a course in life,
Sounder and better able to attain his aim,
يُجَشَّمhe is made to bear فَيهَاin it مَاwhatever يُجَشَّمhe is made to bear عَالِماًknowing
يُجَشَّم فَيهَا مَا يُجَشَّم عَالِماً
بِأَنَّthat طَرِيقَthe road to الفَوْزِsuccess لَيْسَis not ممَهَّدَاpaved
بِأَنَّ طَرِيقَ الفَوْزِ لَيْسَ ممَهَّدَا
There to bear whatever he was made to bear, knowing
That the road to success is not paved.
فَمَاذاso what اقْتضتهdemanded of him حَالهhis circumstances مِنof تجَددٍrenewal
فَمَاذا اقْتضته حَاله مِن تجَددٍ
وَقدْand may يَقْتَضِيrequire عَزْمُresolve in الأُمورِaffairs التَّجَدُّادَrenewal
وَقدْ يَقْتَضِي عَزْمُ الأُمورِ التَّجَدُّادَ
What change, then, did his circumstances demand of him?
And firm resolve in one's affairs may require renewal.
تَوَلَّىundertook الأَبِيُّthe proud man الحرُّthe free خِدْمَةَservice of غيْرِهِsomeone other than himself
تَوَلَّى الأَبِيُّ الحرُّ خِدْمَةَ غيْرِهِ
وَلمْand not يَكُbe جَبَّاراًa tyrant وَلاَnor متمَرِّدَاrebellious
وَلمْ يَكُ جَبَّاراً وَلاَ متمَرِّدَا
The proud, free man undertook another's service,
And was neither a tyrant nor rebellious.
يحَاوِلُhe strives for مَاwhat يَبْغِيhe seeks وَيَصْفوand stays clear عَلَىdespite القذىthe motes
يحَاوِلُ مَا يَبْغِي وَيَصْفو عَلَى القذى
إِلَىuntil أَمَدٍa time وَاليَوْمُand today يَجْلُوreveals لهto him الغدَاtomorrow
إِلَى أَمَدٍ وَاليَوْمُ يَجْلُو له الغدَا
He pursues what he seeks and stays clear despite the motes,
For a time, as today unveils tomorrow to him.
وَمَنand whoever كَافحَbattles الدُّنْيَاthe world وَقَدْand indeed صَحَّis firm عَزْمُهُhis resolve
وَمَن كَافحَ الدُّنْيَا وَقَدْ صَحَّ عَزْمُهُ
تَعَوَّدَgrows accustomed فِيهَاin it غَيْرَother than مَاwhat قَدْalready تَعَوَّداhe was accustomed to
تَعَوَّدَ فِيهَا غَيْرَ مَا قَدْ تَعَوَّدا
And whoever battles the world with steadfast resolve
Grows used within it to what he was not used to.
أَيَسْتَقْبِلُdoes ... greet? الغُصْنُthe branch الرَّبِيعَspring وَثَوْبُهُand its robe
أَيَسْتَقْبِلُ الغُصْنُ الرَّبِيعَ وَثَوْبُهُ
قَشِيبُfresh الحِلَىthe ornaments إِلاَّexcept إِذَاwhen مَاindeed تَجَرَّدَاit strips itself bare
قَشِيبُ الحِلَى إِلاَّ إِذَا مَا تَجَرَّدَا
Can the branch greet spring with its robe
Freshly adorned, unless it has first stripped bare?
فَمَاso not زَالَceased بِالأَيَّامِthrough the days حَتَّىuntil تَكَشَّفتْthey unveiled themselves
فَمَا زَالَ بِالأَيَّامِ حَتَّى تَكَشَّفتْ
لَهُto him عَنْfrom ثَنَايَاmountain passes لِلصُّعودِfor ascent فَأَصْعَدَاso he climbed
لَهُ عَنْ ثَنَايَا لِلصُّعودِ فَأَصْعَدَا
So he persevered through the days until they revealed
To him mountain passes for ascent, and he climbed.
كِلاboth مَوْقِفَيْهِhis two stations مُونِقٌpleasing وَمُشْرِّفٌand honorable
كِلا مَوْقِفَيْهِ مُونِقٌ وَمُشْرِّفٌ
فَلِلَّهِso to God مَاwhat أَمْسَىhe was at evening وَاللهِand by God مَاwhat غَدَاhe was at morning
فَلِلَّهِ مَا أَمْسَى وَاللهِ مَا غَدَا
Both his stations are pleasing and honorable;
God be praised for what he was at dusk—and, by God, at dawn!
أَصَابَhe attained مِنَof الإِيسَارِaffluence مَاwhat شَاءَhe wished فَانْثَنَىthen he turned
أَصَابَ مِنَ الإِيسَارِ مَا شَاءَ فَانْثَنَى
إِلىtoward مَطْلَبٍa goal فِيin المَجْدِglory أَسْنَىloftier وَأَبْعَدَاand more distant
إِلى مَطْلَبٍ فِي المَجْدِ أَسْنَى وَأَبْعَدَا
He gained as much wealth as he wished, then turned
To a loftier and more distant goal of glory.
يُريدُhe wants حَيَاةًa life لِلبِلاَدِfor the country جَدِيدَةًnew
يُريدُ حَيَاةً لِلبِلاَدِ جَدِيدَةً
تَرُدُّrestores عَلَىto القوْمِthe people الثرَاءَwealth المبَددَاsquandered
تَرُدُّ عَلَى القوْمِ الثرَاءَ المبَددَا
He desires a new life for the country,
That restores to the people their squandered wealth.
فمَاso not كلgrew weary حَتىuntil وَجَّهhe directed القَوْمَthe people وِجْهَةًa course
فمَا كل حَتى وَجَّه القَوْمَ وِجْهَةً
مُوَفَّقةًsuccessful أَجْدَىmore beneficial عَلَيْهِمْto them وَأَرْشَدَاand sounder
مُوَفَّقةً أَجْدَى عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَرْشَدَا
So he did not tire until he guided the people toward a course
Successful, more beneficial to them and sounder.
وَهَلْand ...? كانَwas شَعْبٌa people سَيِّداًmaster فِيin دِيَارِهِits homeland
وَهَلْ كانَ شَعْبٌ سَيِّداً فِي دِيَارِهِ
إِذَاif لَمْnot يَكُنْbe بِالقَوْلِin word وَالفِعْلِand deed سَيِّدَاmaster
إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ بِالقَوْلِ وَالفِعْلِ سَيِّدَا
And was any people ever master in its own land,
Unless it was master in word and deed?
Sol 6.1