مَاnot قَدَّمَتْhas advanced رَجُلاًa man فِيamong قَوْمِهِhis people ثِقَةٌtrust
مَا قَدَّمَتْ رَجُلاً فِي قَوْمِهِ ثِقَةٌ
بِهِin him كَمَاas قَدَّمَتْhas advanced سَعْداًSa'd وَلاand no جَرَمُdoubt (idiomatic)
بِهِ كَمَا قَدَّمَتْ سَعْداً وَلا جَرَمُ
No man has been raised among his people by trust
in him as Sa'd has been—without a doubt.
قَدْindeed كَانَwas أَخْبَرَmost knowledgeable أَبْنَاءِsons الْبِلادِthe country بِهِمْabout them
قَدْ كَانَ أَخْبَرَ أَبْنَاءِ الْبِلادِ بِهِمْ
وَكَانَand was أَدْرَىmost aware بِمَاof what أَبْدُواthey revealed وَمَاand what كَتَمُواthey concealed
وَكَانَ أَدْرَى بِمَا أَبْدُوا وَمَا كَتَمُوا
Indeed, among the country's sons, he knew them best,
and knew best what they revealed and what they concealed.
يَسُوسُguides كُلاًّeach one بِأَجْدَىby the most beneficial مَاwhat يُسَاسُis guided بِهِby it
يَسُوسُ كُلاًّ بِأَجْدَى مَا يُسَاسُ بِهِ
وَيَتَّقِيand guards against جُهْدَهُwith all his effort أَنْthat تُقْطَعَbe severed الرَّحِمُkinship ties
وَيَتَّقِي جُهْدَهُ أَنْ تُقْطَعَ الرَّحِمُ
He guides each by what serves best to guide him,
and guards with all his strength against the severing of kinship ties.
وَمَاand not يَغُضُّaverts عَنِfrom المَلْهُوفِthe distressed نَاظِرَهُhis gaze
وَمَا يَغُضُّ عَنِ المَلْهُوفِ نَاظِرَهُ
وَمَاand not بِهِin him عَنْto نِدَاءِcall المُعْتَفِيthe supplicant صَمَمُdeafness
وَمَا بِهِ عَنْ نِدَاءِ المُعْتَفِي صَمَمُ
And he never turns his gaze away from the distressed,
and he is not deaf to the supplicant's call.
وَإِنَّمَاand only سِرُّthe secret مَنْone who تَعْنُوbow الرِّجَالُmen لَهُto him
وَإِنَّمَا سِرُّ مَنْ تَعْنُو الرِّجَالُ لَهُ
إِدْرَاكُهُhis understanding فِيamid اخْتِلافِchanges in الْحَالِcircumstances سِرَّهُمُtheir secret
إِدْرَاكُهُ فِي اخْتِلافِ الْحَالِ سِرَّهُمُ
And the secret of one before whom men bow is only
his grasp of their secret amid changing circumstances.
إِلعَيْشُlife فِيمَاin what يَرَاهُhe sees it يَقْظَةٌwakefulness شُغِلَتْwas occupied
إِلعَيْشُ فِيمَا يَرَاهُ يَقْظَةٌ شُغِلَتْ
بِالسَّعْيِwith striving وَالجِدِّand diligence لاnot رُؤْيَاa vision وَلاnor حُلُمُa dream
بِالسَّعْيِ وَالجِدِّ لا رُؤْيَا وَلا حُلُمُ
Life, as he sees it, is wakefulness spent
in striving and diligence, not a vision or a dream.
لاno شَأْنَconcern عَنْfrom خِدْمَةِservice الأَوْطَانِthe homelands يَصْدِفُهُdiverts him
لا شَأْنَ عَنْ خِدْمَةِ الأَوْطَانِ يَصْدِفُهُ
فَمَاso not تُعَدُّare counted مَسَاعِيهِhis endeavors وَلاnor الْخِدَمُservices
فَمَا تُعَدُّ مَسَاعِيهِ وَلا الْخِدَمُ
No concern diverts him from serving the homelands,
so his endeavors and services are beyond counting.
سَهْرَانُwakeful تَفْتَرُّpart slightly أَحْدَاقُeyes الدُّجَىnight's darkness فَتُرَىand so appear
سَهْرَانُ تَفْتَرُّ أَحْدَاقُ الدُّجَى فَتُرَى
وَسْنَىdrowsy وَتَنْجَابُand lifts away عَنْfrom أَحْدَاقِهِhis eyes الظُّلَمُdarkness
وَسْنَى وَتَنْجَابُ عَنْ أَحْدَاقِهِ الظُّلَمُ
He stays awake; the eyes of night part and appear
drowsy, while darkness lifts from his eyes.
منwho لِلرُّقِيfor progress بِنَهَّاضٍwith a tireless champion كَنَهْضَتِهِlike his rising
من لِلرُّقِي بِنَهَّاضٍ كَنَهْضَتِهِ
مَاضِيresolute in الْعَزِيمَةِdetermination لاnot تَكْبُوstumbles بِهِbeneath him قَدَمُa foot
مَاضِي الْعَزِيمَةِ لا تَكْبُو بِهِ قَدَمُ
Who can give progress a tireless champion who rises as he does,
firm in resolve, whose foot never stumbles?
فِيهِin him الصَّرَاحَةُfrankness طَبْعٌan innate trait لاnot يُغَيِّرُهُhe alters it
فِيهِ الصَّرَاحَةُ طَبْعٌ لا يُغَيِّرُهُ
وَلاand not يُشَابُis mixed بِسُمٍّwith poison عِنْدَهُwith him دَسَمُrich food
وَلا يُشَابُ بِسُمٍّ عِنْدَهُ دَسَمُ
Frankness is innate in him, a trait he never alters,
and with him, no rich food is laced with poison.
إِذَاwhen تَوَخَّىhe seeks جَدِيداًsomething new وَالصَّلاحُand goodness بِهِin it
إِذَا تَوَخَّى جَدِيداً وَالصَّلاحُ بِهِ
رُدَّwas rejected الفَسَادُcorruption وَلَمْand did not يَشْفَعْintercede لَهُfor it القِدَمُantiquity
رُدَّ الفَسَادُ وَلَمْ يَشْفَعْ لَهُ القِدَمُ
When he seeks something new in which there is good,
corruption is rejected, and antiquity does not intercede for it.
تُرْعَىis upheld لَهُfor him حُرْمَةٌreverence فِيin كُلِّevery مَنْزِلَةٍstation
تُرْعَى لَهُ حُرْمَةٌ فِي كُلِّ مَنْزِلَةٍ
سَمَاhe rose إِلَيْهَاto it وَتُرْعَىand are upheld عِنْدَهُby him الْحُرَمُsacred things
سَمَا إِلَيْهَا وَتُرْعَى عِنْدَهُ الْحُرَمُ
He is held in reverence in every station
to which he has risen, and he safeguards what is sacred.
وَمَاand not يُسَرُّis delighted بِغَيْرِby anything other than الْفَوْزِsuccess يُدْرِكُهُhe attains it
وَمَا يُسَرُّ بِغَيْرِ الْفَوْزِ يُدْرِكُهُ
وَمَاand not يَقَرُّrests وَحَقُّwhile the right of الشَّعْبِthe people مُهْتَضَمُviolated
وَمَا يَقَرُّ وَحَقُّ الشَّعْبِ مُهْتَضَمُ
And he rejoices only in the success he achieves,
and he does not rest while the people's rights are violated.
ثَبْتٌsteadfast عَلَىin كُلِّevery حَالٍcircumstance فِيin مَبَادِئِهِhis principles
ثَبْتٌ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ فِي مَبَادِئِهِ
سِيَّانَalike مِنْهَاfrom them لَدَيْهِto him اليُسْرُprosperity وَالْعُدُمُand want
سِيَّانَ مِنْهَا لَدَيْهِ اليُسْرُ وَالْعُدُمُ
He is steadfast in his principles in every circumstance;
prosperity and want arising from them are alike to him.
Sol 6.1