سَاءَنِيsaddened me مَاwhat تشْتَكِيyou lament يَاO ابْنَson of أَخِيmy brother
سَاءَنِي مَا تشْتَكِي يَا ابْنَ أَخِي
رَاجِعِreturn to الحَزْمَfirm resolve فَمَاfor ... not يُجْدِيavails اكْتِئَابِdespondency
رَاجِعِ الحَزْمَ فَمَا يُجْدِي اكْتِئَابِ
What you lament has saddened me, my brother’s son.
Regain your resolve; despondency avails nothing.
كَمْmany a أَدِيبٍman of letters عُدُّهُhis reckoned worth فِيamong قَوْمِهِhis people
كَمْ أَدِيبٍ عُدُّهُ فِي قَوْمِهِ
عَدُّthe equivalent of أَلْفِa thousand وَهْوَyet he is صِفْرُzero فِيin الْحِسَابْthe reckoning
عَدُّ أَلْفِ وَهْوَ صِفْرُ فِي الْحِسَابْ
Many a man of letters is reckoned among his people
As a thousand, yet is a zero in the reckoning.
لُوْif أَسَأْتَyou made unfavorable الظَّنthe opinion بِالنَّاسِof people لَمَاwould not have
لُوْ أَسَأْتَ الظَّن بِالنَّاسِ لَمَا
دَخَلَentered اللِّصُthe thief وَلَمْthough ... not يَحْجُبْهُbar him بَابْa door
دَخَلَ اللِّصُ وَلَمْ يَحْجُبْهُ بَابْ
Had you mistrusted people, never would
The thief have entered, though no door barred him.
فِعْلَةُthe deed of الكَوَّاءِthe ironer مَسِّتtouched بِالنَّوَىwith separation
فِعْلَةُ الكَوَّاءِ مَسِّت بِالنَّوَى
كَبِداًa liver حَرَّىburning with grief عَلَىover تِلْكَthose الثِّيابْclothes
كَبِداً حَرَّى عَلَى تِلْكَ الثِّيابْ
The ironer’s deed has brought the ache of parting
To a liver burning for those clothes.
أَبِهَاis it in them? غَيْرُكَsomeone other than you يَغْدُوgoes about رَافِلاًstrutting in finery
أَبِهَا غَيْرُكَ يَغْدُو رَافِلاً
وَهْيَwhile they لاَnot تَنْكُرُobject to تَغْييِرَthe changing of الإِهَابْthe skin
وَهْيَ لاَ تَنْكُرُ تَغْييِرَ الإِهَابْ
Does another go strutting in them,
While they do not object to the change of skin?
حُسْنُهَاtheir beauty شِينٌa disgrace عَلَىupon مَنْwhoever لَمْdid not يَخَفْfear
حُسْنُهَا شِينٌ عَلَى مَنْ لَمْ يَخَفْ
لُبْسَهَاwearing them بَعْدَكَafter you يَاO زَيْنُadornment of الشَّبَابْyouth
لُبْسَهَا بَعْدَكَ يَا زَيْنُ الشَّبَابْ
Their beauty is a disgrace upon whoever did not fear
To wear them after you, O adornment of youth.
إِنْif تَكُنْthere is تَعْزِيَةٌconsolation فَهْيَthen they are بِهَاof it
إِنْ تَكُنْ تَعْزِيَةٌ فَهْيَ بِهَا
مِنْكَthan you أَحْرَىmore deserving لَوْif أَحَسَّتْthey felt بِاغْترَابْestrangement
مِنْكَ أَحْرَى لَوْ أَحَسَّتْ بِاغْترَابْ
If there is consolation, it is they who deserve it
More than you—if they could feel estrangement.
قِيمَةُthe value of الظَّاهِرِoutward appearance لاَdo not تَأْبَهْcare لَهَاabout it
قِيمَةُ الظَّاهِرِ لاَ تَأْبَهْ لَهَا
إِنَّماonly الْقِيمَةُworth لِلفَضْلِbelongs to virtue اللُّبَابْpure and genuine
إِنَّما الْقِيمَةُ لِلفَضْلِ اللُّبَابْ
Pay no heed to the value of outward appearance;
Worth lies only in genuine virtue.
Sol 6.1