وَصَاحِبٍand a friend رَعَيْتُI cherished دَهْرَاًfor a long time وُدَّهُhis affection
وَصَاحِبٍ رَعَيْتُ دَهْرَاً وُدَّهُ
وَلَمْand did not أُبَايِنْI diverge from نَهْجَهُhis path وَقَصْدَهُand his purpose
وَلَمْ أُبَايِنْ نَهْجَهُ وَقَصْدَهُ
And there was a friend whose affection I cherished for years,
A friend I grazed for years, loving him
And I never diverged from his path or purpose.
Never opposing his ways and aims
وَكُنْتُand I was أَرْعَىI honor بِالْمَغِيبِin absence عَهْدَهُhis covenant
وَكُنْتُ أَرْعَى بِالْمَغِيبِ عَهْدَهُ
بَلْrather كُنْتُI was أَخْشَىI fear أَنْthat أَعِيشَI live بَعْدَهُafter him
بَلْ كُنْتُ أَخْشَى أَنْ أَعِيشَ بَعْدَهُ
And I kept faith with him in his absence;
I would tend to his covenant when gone
Indeed, I feared that I might outlive him.
Rather, I feared that I'd live beyond him
وَطَالَماand often أَرْغَمْتُI humbled فِيهِfor his sake ضِدَّهُhis adversary
وَطَالَما أَرْغَمْتُ فِيهِ ضِدَّهُ
وَذُدْتُand I warded off عَنْهُfrom him مَاwhatever يَعُوقُhinders وَكْدَهُhis purpose
وَذُدْتُ عَنْهُ مَا يَعُوقُ وَكْدَهُ
And often I humbled his adversary for his sake,
Often I'd force his foe to relent
And drove from him whatever hindered his purpose.
And protect him from schemes that would end him
حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen مَاfor emphasis الدَّهْرُfortune أَوْرىdrew fire from زَنْدهُhis firestick
حَتَّى إِذَا مَا الدَّهْرُ أَوْرى زَنْدهُ
صَعَّرَturned aside in scorn لِيto me بَعْدَafter الصَّفَاءِamity خَدَّهُhis cheek
صَعَّرَ لِي بَعْدَ الصَّفَاءِ خَدَّهُ
Until, when fortune drew fire from his firestick,
Till time made its blade bare and did rend
He turned his cheek from me in scorn, after our former amity,
After joy, for me his face it would bend
وَجَازَand overstepped فِيin بَعْضِsome الأُمُورِmatters حَدَّهُhis limit
وَجَازَ فِي بَعْضِ الأُمُورِ حَدَّهُ
فَلَمْso did not أُحَاوِلْI attempt رَدْعَهُrestraining him وَرَدَّهُand turning him back
فَلَمْ أُحَاوِلْ رَدْعَهُ وَرَدَّهُ
And overstepped his bounds in certain matters.
And he'd overstep in some matters his end
Yet I did not try to restrain him or turn him back,
Yet I didn't restrain him or contend
وَلَمْand did not أُكَدِّرْI muddy بِالْعِتَابِwith reproach وِرْدَهُhis drinking water
وَلَمْ أُكَدِّرْ بِالْعِتَابِ وِرْدَهُ
وَلَوْand if أَرَدْتُI wished أَنto أَفُلَّI blunt حَدَّهُhis edge
وَلَوْ أَرَدْتُ أَن أَفُلَّ حَدَّهُ
Nor did I muddy his drinking water with reproach.
Or bitter his joy with reproof I would send
And had I wished to blunt his edge,
And if I had wanted his limit to rend
لَقُلْتُI would have said فِيهِabout him مَاwhat يَحُزُّcuts into جِلْدَهُhis skin
لَقُلْتُ فِيهِ مَا يَحُزُّ جِلْدَهُ
لَكِنَّنِيbut I تَرَكْتُهُleft him وَحِقْدَهُand his rancor
لَكِنَّنِي تَرَكْتُهُ وَحِقْدَهُ
I would have said of him what would cut into his skin.
I'd have said what would split his skin open
But I left him alone with his rancor,
But I left him, and left to him his hate
شَأْنُthe way of امْرِئٍa man فِيin الْمَجْدِhonor يَرْعَىsafeguards مَجْدَهُhis honor
شَأْنُ امْرِئٍ فِي الْمَجْدِ يَرْعَى مَجْدَهُ
كُلُّevery امْرِئٍman يُنْفِقُspends مِمَّاfrom what عِنْدَهُin his possession
كُلُّ امْرِئٍ يُنْفِقُ مِمَّا عِنْدَهُ
As befits a man of honor who safeguards his honor.
A man of glory tends to the glory he's given
Every man spends from what he has,
All men spend from what they're holding
والْمَرْءُand a man مَجْزِيٌّrecompensed بِمَاfor what أَعَدَّهُhe prepared it
والْمَرْءُ مَجْزِيٌّ بِمَا أَعَدَّهُ
And a man is recompensed for what he has prepared.
And man is rewarded by what he has striven
Sol 6.1