لَئِنeven if كُنتُI am مُحتاجاًin need إِلىof الحِلمِforbearance إِنَّنيindeed I
لَئِن كُنتُ مُحتاجاً إِلى الحِلمِ إِنَّني
إِلىof الجَهلِrashness فيin بَعضِsome الأَحايِينِtimes أَحوَجُmore in need
إِلى الجَهلِ في بَعضِ الأَحايِينِ أَحوَجُ
Though I need forbearance, I am indeed
If I am in need of wisdom, indeed
at times in greater need of rashness.
I am more in need of ignorance at times
وَليand I have فَرَسٌa steed لِلحِلمِfor forbearance بِالحِلمِwith forbearance مُلجَمٌbridled
وَلي فَرَسٌ لِلحِلمِ بِالحِلمِ مُلجَمٌ
وَليand I have فَرَسٌa steed لِلجَهلِfor rashness بِالجَهلِwith rashness مُسرَجُsaddled
وَلي فَرَسٌ لِلجَهلِ بِالجَهلِ مُسرَجُ
And I have a steed for forbearance, bridled with forbearance;
I have a horse bridled with wisdom
and I have a steed for rashness, saddled with rashness.
And I have a horse saddled with ignorance
فَمَنso whoever شاءَwishes تَقويميstraightening me فَإِنّيthen indeed I مُقَوَّمٌstraightened
فَمَن شاءَ تَقويمي فَإِنّي مُقَوَّمٌ
وَمنand whoever شاءَwishes تَعويجيbending me فَإِنّيthen indeed I مُعَوَّجُmade crooked
وَمن شاءَ تَعويجي فَإِنّي مُعَوَّجُ
So whoever wishes to straighten me will find me straight;
So one who wants to straighten me, I am straightenable
and whoever wishes to bend me will find me bent.
And one who wants to bend me, I am bendable
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَرضىI accept الجَهلَrashness خَدناًan intimate friend وَصاحِباًand a companion
وَما كُنتُ أَرضى الجَهلَ خَدناً وَصاحِباً
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I أَرضىI accept بِهِwith it حينَwhen أُحرَجُI am hard-pressed
وَلَكِنَّني أَرضى بِهِ حينَ أُحرَجُ
I would not accept rashness as an intimate friend and companion,
I never accepted ignorance as a companion
but I accept it when I am hard-pressed.
Except when I am pushed to the wall
الاindeed ربماsometimes ضاقَgrew narrow الفضاءُthe open expanse بأهلِهِfor its people
الا ربما ضاقَ الفضاءُ بأهلِهِ
وأمكنَand became possible منfrom بينbetween الأسنةِthe spearheads مخرجُa way out
وأمكنَ من بين الأسنةِ مخرجُ
Indeed, sometimes the wide expanse grows narrow for its people,
But sometimes the space gets too tight for its people
and a way out opens between the spearheads.
And a way out can be found from between the teeth
فَإِنso if قالَsaid قَومsome people إِنَّindeed فيهِin it سَماجَةًugliness
فَإِن قالَ قَوم إِنَّ فيهِ سَماجَةً
فَقَدthen indeed صَدَقواthey spoke truly وَالذُلُّand humiliation بِالحُرِّfor a free man أَسمَجُuglier
فَقَد صَدَقوا وَالذُلُّ بِالحُرِّ أَسمَجُ
So if some people say there is ugliness in it,
So if some people say there is foolishness in it
then they have spoken truly—but humiliation is uglier for a free man.
They spoke the truth, and humiliation with freedom is more foolish
Sol 6.1