المرءُa person يمنىis beset بالرجاwith hope والياسِand despair
المرءُ يمنى بالرجا والياسِ
ويضيعُand is lost بينهماbetween them ضعيفُweak in الباسِcourage
ويضيعُ بينهما ضعيفُ الباسِ
A person is beset by hope and despair,
Man hopes for success and despairs of attainment,
And between them the faint-hearted are lost.
And wavers feebly between the two.
فإذاso when عزمتَyou resolve فلاthen do not تكُنbe متردداًhesitant
فإذا عزمتَ فلا تكُن متردداً
فسدَgrows foul الهوىair (poetically shortened) بتَردُدِthrough the repetition of الأنْفاسِbreaths
فسدَ الهوى بتَردُدِ الأنْفاسِ
So when you resolve, do not be hesitant:
When you have made up your mind, brook no delay,
Air grows foul through repeated breaths.
For procrastination is the bane of passion.
وإذاand if استعنتَyou seek help فبالتجاربِthen through experiences إنهاfor they
وإذا استعنتَ فبالتجاربِ إنها
للنفسِto the soul كالأضراسِlike molars للأضراسِto molars
للنفسِ كالأضراسِ للأضراسِ
And if you seek help, turn to experiences, for they
When you need help, seek it in experience,
Are to the soul as molars are to molars.
Which for the soul is like molars for molars.
وعلامَand why ترجوyou look to الناسَpeople فيin الأمرِthe matter الذيthat
وعلامَ ترجو الناسَ في الأمرِ الذي
يعنيكَconcerns you أنتَyou yourself وأنتَand you بعضُone of الناسِthe people
يعنيكَ أنتَ وأنتَ بعضُ الناسِ
And why look to people in the matter that
Why do you expect people to aid you
Concerns you yourself, when you too are one of the people?
In something that concerns only you?
النفسُthe soul قوسٌa bow والعزيمةand resolve سهمهاits arrow
النفسُ قوسٌ والعزيمة سهمها
فارمِso shoot toward الرجاhope منfrom هذهِthese الأقواسِbows
فارمِ الرجا من هذهِ الأقواسِ
The soul is a bow, and resolve is its arrow;
The soul is a bow, resolve is its arrow;
So shoot toward hope from these bows.
Discard vain hopes and speed this arrow from the bow!
وأضىءْand illuminate حياتكَyour life بالمعارفِwith knowledge إنماfor indeed
وأضىءْ حياتكَ بالمعارفِ إنما
هيit فيin ظلامِthe darkness of العمرِlife كالنبراسِlike a lamp
هي في ظلامِ العمرِ كالنبراسِ
And light your life with knowledge, for indeed
Illumine your life with knowledge, for it
It is like a lamp in the darkness of life.
Is as a lamp in the dark night of life.
واجعلand make أساسَthe foundation of النفسِthe soul حبَّlove of اللهِGod إذfor
واجعل أساسَ النفسِ حبَّ اللهِ إذ
لاno خيرَgood فيin بيتٍa house بغيرِwithout أساسِa foundation
لا خيرَ في بيتٍ بغيرِ أساسِ
And make love of God the soul's foundation, for
Make the love of God the basis of your soul,
There is no good in a house without a foundation.
For no house stands firm without a base.
Sol 6.1