لكلِّfor every فتىyouth منfrom الدنياthe world كمالُperfection
لكلِّ فتى من الدنيا كمالُ
فماfor nothing نقصَdiminished الورىhumankind إلاexcept الفعالُdeeds
فما نقصَ الورى إلا الفعالُ
Every youth has some perfection in this world;
Every youth has a share of worldly perfection;
only their deeds leave humankind imperfect.
For nothing diminishes humankind but deeds.
ومنand whoever لمdid not يرشدوهُthey guide him فيin صباهُhis youth
ومن لم يرشدوهُ في صباهُ
تحكَمَheld sway فيin شِيبتهِhis gray-haired years الضَّلالُmisguidance
تحكَمَ في شِيبتهِ الضَّلالُ
Whoever is not rightly guided in his boyhood
And whoever they do not guide in his youth,
will be ruled by error in his old age.
Error holds sway in his gray-haired years.
فماfor ... not قلبheart الصغيرِthe child سوىother than كتابٍa book
فما قلب الصغيرِ سوى كتابٍ
تسطرُare inscribed فيin صحائفهِits pages الخِلالُcharacter traits
تسطرُ في صحائفهِ الخِلالُ
A child’s heart is nothing but a book
For a child's heart is nothing but a book,
upon whose pages character traits inscribe themselves.
On whose pages character traits are inscribed.
ونفسُand the soul المرءof a man فيin جنبيهِhis two flanks نصلٌa blade
ونفسُ المرء في جنبيهِ نصلٌ
ولسنَand they are not بغيرwithout حاملهاtheir bearer النِصالُblades
ولسنَ بغير حاملها النِصالُ
Within a person’s breast, the soul is a blade,
And a man's soul between his flanks is a blade,
and blades are no different from those who bear them.
And blades are nothing without their bearer.
فكمfor how many رجلٍa man ترىyou see فيهِin him صبياًa boy
فكم رجلٍ ترى فيهِ صبياً
وكمand how many منof صبْيةٍboys وهمُwhile they are رجالُmen
وكم من صبْيةٍ وهمُ رجالُ
How many a man you see with a child inside him,
For in many a man you see a boy,
and how many boys are already men.
And many boys are men.
وإنand if هيَit لمnot تكنْwas صُقلتْpolished طواهاhe put it away
وإن هيَ لم تكنْ صُقلتْ طواها
علىupon صدإrust فماso ... not يُجديavails الصِّقالُpolishing
على صدإ فما يُجدي الصِّقالُ
And if it was not polished in its inward depths,
And if it has not been polished, he puts it away
once rusted, what good can polishing do?
With rust upon it; then polishing is of no avail.
ومنand whoever لمdid not يغذُهُnourish him أبواهُhis two parents طفلاًas a child
ومن لم يغذُهُ أبواهُ طفلاً
هوىlove العلياءِof the heights أسقمهُmade him ill الهزالُwasting
هوى العلياءِ أسقمهُ الهزالُ
Whoever his parents do not nurture as a child—
And he whose parents did not nourish him as a child
wasting weakness blights his yearning for the heights.
With a love of the heights is made ill by wasting.
Sol 6.1