إذَاif نَظَمَتْstrung together سُمُوطُnecklace strands الْجَمْعِthe gathering قَوْماًa company
إذَا نَظَمَتْ سُمُوطُ الْجَمْعِ قَوْماً
هُمُthey فيamong النَّاسِpeople كَالدُّرِّlike pearls الْفَرِيدِpeerless
هُمُ في النَّاسِ كَالدُّرِّ الْفَرِيدِ
If the strands of a gathering string together a company
When the assembly of plentiful brings together a people,
Who, among people, are like peerless pearls,
They are among mankind like unmatched pearls,
يُفيضُونَthey pour forth الْحَديثَconversation بِغَيْرِwithout وِزْرٍsin
يُفيضُونَ الْحَديثَ بِغَيْرِ وِزْرٍ
عَلَىin accordance with نَمَطِa manner منَof التَّقْوَىpiety سَديدِupright
عَلَى نَمَطِ منَ التَّقْوَى سَديدِ
Pouring forth conversation without sin,
They converse effortlessly with the utmost piety,
In an upright manner grounded in piety,
Matching each point with care and gentility,
وجاؤواand they came بالنَّظِيرِwith the counterpart إلىto نَظِيرٍa counterpart
وجاؤوا بالنَّظِيرِ إلى نَظِيرٍ
بِلاَwithout لَغَطٍclamor وَلاَnor لَدَدٍcontention لَدِيدِobstinate
بِلاَ لَغَطٍ وَلاَ لَدَدٍ لَدِيدِ
And bringing like alongside like,
To me that is better than a book
Without clamor or obstinate contention,
That tells of events now past and no longer new,
فَذَاكَthen that لَدَيَّto me أَوْلىpreferable مِنْthan كتابٍa book
فَذَاكَ لَدَيَّ أَوْلى مِنْ كتابٍ
حَكَىrecounted ماwhat قَدْalready مَضَىpassed دُونَexcluding الْجَديدِthe new
حَكَى ما قَدْ مَضَى دُونَ الْجَديدِ
Then that, to me, is preferable to a book
For a book, though of value, lags behind
That recounts what has passed, excluding the new.
Prattle scattered without purpose or tradition,
وإلاّand otherwise فالكِتابُthen the book أَجَلُّgreater قَدْراًin worth
وإلاّ فالكِتابُ أَجَلُّ قَدْراً
منthan الْهَذْرِidle chatter الْمُعَثَّرfaltering والتَلِيدِand timeworn
من الْهَذْرِ الْمُعَثَّر والتَلِيدِ
Otherwise, a book is greater in worth
As for a gathering of jesters, leave it be
Than faltering and timeworn babble.
And dwell in distant solitude instead,
وأَمّاand as for مَجْلِسُa gathering الثُّقَلاthe bores فَدَعْهُthen leave it
وأَمّا مَجْلِسُ الثُّقَلا فَدَعْهُ
وكُنْand be فيin قَفْرِa wilderness بَلْقَعَةٍbarren land بَعيدِdistant
وكُنْ في قَفْرِ بَلْقَعَةٍ بَعيدِ
As for a gathering of bores, leave it,
Just so, a gathering that slanders
And stay in a distant, barren wilderness.
Has an odor like that of carrion rotting,
كَذَلِكَlikewise مَجْلِسٌa gathering فيهin it اغْتِيابٌbackbiting
كَذَلِكَ مَجْلِسٌ فيه اغْتِيابٌ
لَهُit has رِيحٌan odor حَكَىresembled ريحَthe odor of الصَّديدِpus
لَهُ رِيحٌ حَكَى ريحَ الصَّديدِ
Likewise, a gathering where there is backbiting
Sleep is better for a man than sitting
Has a stench resembling the stench of pus.
Cursing Amr or Zayd for no reason.
ونَوْمُand the sleep الْمَرْءِof a person خَيْرٌbetter مِنْthan قُعُودٍsitting
ونَوْمُ الْمَرْءِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قُعُودٍ
عَلَىamid شَتْمٍinsults لعَمْرٍوagainst Amr أَوْor لِزَيْدِagainst Zayd
عَلَى شَتْمٍ لعَمْرٍو أَوْ لِزَيْدِ
And a person's sleep is better than sitting
Amid insults against Amr or Zayd.
Partial English translation: 14 of 16 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1