إِذاif غامَرتَyou venture فيin شَرَفٍhonor مَرومٍsought after
إِذا غامَرتَ في شَرَفٍ مَرومٍ
فَلاthen do not تَقنَعbe content بِماwith what is دونَbelow النُجومِthe stars
فَلا تَقنَع بِما دونَ النُجومِ
If you venture in pursuit of coveted honor,
If you venture forth in pursuit of high honor,
then do not settle for anything below the stars.
Do not be content with what lies beneath the stars.
فَطَعمُfor the taste المَوتِdeath فيin أَمرٍan undertaking صَغيرٍsmall
فَطَعمُ المَوتِ في أَمرٍ صَغيرٍ
كَطَعمِlike the taste المَوتِdeath فيin أَمرٍan undertaking عَظيمِgreat
كَطَعمِ المَوتِ في أَمرٍ عَظيمِ
For the taste of death in a small undertaking
For the taste of death in a trivial matter
is like the taste of death in a great one.
Is as the taste of death in a magnificent deed.
سَتَبكيthey will weep شَجوَهاtheir grief فَرَسيmy horse وَمُهريand my colt
سَتَبكي شَجوَها فَرَسي وَمُهري
صَفائِحُsword blades دَمعُهاtheir tears ماءُwater (here, blood) الجُسومِbodies
صَفائِحُ دَمعُها ماءُ الجُسومِ
They will weep for my horse and my colt in their grief—
My mare and my foal will weep out their grief,
sword blades whose tears are the water of bodies.
And swords whose teardrops are the blood of the slain.
قَرَبنَthey approached النارَthe fire ثُمَّthen نَشَأنَthey grew up فيهاin it
قَرَبنَ النارَ ثُمَّ نَشَأنَ فيها
كَماjust as نَشَأَgrew up العَذارىmaidens فيin النَعيمِluxury
كَما نَشَأَ العَذارى في النَعيمِ
They approached the fire, then grew up within it,
They drew near the fire, and within it were raised,
as maidens grow up in luxury.
Just as maidens grow up in the gardens of bliss.
وَفارَقنَand they departed الصَياقِلَthe sword-polishers مُخلَصاتٍunblemished
وَفارَقنَ الصَياقِلَ مُخلَصاتٍ
وَأَيديهاand their hands كَثيراتُhaving many الكُلومِwounds
وَأَيديها كَثيراتُ الكُلومِ
And they came away from the sword-polishers unblemished,
They parted from the polishers, spotless and pure,
while the polishers’ hands bore many wounds.
Though the hands of their makers were riddled with scars.
يَرىthink الجُبَناءُcowards أَنَّthat العَجزَweakness عَقلٌgood sense
يَرى الجُبَناءُ أَنَّ العَجزَ عَقلٌ
وَتِلكَand that خَديعَةُdeceit الطَبعِnature اللَئيمِbase
وَتِلكَ خَديعَةُ الطَبعِ اللَئيمِ
Cowards think that weakness is good sense,
The coward regards his impotence as prudence,
and that is the deceit of a base nature.
But that is the ruse of a treacherous soul.
وَكُلُّand every شَجاعَةٍcourage فيin المَرءِa person تُغنيis of use
وَكُلُّ شَجاعَةٍ في المَرءِ تُغني
وَلاand none مِثلَlike الشَجاعَةِcourage فيin الحَكيمِa wise person
وَلا مِثلَ الشَجاعَةِ في الحَكيمِ
And every form of courage in a person is of use,
While every bravery in a man has its worth,
yet none equals courage in a wise person.
No bravery equals the courage of the wise.
وَكَمand how many مِنof عائِبٍone finding fault قَولاًa saying صَحيحاًsound
وَكَم مِن عائِبٍ قَولاً صَحيحاً
وَآفَتُهُand his affliction مِنَfrom الفَهمِunderstanding السَقيمِdiseased
وَآفَتُهُ مِنَ الفَهمِ السَقيمِ
And many a person finds fault with a sound saying,
And how many find fault with a word that is true,
while his affliction stems from diseased understanding.
When the bane springs solely from their sickly minds.
وَلَكِنand yet تَأخُذُtake الآذانُears مِنهُfrom it
وَلَكِن تَأخُذُ الآذانُ مِنهُ
عَلىaccording to قَدرِthe measure of القَرائِحِinnate gifts وَالعُلومِand learning
عَلى قَدرِ القَرائِحِ وَالعُلومِ
And yet ears take from it
For ears can only receive from a voice
according to the measure of innate gifts and learning.
According to the measure of instinct and lore.
Sol 6.1