أَنوَكُmore foolish مِنthan عَبدٍa slave وَمِنand than عِرسِهِhis wife
أَنوَكُ مِن عَبدٍ وَمِن عِرسِهِ
مَنthe one who حَكَّمَgave authority to العَبدَthe slave عَلىover نَفسِهِhimself
مَن حَكَّمَ العَبدَ عَلى نَفسِهِ
More foolish than a slave and his wife
More foolish than a slave and his spouse,
is the man who gives the slave authority over himself.
Is he who lets the slave rule his own house.
وَإِنَّماand only يُظهِرُreveals تَحكيمُهُgiving him authority
وَإِنَّما يُظهِرُ تَحكيمُهُ
تَحَكُّمَdomination الإِفسادِof corruption فيover حِسِّهِhis judgment
تَحَكُّمَ الإِفسادِ في حِسِّهِ
Granting him authority only reveals
For his empowerment only makes clear,
corruption's dominion over his judgment.
The corruption of sense that governs him here.
ماnot مَنone who يَرىsees أَنَّكَthat you are فيwithin وَعدِهِhis promise
ما مَن يَرى أَنَّكَ في وَعدِهِ
كَمَنlike one who يَرىsees أَنَّكَthat you are فيin حَبسِهِhis prison
كَمَن يَرى أَنَّكَ في حَبسِهِ
One who sees you as awaiting his promise's fulfillment
He who sees you bound only by his word,
is not like one who sees you as held in his prison.
Is not like the one who holds you interred.
العَبدُthe slave لاnot تَفضُلُsurpass أَخلاقُهُhis morals
العَبدُ لا تَفضُلُ أَخلاقُهُ
عَنbeyond فَرجِهِhis genitals المُنِتنِfoul-smelling أَوor ضِرسِهِhis molar
عَن فَرجِهِ المُنِتنِ أَو ضِرسِهِ
The slave's morals rise no higher
The slave’s nature never rises higher,
than his stinking genitals or his molar.
Than his fetid loins or his gut's desire.
لاnot يُنجِزُhe fulfills الميعادَthe promise فيon يَومِهِits appointed day
لا يُنجِزُ الميعادَ في يَومِهِ
وَلاand not يَعيremembers ماwhat قالَhe said فيon أَمسِهِhis previous day
وَلا يَعي ما قالَ في أَمسِهِ
He does not fulfill his promise on its appointed day,
He fulfills no promise made in his day,
nor remember what he said yesterday.
Nor heeds the words he spoke yesterday.
وَإِنَّماand only تَحتالُyou use stratagems فيin جَذبِهِdrawing him
وَإِنَّما تَحتالُ في جَذبِهِ
كَأَنَّكَas though you were المَلّاحُthe sailor فيwith قَلسِهِhis ship's rope
كَأَنَّكَ المَلّاحُ في قَلسِهِ
You only contrive ways to draw him along,
You only manage to drag him by guile,
as though you were a sailor hauling on his rope.
Like a sailor hauling a hawser a mile.
فَلاso do not تُرَجِّhope for الخَيرَgood عِندَfrom اِمرِئٍa man
فَلا تُرَجِّ الخَيرَ عِندَ اِمرِئٍ
مَرَّتpassed يَدُthe hand النَخّاسِof the slave trader فيover رَأسِهِhis head
مَرَّت يَدُ النَخّاسِ في رَأسِهِ
So expect no good from a man
So hope for no good from any man,
over whose head the slave trader's hand has passed.
Whose head the slave-trader’s hand did scan.
وَإِنand if عَراكَassails you الشَكُّdoubt فيabout نَفسِهِhis nature
وَإِن عَراكَ الشَكُّ في نَفسِهِ
بِحالِهِbecause of his circumstances فَاِنظُرthen look إِلىto جِنسِهِhis stock
بِحالِهِ فَاِنظُر إِلى جِنسِهِ
And if doubt assails you about his nature
And if regarding him doubt clouds your face,
because of his circumstances, then look to his stock.
Look to his state, then look to his race.
فَقَلَّماfor rarely يَلؤُمُis base فيin ثَوبِهِhis robe
فَقَلَّما يَلؤُمُ في ثَوبِهِ
إِلّاexcept الَّذيthe one who يَلؤُمُis base فيin غِرسِهِhis roots
إِلّا الَّذي يَلؤُمُ في غِرسِهِ
For seldom is a man base beneath his robe
For one is rarely base in his attire,
unless he is base in his roots.
Save he who is base in his root and sire.
مَنwhoever وَجَدَfinds المَذهَبَa way of escape عَنfrom قَدرِهِhis station
مَن وَجَدَ المَذهَبَ عَن قَدرِهِ
لَمdoes not يَجِدِfind المَذهَبَa way of escape عَنfrom قَنسِهِhis lineage
لَم يَجِدِ المَذهَبَ عَن قَنسِهِ
Whoever finds a way beyond his station
He who finds an escape from his Fate,
finds no escape from his lineage.
Finds no escape from his lineage’s gate.
Sol 6.1