لولاwere it not for التَفاوتُdifferences فيin الأخلاقِcharacter والأدَبِand refinement
لولا التَفاوتُ في الأخلاقِ والأدَبِ
تساوتِwould be equal النَّاسُthe people فيin الأقدارِstanding والرُّتَبِand ranks
تساوتِ النَّاسُ في الأقدارِ والرُّتَبِ
Were it not for differences in character and refinement,
Were it not for the differences in morals and refinement
people would be equal in standing and rank.
People would be equal in status and rank
لناfor us أبٌa father واحدٌone بالجسمِin body يجمَعُناunites us
لنا أبٌ واحدٌ بالجسمِ يجمَعُنا
لكنْbut كانَthere were لناfor us بالرُّوحin spirit ألفَa thousand أبِfathers
لكنْ كانَ لنا بالرُّوح ألفَ أبِ
We have one father who unites us in body,
We have one father in body who unites us
yet in spirit we have a thousand fathers.
But in spirit we had a thousand fathers
قامَarose التفاوتُthe disparity بينbetween النَّاسِthe people مرتقياًascending
قامَ التفاوتُ بين النَّاسِ مرتقياً
فوقabove التفاوُتِthe disparity بينَbetween العودaloeswood والحَطَبِand firewood
فوق التفاوُتِ بينَ العود والحَطَبِ
The disparity between people has risen
The differences between people rose high
above the disparity between aloeswood and firewood,
Above the differences between wood and firewood
حتىuntil يُخيَّلَit seems أنَّthat البعضَsome قدindeed خُلِقواthey were created
حتى يُخيَّلَ أنَّ البعضَ قد خُلِقوا
منfrom التُّرابِthe dust وصيغَand were fashioned البعضُothers منfrom ذهبِgold
من التُّرابِ وصيغَ البعضُ من ذهبِ
until it seems that some were indeed created
To the point it was imagined some were created
from dust, while others were fashioned from gold.
From dust while others were molded from gold
والنَّاسُand the people تطلُبُseek جمعَamassing المالwealth قاطبةًall of them
والنَّاسُ تطلُبُ جمعَ المال قاطبةً
لكنَّهاbut they اختلفتdiffered فيin غايةِthe aim الطلَبِof the pursuit
لكنَّها اختلفت في غايةِ الطلَبِ
And all people seek to amass wealth,
Yet people seek to amass wealth altogether
but they differ in the aim of their pursuit.
Though they differ in the purpose of pursuit
للعِزِّfor honor والصَّفْوِand serenity بعضُsome النَّاسِpeople يجمعُهُgather it
للعِزِّ والصَّفْوِ بعضُ النَّاسِ يجمعُهُ
والبعضُand others يجمعُهُgather it للذُّلِfor humiliation والنَّصَبِand toil
والبعضُ يجمعُهُ للذُّلِ والنَّصَبِ
Some people gather it for honor and serenity,
Some gather it for honor and purity
and others gather it for humiliation and toil.
While others gather it for humiliation and misery
لاnot ينفعُis useful المالُwealth إلاّexcept حينَwhen يخرجُgoes out منfrom
لا ينفعُ المالُ إلاّ حينَ يخرجُ من
أيديhands ذويهِits owners فيمضيand so it goes forth قاضيَfulfilling الأرَبِneeds
أيدي ذويهِ فيمضي قاضيَ الأرَبِ
Wealth is of no use except when it passes from
Wealth benefits only when it leaves
its owners' hands and goes forth fulfilling needs.
The hands of its owners accomplishing needs
والمالُand wealth فيin الكيسِthe purse لاnot يمتازُdiffers عنfrom حجرٍa stone
والمالُ في الكيسِ لا يمتازُ عن حجرٍ
كالسيفِlike the sword فيin الغِمدِthe sheath لاnot يمتازُdiffers عنfrom خَشَبِwood
كالسيفِ في الغِمدِ لا يمتازُ عن خَشَبِ
And wealth in a purse is no different from a stone,
Money in a pouch is no different than a rock
like a sword in its sheath, no different from wood.
A sword in its sheath is no different than wood
والكُلُّand everything منfrom دونwithout تقوَىreverence for اللهِGod نَحسبُهُwe reckon it
والكُلُّ من دون تقوَى اللهِ نَحسبُهُ
مثلَlike الهَباءِfine dust ذَرَتهُscattered it الرِّيحُthe wind فيin السُّحُبِthe clouds
مثلَ الهَباءِ ذَرَتهُ الرِّيحُ في السُّحُبِ
And everything, without fear of God, we reckon
And all without piety to God we consider
as dust scattered by the wind among the clouds.
Like specks of dust the wind blows in the clouds
واللهُand God يحتسبُreckons التَّقوىpiety بلاwithout عملٍdeeds
واللهُ يحتسبُ التَّقوى بلا عملٍ
كجَفْنِةِlike a vine-stock الكرْمِthe grapevine قدindeed قامتstood بلاwithout عِنَبِgrapes
كجَفْنِةِ الكرْمِ قد قامت بلا عِنَبِ
And God reckons piety without deeds
And God values piety without action
like a grapevine standing without grapes.
Like a grapevine standing without grapes
مَنِwhoever ادَّعىclaims الدِّينَreligion والدُّنياand worldly life أقولُI say لهُto him
مَنِ ادَّعى الدِّينَ والدُّنيا أقولُ لهُ
إنif كُنتَyou are كابنlike Ibn عُبيدَUbayd أقدِمْstep forward ولاand do not تَهَبِfear
إن كُنتَ كابن عُبيدَ أقدِمْ ولا تَهَبِ
To whoever claims both religion and worldly life, I say:
Whoever claims religion and the world I say to him
If you are like Ibn Ubayd, step forward and do not fear.
If you were Ibn Ubayd, just present yourself and don't gift
هذاthis التَّقِيُّthe devout النَّقِيُّthe pure الطَّاهرُunsullied النَّسَبِlineage اُبْson (first fragment)
هذا التَّقِيُّ النَّقِيُّ الطَّاهرُ النَّسَبِ اُبْ
نُson (final fragment) الطَّاهرِunsullied النَّسبِlineage ابنِson of الطَّاهرِunsullied النَّسَبِlineage
نُ الطَّاهرِ النَّسبِ ابنِ الطَّاهرِ النَّسَبِ
This devout, pure man of unsullied lineage is the son—
This pious, pure, untainted lineage
of one of unsullied lineage, himself the son of one of unsullied lineage.
Son of the pure, son of the untainted lineage
هذاthis الكريمُthe generous السَّليمُsound القلبِthe heart منfrom دنَسٍstain
هذا الكريمُ السَّليمُ القلبِ من دنَسٍ
وَهْوَand he الصَّفِيُّthe pure البرِيُّfree النَّفسِthe soul منfrom رِيَبِsuspicions
وَهْوَ الصَّفِيُّ البرِيُّ النَّفسِ من رِيَبِ
This is the generous man, whose heart is free of stain,
This generous, wholesome hearted, free of impurities
and he is pure, his soul free of suspicion.
The chosen, innocent soul free of doubts
أقوالُهُhis sayings دُرَرٌpearls أفعالهُhis deeds غُرَرٌbright forehead-blazes
أقوالُهُ دُرَرٌ أفعالهُ غُرَرٌ
أفضالُهُhis benefactions طُرَرٌforelocks فيon جَبْهةِthe brow العَرَبِof the Arabs
أفضالُهُ طُرَرٌ في جَبْهةِ العَرَبِ
His sayings are pearls; his deeds are radiant blazes;
His words are pearls, his deeds are treasures
his benefactions are forelocks on the brow of the Arabs.
His virtues stars on the brows of Arabs
ذوpossessing رُتْبةٍa rank ليسthere is not فيin استعلائهاits loftiness عَجَبٌwonder
ذو رُتْبةٍ ليس في استعلائها عَجَبٌ
لكنbut تواضُعُهُhis humility مَعْهاwith it مِنamong العَجَبِwonders
لكن تواضُعُهُ مَعْها مِن العَجَبِ
He holds a rank whose loftiness is no wonder,
Of a status with no arrogance in its loftiness
but his humility alongside it is a wonder.
But his humility alongside it is wondrous
كالغُصنِlike a branch قدindeed مالَbent نحوَtoward الأرضِthe earth منخفِضاًhanging low
كالغُصنِ قد مالَ نحوَ الأرضِ منخفِضاً
لِثْقلِunder the weight of حَمْلٍa load of fruit نَماgrew فيin عُودِهِits bough الرَّطِبِtender
لِثْقلِ حَمْلٍ نَما في عُودِهِ الرَّطِبِ
Like a branch that has bent low toward the earth,
Like a branch leaning down to earth weighed
under the weight of fruit grown on its tender bough.
By a ripe load on its wet wood
ماضيkeen اليَراعِthe reed pen جَميلٌbeautiful خَطُّthe script رُقعَتِهِhis page
ماضي اليَراعِ جَميلٌ خَطُّ رُقعَتِهِ
لكنbut معانيهِhis meanings أبَهىmore splendid منهُthan it فيin الكُتُبِthe books
لكن معانيهِ أبَهى منهُ في الكُتُبِ
Keen is his reed pen, beautiful the script upon his page,
His flowing script is beautiful, the lines of his manuscript
but his meanings in books surpass it in splendor.
But its meanings in books are more splendid
يُجريmakes flow فُنوناًarts منfrom الأقلامِthe pens مُطرِبةًdelightful
يُجري فُنوناً من الأقلامِ مُطرِبةً
لناfor us وكمand how much طَرَبٍdelight يجريflows منfrom القَصَبِreeds
لنا وكم طَرَبٍ يجري من القَصَبِ
He makes delightful arts flow from pens
He produces delightful arts from pens
for us—and how much delight flows from reeds!
How much delight flows from reed flutes!
أحياrevived العلومَthe sciences التيthat ماتتdied بمدرسةٍthrough a school
أحيا العلومَ التي ماتت بمدرسةٍ
كالبوقِlike the trumpet فيat البعثresurrection يُحييrevives دارسَthe decayed remains التُّرَبِthe grave-soil
كالبوقِ في البعث يُحيي دارسَ التُّرَبِ
He revived, through a school, the sciences that had died,
He revived sciences that died in schools
like the trumpet at resurrection, reviving what has decayed in the dust.
Like the horn reviving students of dust
قامتstood لهُfor him معalongside شهودِwitnesses النَّاسِthe people شاهدةًas a witness
قامت لهُ مع شهودِ النَّاسِ شاهدةً
تُبقيpreserves لهُfor him الذِّكرَremembrance فيin مُستقبَلِthe future الحِقَبِages
تُبقي لهُ الذِّكرَ في مُستقبَلِ الحِقَبِ
It stood as a witness for him, with people also bearing witness,
There stood witness for him among people's witnesses
preserving his remembrance through the ages to come.
To keep memory of him in future eras
بَغَىsought رِضَىfavor اللهِof God روفائيلُRufa'il مصطَحِباًtaking along
بَغَى رِضَى اللهِ روفائيلُ مصطَحِباً
معْهُwith him رِضَىfavor خلقِهِof His creatures ياO خيرَbest مُصطَحِبِtaker of companions
معْهُ رِضَى خلقِهِ يا خيرَ مُصطَحِبِ
Rufa'il sought God's favor, taking along
Rufa'il sought God's pleasure while accompanied
with him His creatures' favor—O best of those who take companions!
By the pleasure of His creation, O excellent company
وتِلكand that نادرةٌa rarity قدindeed عَزَّproved difficult مَطلَبُهاits attainment
وتِلك نادرةٌ قد عَزَّ مَطلَبُها
إلاّexcept علىfor مُخلِصٍone sincere للهِto God مُنتخَبِchosen
إلاّ على مُخلِصٍ للهِ مُنتخَبِ
And that is a rarity whose attainment has proved hard,
And that is a rare feat, hard to attain
except for a chosen one sincere to God.
Except for one sincerely chosen by God
Sol 6.1