وَبَعضُand some of القَولِspeech لَيسَthere is no لَهُfor it عِياجٌbenefit
وَبَعضُ القَولِ لَيسَ لَهُ عِياجٌ
كَمَخضِlike churning الماءِwater لَيسَthere is no لَهُfor it إِتاءُyield
كَمَخضِ الماءِ لَيسَ لَهُ إِتاءُ
And some speech brings no benefit,
Some words have no use or meaning
Like churning water, which yields nothing.
Like a cloud that brings no rain
يَصوغُfashions لَكَfor you اللِسانُthe tongue عَلىaccording to هَواهُits desire
يَصوغُ لَكَ اللِسانُ عَلى هَواهُ
وَيَفضَحُand exposes أَكثَرَmost of القيلِwhat is said البَلاءُtesting
وَيَفضَحُ أَكثَرَ القيلِ البَلاءُ
The tongue fashions speech for you as it pleases,
The tongue may weave as it pleases
And experience exposes most of what is said.
yet most speech brings only pain
وَماand not بَعضُsome of الإِقامَةِstaying فيin دِيارٍlands
وَما بَعضُ الإِقامَةِ في دِيارٍ
يَكونُis بِهاin them الفَتىthe young man إِلّاexcept عَناءُhardship
يَكونُ بِها الفَتى إِلّا عَناءُ
And some sojourns in lands
A sojourn in some lands
where a young man dwells are nothing but hardship.
brings a man only sorrow and bane
وَلَمand did not أَرَI see كَاِمرِئٍlike a man يَدنوdraws near لِخَسفٍto humiliation
وَلَم أَرَ كَاِمرِئٍ يَدنو لِخَسفٍ
لَهُfor him فيin الأَرضِthe earth سَيرٌtravel وَاِنتِواءُand moving elsewhere
لَهُ في الأَرضِ سَيرٌ وَاِنتِواءُ
And I have never seen the like of a man who approaches humiliation,
No sane man approaches destruction
Though he can travel the earth and move elsewhere.
though the earth is his to gain
وَبَعضُand some of خَلائِقِtraits الأَقوامِpeople داءٌa sickness
وَبَعضُ خَلائِقِ الأَقوامِ داءٌ
كَداءِlike a disease of الكَشحِthe flank لَيسَthere is no لَهُfor it شِفاءُcure
كَداءِ الكَشحِ لَيسَ لَهُ شِفاءُ
And some traits of people are a sickness,
Some people's nature is but an illness
Like an ailment of the flank for which there is no cure.
with no cure or antidote
أَلاnow! مَنwho مُبلِغُone who informs الشُعَراءِthe poets عَنّيon my behalf
أَلا مَن مُبلِغُ الشُعَراءِ عَنّي
فَلاso no ظُلمٌinjustice لَدَيَّon my part وَلاand no اِبتِداءُinitiating hostilities
فَلا ظُلمٌ لَدَيَّ وَلا اِبتِداءُ
Now, who will carry word from me to the poets?
Let poets carry my words:
For I do no wrong, nor am I first to attack.
I treat people with justice, not violence or hate
وَلَستُand I am not بِعابِطِone who maligns الأَكفاءِequals ظُلماًunjustly
وَلَستُ بِعابِطِ الأَكفاءِ ظُلماً
وَعِنديand I have لِلمُلِمّاتِfor calamities اِجتِزاءُsufficient means
وَعِندي لِلمُلِمّاتِ اِجتِزاءُ
And I do not unjustly malign my equals,
I do not wrong the worthy out of envy
And I have the means to cope with calamities.
To the flawed I show compassion, not wrath
يُحِبُّloves المَرءُa man أَنto يَلقىattain مُناهُhis wishes
يُحِبُّ المَرءُ أَن يَلقى مُناهُ
وَيَأبىand refuses اللَهُGod إِلّاexcept ماwhat يَشاءُHe wills
وَيَأبى اللَهُ إِلّا ما يَشاءُ
A man longs to attain his wishes,
One may wish to meet their end
Yet God refuses all but what He wills.
Yet Allah decides the destined path
Sol 6.1