منازلُstations خَلْقٍpeople قَدْرُهُنَّtheir worth نَصِيبُan allotted share
منازلُ خَلْقٍ قَدْرُهُنَّ نَصِيبُ
فإِجلالُso honoring هذاthis one دُونَto the exclusion of ذاكَthat one ذنوبُsins!
فإِجلالُ هذا دُونَ ذاكَ ذنوبُ!
People's stations each have their allotted worth;
The ranks of people are predestined,
so honoring this one but not that one is sinful!
To honor some above others is a sin!
تُعلِّمُنيteaches me طولُlong duration of التَّجاريبِexperiences عِبْرةًa lesson
تُعلِّمُني طولُ التَّجاريبِ عِبْرةً
ومَنْand whoever لَمْdid not يَصِخْheed لِلدَّهْرِto time فهوso he لَعُوبُa trifler
ومَنْ لَمْ يَصِخْ لِلدَّهْرِ فهو لَعُوبُ
Long experience teaches me a lesson,
Long experience teaches me a lesson,
and whoever does not heed time is a trifler.
He who does not learn from fate is foolish and prone to play.
تُصافِيyou sincerely befriend جميعَall النَّاسِpeople ودًّاaffection كأَنَّمَاas though
تُصافِي جميعَ النَّاسِ ودًّا كأَنَّمَا
ظننتَyou thought لئيمًاa base man بالنَّوالِthrough gifts يطيبُbecomes good!!
ظننتَ لئيمًا بالنَّوالِ يطيبُ!!
You offer everyone sincere affection, as though
You befriend all people alike as though
you thought a base man would become good through gifts!
You thought the base would be bettered by your friendship.
فترفعَهُso you raise him قَدْرًاin rank لِتُعْلِيto elevate مَرَامَهُhis aspiration
فترفعَهُ قَدْرًا لِتُعْلِي مَرَامَهُ
وقدand already أثقلتْهُhas weighed him down خِسَّةٌbaseness وعيوبُand faults!
وقد أثقلتْهُ خِسَّةٌ وعيوبُ!
So you raise his standing to lift his aspirations,
So you raise him in rank that his pride might be heightened,
though baseness and faults have weighed him down!
Yet vileness and faults have weighed him down!
تَمَسْكَنَhe feigned humility حتَّىuntil إِنْif جَنَىhe reaped ماwhat يريدهُhe wants it؛
تَمَسْكَنَ حتَّى إِنْ جَنَى ما يريدهُ؛
أراكَhe showed you كُرُوبَsorrows الدَّهرِtime كيفَhow تُشِيبُmake hair gray!
أراكَ كُرُوبَ الدَّهرِ كيفَ تُشِيبُ!
He feigned humility until he gained what he wanted;
You stand by him until he attains his desires;
he showed you how time's sorrows turn hair gray!
I see you yielding to the blows of fate and growing grey!
وقَابَلَand he met بالنُّكرانِwith ingratitude قَدْرًاa rank رَفَعْتَهُyou raised him
وقَابَلَ بالنُّكرانِ قَدْرًا رَفَعْتَهُ
إليهِto it، وماand not ذاكَthat الجحودُingratitude غريبُstrange!
إليهِ، وما ذاكَ الجحودُ غريبُ!
And he met with ingratitude the rank you had raised him
And he returns your generosity with ingratitude,
to—and that ingratitude is no surprise!
Though betrayal is nothing strange or new!
فنُقْصَانُfor the deficiency of نَفْسٍa soul لاnot يُعَوَّضُis made good نَقْصُهُits lack
فنُقْصَانُ نَفْسٍ لا يُعَوَّضُ نَقْصُهُ
بفضلٍby kindness، ولاand not يُغْنِيenriches اللَّئِيمَthe base man وَهُوبُa lavish giver
بفضلٍ، ولا يُغْنِي اللَّئِيمَ وَهُوبُ
For a soul's deficiency cannot be made good
For a man's shortcomings cannot be redressed,
by kindness, nor can a lavish giver enrich a base man.
By favors, nor will vileness be cured by gifts.
وأَمَّاand as for أَصيلُnoble الطَّبْعِnature لَيْسَis not بِمُنْكِرٍa denier
وأَمَّا أَصيلُ الطَّبْعِ لَيْسَ بِمُنْكِرٍ
نوالَbounty كريمٍa generous man، إِنَّindeed ذاكَthat one أَرِيبُdiscerning
نوالَ كريمٍ، إِنَّ ذاكَ أَرِيبُ
But one of noble nature does not deny
But he of noble soul thinks not ill,
a generous man's bounty; indeed, he is discerning.
Of a generous gift - nobility suspects no guile.
فإِنْso if تَرْفَعِyou raise المنقوصَthe deficient man قَدْرًاin rank تُجِلُّهُyou honor him
فإِنْ تَرْفَعِ المنقوصَ قَدْرًا تُجِلُّهُ
بِمَاwith what ليسhe is not أَهْلًاworthy، والزَّمانُand time رقيبُwatchful
بِمَا ليس أَهْلًا، والزَّمانُ رقيبُ
So if you raise the deficient man's standing, honoring him
If you exalt the man of many faults
with what he is unworthy of, while time keeps watch,
Giving him what he merits not - time is a spy!
سَيُدْنِيكَhe will lower you قَدْرًاin rank إِنْif تُنِلْهُyou grant him مُرَادَهُhis desire
سَيُدْنِيكَ قَدْرًا إِنْ تُنِلْهُ مُرَادَهُ
شَفَيْتَyou cured بِهِwith it داءًan ailment، فأَنْتَso you طبيبُa physician
شَفَيْتَ بِهِ داءً، فأَنْتَ طبيبُ
he will lower your standing if you grant him his desire;
Honor him as he wishes and you will lower yourself,
you have cured an ailment thereby, so you are a physician.
Curing the sickness - you turn physician!
فَقَدِّرْso esteem سَخِيَّgenerous النَّفْسِthe soul يُوفِيكَhe repays you fully كُلَّمَاwhenever
فَقَدِّرْ سَخِيَّ النَّفْسِ يُوفِيكَ كُلَّمَا
تَقَلَّبَturned دَهْرٌtime، أوor نَبَاكَshunned you حبيبُa loved one
تَقَلَّبَ دَهْرٌ، أو نَبَاكَ حبيبُ
So esteem the generous-hearted; he will repay you fully whenever
Be generous with one noble of soul; he will reward you
time turns, or a loved one shuns you.
However time changes, or a loved one comes anew.
أصيلُnoble طِبَاعٍdispositions أَوْرَثَتْهُhas bequeathed him مُرُوءَةٌchivalry
أصيلُ طِبَاعٍ أَوْرَثَتْهُ مُرُوءَةٌ
شهامةَgallantry نَفْسٍa soul والْخُطُوبُand calamities تَنُوبُrecur
شهامةَ نَفْسٍ والْخُطُوبُ تَنُوبُ
He is noble in disposition; chivalry has bequeathed him
The noble of nature - chivalry is his heritage -
a gallant spirit, while calamities recur.
Valiance of soul though calamities attack!
"ومَنْand whoever يفعلِdoes المعروفَgood فيto غيرِother than أهلِهِthose deserving it"
"ومَنْ يفعلِ المعروفَ في غيرِ أهلِهِ"
ستُلْقِيهِwill cast him فيinto قَعْرِdepths of الشَّقاءِmisery خُطُوبُcalamities
ستُلْقِيهِ في قَعْرِ الشَّقاءِ خُطُوبُ
“And whoever does good to those unworthy of it”—
"He who shows favor to the undeserving"
calamities will cast him into the depths of misery.
Will be cast into deepest grief by disasters.
Sol 6.1