حرامٌforbidden علىfor حُرِّone noble الطبيعَةnature والفكرِand thought
حرامٌ على حُرِّ الطبيعَة والفكرِ
يَرَىto countenance غيرَanything other than صِدقِtruthfulness of القَولِspeech فيin السرِّprivate والجَهرِand public
يَرَى غيرَ صِدقِ القَولِ في السرِّ والجَهرِ
It is forbidden for one noble in nature and thought
It is forbidden for the free spirit and mind
to countenance anything but truthful speech, in private and in public.
To see aught but truth in open and secret.
أأبُدِيshould I show? وحاشَانيand far be it from me لخِلِّيto my close friend مودَّةًaffection
أأبُدِي وحاشَاني لخِلِّي مودَّةً
وفيwhile in باطِنيmy inner self ماwhat فيهis within it مِنof كامِنhidden الشَّرِّmalice
وفي باطِني ما فيه مِن كامِن الشَّرِّ
Should I show my close friend affection—far be it from me—
Shall I ever show affection for my boon companion
while my inner self harbors malice hidden within it?
While in my heart is that which breeds evil?
أرانيI see myself إذنthen أصبحتُI have become فيin عُصبةِthe company of الخناdepravity
أراني إذن أصبحتُ في عُصبةِ الخنا
ومنand from بينamong أهلِthe people of المجدglory مُفتقِدَbereft of الذِّكرِrenown
ومن بين أهلِ المجد مُفتقِدَ الذِّكرِ
I would then find myself in the company of the depraved,
I seem then to have joined the party of deceit
and bereft of renown among the people of glory.
And lost, mid the glory-crowned, my good name.
وضاعَand was wasted سُدىًin vain حَزميmy resolve وضاعتand was lost كرامتيmy dignity
وضاعَ سُدىً حَزمي وضاعت كرامتي
وكنتُand I was أخاone possessed of جَهرٍpublic speech يًخالِفهُcontradicts it سِرِّيmy private thoughts
وكنتُ أخا جَهرٍ يًخالِفهُ سِرِّي
My resolve would be wasted, and my dignity lost,
In vain my prudence; vain in me all honour;
and I would be a man whose private thoughts belied his public words.
My hidden self at war with my outward seeming.
فأمَّاbut as for إذاif أغضبتُI anger فيin القولspeech صاحباًa friend
فأمَّا إذا أغضبتُ في القول صاحباً
بَداappeared ليَto me منهfrom him ماthat which يُسامُis demeaned بهby it قَدريmy standing
بَدا ليَ منه ما يُسامُ به قَدري
But if I anger with my words a friend
And, if in speech with friend I chance to anger,
from whom I have seen what demeans my standing,
He shows me that whereby my worth's appraised.
فلستُthen I am not أَرانيI see myself مخطىءَmistaken in الفعلِthe action إنَّنيindeed I
فلستُ أَراني مخطىءَ الفعلِ إنَّني
قدalready اطلعتُهI informed him عمَّاabout what يُكِنُّharbors لهfor him صَدريmy breast
قد اطلعتُه عمَّا يُكِنُّ له صَدري
then I do not consider myself wrong in my action; indeed, I
Not that I see myself as acting wrongly:
have revealed to him what my breast harbors toward him.
I but reveal to him what in his heart lies hid.
ولستُand I am not بِذيone possessed of فخرٍboasting بهwith it مَلأfilled الفَضاthe open expanse
ولستُ بِذي فخرٍ به مَلأ الفَضا
وفخرُهand his glory مقصورٌconfined علىto أشطُرِhalf-lines of الشِّعرِpoetry
وفخرُه مقصورٌ على أشطُرِ الشِّعرِ
Nor am I a boaster who has filled the air with his boasts,
Nor is it mine with boastful words to fill the air,
while his glory is confined to half-lines of verse.
Boasting restricted to the lines of verse.
وماand not كانَwas عنديin my view أنthat تُرىyou should be seen لِيَtoward me عاتباًreproachful
وما كانَ عندي أن تُرى لِيَ عاتباً
أوَand ...? افعلُI do ماwhat يستوجِبُmerits العُتبَreproach فيin عُمريmy life
أوَ افعلُ ما يستوجِبُ العُتبَ في عُمري
And I never expected to find you reproaching me;
Nor was it in my thoughts reproached to see thee
and would I ever do what merits reproach in my life?
Or do the thing deserving of reproach through life.
Sol 6.1