فلوso if اِنّنِيindeed I أنصفتُI treated fairly نفسيmy soul لصُنتُهاI would have guarded it
فلو اِنّنِي أنصفتُ نفسي لصُنتُها
ونزّهتُهاand I kept it unsullied عنfrom أنْthat تذلَّit be abased لمطمعِfor a coveted gain
ونزّهتُها عن أنْ تذلَّ لمطمعِ
Had I done justice to my soul, I would have shielded it,
Had I dealt fairly with my soul, I would have guarded it,
and kept it from abasement for the sake of gain.
And kept it above abasement for any coveted gain.
وماand what ليfor me وأبوابَand the doors الملوكِof kings وموضعيand my standing
وما لي وأبوابَ الملوكِ وموضعي
منَin الفضلِmerit والتّجريبِand experience والفضلand merit موضعيmy station
منَ الفضلِ والتّجريبِ والفضل موضعي
What have I to do with kings’ doors, when my station
What have I to do with kings' doors, given my standing
is one of merit and experience—and merit is my proper place?
In merit and experience—and merit is my station?
وماand not لهُمُthey have ماwhat لِيI have منَof العلمknowledge والتُّقىand piety
وما لهُمُ ما لِي منَ العلم والتُّقى
ولاnor معهمْwith them يوماًever منof الحلمِforbearance ماwhat معيwith me
ولا معهمْ يوماً من الحلمِ ما معي
They do not possess the knowledge and piety I possess,
They have none of my knowledge and piety,
nor have they ever had the forbearance I have.
Nor have they ever had the forbearance I possess.
وَهلand am أناI إلّاanything but طالبُa seeker of النّقصِdiminishment عندهمin their presence
وَهل أنا إلّا طالبُ النّقصِ عندهم
وإلّاand otherwise فَفضليthen my merit يعلمknows اللّهُGod مُقنِعِيenough for me
وإلّا فَفضلي يعلم اللّهُ مُقنِعِي
Am I anything but a seeker of favor at their hands?
Am I anything but a seeker of diminishment in their presence?
Otherwise, my own merit—God knows—is enough to content me.
Otherwise, my own merit—God knows—is enough for me.
وهلand is there لصحيحِfor one with sound الجلدِskin منany مُتَمَعَّكٍa place to roll about
وهل لصحيحِ الجلدِ من مُتَمَعَّكٍ
لذيfor one with العُرِّmange والجلدِand skin المُفَرّىlacerated بمضجعِin a bed
لذي العُرِّ والجلدِ المُفَرّى بمضجعِ
Can one who would spare his sound skin find a place to lie
Is there any place for one with sound skin to roll about
beside one whose skin is ripped by mange and scabies?
In the bed of one with mange and lacerated skin?
وَماand not أَناI بالرّاجيone who hopes لِماfor what فيin أَكفِّهِمtheir palms
وَما أَنا بالرّاجي لِما في أَكفِّهِم
فلِمْso why نحوهُهمْtoward them ياO ويحَalas for نفسيmy soul تطلُّعيmy eager gaze
فلِمْ نحوهُهمْ يا ويحَ نفسي تطلُّعي
I do not look hopefully toward what lies in their hands;
I do not hope for what is in their palms;
then why, alas for my soul, does my longing reach toward it?
Why, then—alas for my soul—do I gaze eagerly toward them?
ولِمْand why أناI مرتاعٌfrightened لماby what يجلبونَهُthey bring it
ولِمْ أنا مرتاعٌ لما يجلبونَهُ
وماand not زلتُhave I ceased فيamong الأقوامِthe peoples غيرَnot مُروَّعِfrightened
وما زلتُ في الأقوامِ غيرَ مُروَّعِ
Nor am I frightened by whatever they may bring against me,
And why am I frightened by what they bring,
for among men I have always remained unafraid.
When I have always been unafraid among people?
وقدand indeed عشتُI lived دهراًfor an age ناعمَat ease in البالmind راكباًriding
وقد عشتُ دهراً ناعمَ البال راكباً
منof الخَفْضِease فيin أقتادِsaddle frames عَوْدٍan old camel مُوَقَّعِsaddle-scarred
من الخَفْضِ في أقتادِ عَوْدٍ مُوَقَّعِ
Long have I lived carefree, riding
For an age I lived at ease in mind, riding
at ease on the packsaddle of an old, saddle-scarred camel,
In comfort, in the saddle of an old, saddle-scarred camel,
أبيّاًunbowed فلاso no ظُفْرُclaw الظُّلامةِinjustice جارحِيwounding me
أبيّاً فلا ظُفْرُ الظُّلامةِ جارحِي
هناكthere ولاnor داعيa caller to الملامةِreproach مُسمِعِيmaking me hear
هناك ولا داعي الملامةِ مُسمِعِي
proud and unbowed: oppression’s claw never wounded me
Unbowed: no claw of injustice could wound me
there, nor did the summons of blame reach my ears.
There, nor could a voice of reproach reach my ears.
وماand not زالhas ceased هذاthis الدّهرُage يُخسِرُmakes unprofitable صَفْقَتِيmy bargain
وما زال هذا الدّهرُ يُخسِرُ صَفْقَتِي
ويُبدِلُand replaces نَبْعِيmy nabʿ-wood (bow wood) كلَّevery يومٍday بخِرْوَعِwith castor wood
ويُبدِلُ نَبْعِي كلَّ يومٍ بخِرْوَعِ
Yet this age has never ceased to ruin my bargain,
Yet this age has never ceased to turn my bargain to loss,
each day replacing my sturdy nabʿ wood with frail castor.
Replacing my nabʿ-wood each day with castor wood,
إلىuntil أنْthat أرانيI see myself حيثُwherever شئتَyou wish سفاهةًout of folly
إلى أنْ أراني حيثُ شئتَ سفاهةً
لكلّtoward every مُلَوّىًturning عنaway from جميلٍwhat is noble مُدَفَّعِdriven along
لكلّ مُلَوّىً عن جميلٍ مُدَفَّعِ
Until I see myself, wherever I turn, treated as a fool,
Until I find myself, wherever you please, out of folly,
shoved aside by everyone who turns away from noble conduct.
Driven toward every turning away from what is noble.
فعدِّso pass beyond مقرَّthe abode of الضّيمِoppression إنْif كنتَyou are آنفاًtoo proud to submit
فعدِّ مقرَّ الضّيمِ إنْ كنتَ آنفاً
ودعْand leave جانباًa quarter تُخزىyou are disgraced بساحتِهِin its precincts دَعِleave
ودعْ جانباً تُخزى بساحتِهِ دَعِ
Then quit the abode of humiliation, if you are too proud to bear it,
So leave the abode of oppression, if you are too proud to submit,
and leave—leave aside—a precinct in whose court you are disgraced.
And leave a quarter in whose precincts you are disgraced—leave!
فمصرعُfor the death of مَنone who ولّىturned away منfrom الذُّلِّhumiliation هارباًfleeing
فمصرعُ مَن ولّى من الذُّلِّ هارباً
ببيضِby the white swords of الوغاbattle أوor سُمرهاits brown spears غيرُnot a مَصرعِdeath
ببيضِ الوغا أو سُمرها غيرُ مَصرعِ
For the fall of one who turns away, fleeing humiliation,
For the death of one who turns away, fleeing humiliation,
beneath war’s white blades or its brown spears, is no fall at all.
By battle's white swords or brown spears is no death at all.
Sol 6.1