وقوفِيَmy standing فيamong ذاthis الورىhumankind الخاملِundistinguished
وقوفِيَ في ذا الورى الخاملِ
وقوفُthe standing المشوقِthe yearning lover إلىtoward العاذلِthe reproacher
وقوفُ المشوقِ إلى العاذلِ
My standing among these undistinguished folk
My standing in this dormant abode
is that of a yearning lover before his reproacher.
Is like a lover yearning for his beloved
تصافحshake hands with سمعِيَmy hearing أقوالُهمْtheir words
تصافح سمعِيَ أقوالُهمْ
ولاand not يرجعونthey arrive إلىat طائلِanything worthwhile
ولا يرجعون إلى طائلِ
Their words clasp hands with my hearing,
My ears meet their words
yet they arrive at nothing worthwhile.
But they lead to no gain
فعَرْضُfor the breadth البلادthe lands علىfor العارفيthe discerning (continued)
فعَرْضُ البلاد على العارفي
نَcompletion of 'the discerning' أضيقُnarrower منthan مهجةِthe heart الباخِلِthe miser
نَ أضيقُ من مهجةِ الباخِلِ
For the breadth of the lands, to the discerning,
Roaming the lands is too narrow
is narrower than a miser's heart.
For a generous soul
ومَنand whoever صدّturns away عنfrom مثلthe like of أفعالهمْtheir deeds
ومَن صدّ عن مثل أفعالهمْ
كمنْlike one who صدّturns away عنfrom كُفَّةthe round net الحابِلِthe trapper
كمنْ صدّ عن كُفَّة الحابِلِ
And whoever turns away from deeds like theirs
He who turns from such deeds
is like one who turns away from a trapper's round net.
Is like one who rejects the rope thrown to a drowning man
ولمّاand when خبرتُI came to know جميعَall البلاthe lands (continued)
ولمّا خبرتُ جميعَ البلا
دِcompletion of 'the lands' لمdid not أَرَI see أضيَعَmore neglected منthan عاقِلِa wise man
دِ لم أَرَ أضيَعَ من عاقِلِ
And when I had come to know all the lands,
When I traversed all the lands
I saw none more neglected than a wise man.
I saw none more lost than the wise
ولولاand were it not for ذووthose possessing النّقصِdeficiency فيin دهرناour age
ولولا ذوو النّقصِ في دهرنا
لَمَاwould not عُرفَbe known الفضلُmerit للفاضِلِfor the worthy
لَمَا عُرفَ الفضلُ للفاضِلِ
And were it not for the deficient in our age,
If not for the flawed ones in our time
the merit of the worthy would not be known.
Excellence would not be known from the excellent
تعاظمhas grown lofty مِنِّيَfrom me ماwhat أبتغِيهِI seek it
تعاظم مِنِّيَ ما أبتغِيهِ
فماso not إنْemphatic particle أُعلَّلُI am soothed بالباطلِwith falsehood
فما إنْ أُعلَّلُ بالباطلِ
My aspiration has grown lofty,
I spurn what I seek
so I am not soothed by falsehood.
Lest I be blamed for falsehood
وعوّدتُand I accustomed قلبيmy heart فراقَparting from الحبيبthe beloved
وعوّدتُ قلبي فراقَ الحبيب
فماso not حنّit yearned شوقاًwith longing إلىfor راحلِone who departs
فما حنّ شوقاً إلى راحلِ
And I have accustomed my heart to parting from the beloved,
I accustomed my heart to part with the beloved
so it has not yearned with longing for one who departs.
So it no longer yearns for the departed
ولاnor خَدَعَتْهُdeceived it ذواتُwomen possessing الحَلِيِّjewelry
ولا خَدَعَتْهُ ذواتُ الحَلِيِّ
فيُصْبِيَهُso as to captivate it مَلَقُthe flattery العاطِلِthe unadorned woman
فيُصْبِيَهُ مَلَقُ العاطِلِ
Nor have jewel-adorned women deceived it,
Nor is it deceived by charms
much less could an unadorned woman's flattery captivate it.
To be tempted by the unoccupied
وَماand not العزّhonor إلّاexcept لِمَنْfor one who لاnot تراsees
وَما العزّ إلّا لِمَنْ لا ترا
هُhim عينُكyour eye فيin موقفِthe place of السائِلِthe beggar
هُ عينُك في موقفِ السائِلِ
And honor belongs only to one not seen
True honor belongs to one whom
by your eye standing in a beggar's place.
Your eyes do not see begging
إذاif ماemphatic particle رأىhe sees الخِصْبَabundance عندamong اللّئامِthe ignoble
إذا ما رأى الخِصْبَ عند اللّئامِ
أقامَhe remains علىin البلدthe land الماحِلِbarren
أقامَ على البلد الماحِلِ
If he sees abundance among the ignoble,
When he sees fertility with the vile
he remains in the barren land.
He remains in the barren land
وظَلّand remain وبالكwhile your mind كلُّwholly الرّخيّuntroubled
وظَلّ وبالك كلُّ الرّخيّ
مِنَconcerning المجدglory فيin شُغُلٍan occupation شاغِلِengrossing
مِنَ المجد في شُغُلٍ شاغِلِ
And remain, your mind wholly untroubled,
While worries and troubles
in an engrossing pursuit of glory.
Busy the glorious in constant occupation
يُعيّرنيtaunt me for الضّيقَpoverty أهلُthe people of اليَسارwealth
يُعيّرني الضّيقَ أهلُ اليَسار
ولاand no مالَwealth يبقىremains علىwith نائِلِa giver
ولا مالَ يبقى على نائِلِ
The wealthy taunt me for my poverty,
The narrow-minded reproach me
yet no wealth remains with a giver.
Wealth does not remain with the attainer
وكيفand how أضِنُّI withhold علىfrom شاكرٍa grateful person
وكيف أضِنُّ على شاكرٍ
بظلٍّwith a shade يفارقنيit leaves me زائلِfleeting
بظلٍّ يفارقني زائلِ
And how could I withhold from a grateful man
How can I be content with a grateful one
a fleeting shade that will leave me?
When the shade that shelters me is fleeting
إذاif لمdoes not يفارقْكleave you فيin عامِهِits year
إذا لم يفارقْك في عامِهِ
فأنتَthen you المفارِقُthe one who leaves منin قابِلِthe coming year
فأنتَ المفارِقُ من قابِلِ
If it does not leave you this year,
If it does not part from you in a year
then you will be the one to leave it next year.
You are the one parting from the reuniter
Sol 6.1