إنماonly تَكْرُمُare noble الطِّباعُthe dispositions إذاwhen ماemphatic particle
إنما تَكْرُمُ الطِّباعُ إذا ما
كَرُمَتْwere noble قبلهاbefore them طباعُthe dispositions of الأَصولِthe forebears
كَرُمَتْ قبلها طباعُ الأَصولِ
Character is noble only when
Noble natures, O son of Ma'add, are satisfied only with doing good.
the character of one's forebears was noble before it.
And the elders said of old, knowledge is not lost to the wise.
وكبارُand great النفوسِthe souls ياO بْنَson of مَعَدٍّMaʿadd
وكبارُ النفوسِ يا بْنَ مَعَدٍّ
ليسnot تَرْضَىare content إلاّexcept بفعلwith doing الجميلwhat is good
ليس تَرْضَى إلاّ بفعل الجميل
And great souls, O son of Maʿadd,
What merit did Allah not give you a portion of,
are content only with doing good.
A rank in which He found no peer for virtue?
وكذاand thus قالتsaid الأَوائلُthe ancients قِدْماًlong ago
وكذا قالت الأَوائلُ قِدْماً
لاnot تَضِيعُis wasted العلومُknowledge عندَwith العقولthe intellects
لا تَضِيعُ العلومُ عندَ العقول
And thus the ancients said long ago:
If we trace your ancestry, you are of noble descent, O son of the successor and grandson of the Messenger.
Knowledge is not wasted on those with reason.
Or if we ask, you are more generous than plentiful rain, giving bountifully to all.
أيُّwhat فَضْلvirtue لمnot يُعْطِكَgrant you اللهُGod منهُof it
أيُّ فَضْل لم يُعْطِكَ اللهُ منهُ
رتبةًa rank لمnot يَجُدْbestow generously بهاwith it لِفَضيلto a man of merit
رتبةً لم يَجُدْ بها لِفَضيل
What virtue is there in which God has not granted you
Or if we incite you to battle, we incite the sharp polished sword.
a rank He has bestowed on no other man of merit?
إنif نَسَبْناكwe trace your lineage كنتَyou are فيin شَرَفٍnobility الأنْthe lineages (first part)
إن نَسَبْناك كنتَ في شَرَفٍ الأنْ
ساب(completes 'lineages') ياO بنَson of الوصيِّthe Legatee وابنَand son of الرّسولِthe Messenger
ساب يا بنَ الوصيِّ وابنَ الرّسولِ
If we trace your lineage, you are of noble
ancestry, O son of the Legatee and son of the Messenger.
أوor سألناكwe ask of you كنتَyou are أَنْدَىmore bountiful منthan الغَيْthe rain (first part)
أو سألناك كنتَ أَنْدَى من الغَيْ
ث(completes 'rain') وأَعْطَىand more generous لكلِّfor every شيءِthing جزيلabundant
ث وأَعْطَى لكلِّ شيءِ جزيل
Or if we ask of you, you are more bountiful than the
rain, and more generous with every abundant gift.
أوor هَزَزْناكwe brandish you للخطوبِagainst calamities هَزَزْناwe brandish
أو هَزَزْناك للخطوبِ هَزَزْنا
شَفْرَةَthe blade of الصّارِمthe keen sword الحُسامِthe cleaving sword الصَّقيلthe polished
شَفْرَةَ الصّارِم الحُسامِ الصَّقيل
Or if we brandish you against calamities, we brandish
the blade of a keen, cleaving, polished sword.
Partial English translation: 7 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1