لاdo not تَعْتِبَنْreproach مَنْone who ملَّhas grown weary إنَّfor indeed عتَابَهreproaching him
لا تَعْتِبَنْ مَنْ ملَّ إنَّ عتَابَه
كَثِقَافِlike a shaft-straightener مُعَوَجِّcrooked الظِّلالِthe shadows المائِلِslanting
كَثِقَافِ مُعَوَجِّ الظِّلالِ المائِلِ
Do not reproach one who has wearied of your reproach, for reproaching him
Do not reproach one who has grown weary, for reproaching him
is like trying to straighten a crooked, leaning shadow.
Is like using a shaft-straightener on crooked, slanting shadows.
يَلقَىreceives العِتابَreproach بسمعِwith an ear لاهٍheedless صادِفٍturned away
يَلقَى العِتابَ بسمعِ لاهٍ صادِفٍ
ويرىand sees الخُضوعَsubmission بطَرْفِwith an eye ساهٍdistracted غافِلِinattentive
ويرى الخُضوعَ بطَرْفِ ساهٍ غافِلِ
He meets reproach with a distracted, averted ear,
He receives reproach with a heedless, averted ear,
and regards humble submission with an absent, heedless eye.
And sees submission with a distracted, inattentive eye.
فإذَاthen when أقمتَyou establish دليلَproof قُبحِthe ugliness of فعالِهhis deeds
فإذَا أقمتَ دليلَ قُبحِ فعالِه
دفَعَhe rejects العيانَplainly visible evidence بِحُجةِwith the argument of المُتَجاهِلِone feigning ignorance
دفَعَ العيانَ بِحُجةِ المُتَجاهِلِ
If you establish proof of the ugliness of his deeds,
Then, when you present proof of the ugliness of his deeds,
he denies what is plainly seen with the argument of one feigning ignorance.
He rejects plain evidence with the argument of one feigning ignorance.
لاdo not يُؤسِفَنَّكَgrieve you ماwhat غالَcarried off الزَّمانُTime فَماfor it does not
لا يُؤسِفَنَّكَ ما غالَ الزَّمانُ فَما
يَرضىis content بماwith what غَالit carried off منof وَفرٍabundance ومِنand of مَالِwealth
يَرضى بما غَال من وَفرٍ ومِن مَالِ
Let nothing Time has snatched away grieve you, for it
Do not let what Time has taken grieve you, for it is not
is not content with what it has taken of abundance and wealth.
Content with the abundance and wealth it has taken.
وإنماand only هُوit بالتّدرِيجِby degrees ينقُلنَاmoves us
وإنما هُو بالتّدرِيجِ ينقُلنَا
نَقلَthe movement of المُخادعِthe deceiver منfrom حَالٍa state إلىto حَالِa state
نَقلَ المُخادعِ من حَالٍ إلى حَالِ
It carries us onward only little by little,
And it moves us only by degrees,
as a deceiver shifts us from one state to another.
As a deceiver does, from one state to another.
وليسَand is not يرضَىis content بماwith what is دُونَshort of النفوسِlives ومَاand not
وليسَ يرضَى بما دُونَ النفوسِ ومَا
تُفدَىare ransomed إذاwhen غَالَهاit carries them off حاشَاكmay you be spared بالغاليwith what is costly
تُفدَى إذا غَالَها حاشَاك بالغالي
Nor is it content with anything short of souls; and they cannot
And it is not content with anything short of lives; nor can they
be ransomed once it takes them—may you be spared—even with what is dearest.
Be ransomed, once it takes them—may you be spared!—however dear the price.
Sol 6.1