منwhoever يَلَمblames الدَّهرTime ألاtake heed
من يَلَم الدَّهر ألا
فالدهرُfor Time غيرnot مُعتبهْappeasing him
فالدهرُ غير مُعتبهْ
Whoever blames Time—take heed:
Time will not make amends to him.
أوor يَتَعجَّبْmarvels لِصُرُوat vicissitudes (start)
أو يَتَعجَّبْ لِصُرُو
فvicissitudes (end) الدَّهرِTime أوor تَقَلُبِهْits reversals
ف الدَّهرِ أو تَقَلُبِهْ
Or whoever marvels at the vicissitudes
of Time or its reversals—
وكلُّand every ذيpossessor of عجوبِةa marvel
وكلُّ ذي عجوبِة
جارٍheading إلىtoward تَعَجُّبِهْhis own astonishment
جارٍ إلى تَعَجُّبِهْ
and everyone who causes wonder
is bound for astonishment of his own.
مضىhas long circulated بذاكabout that مثلa proverb
مضى بذاك مثل
منwhoever يَرsees يوماًa day يَرwill be seen بهْin it
من يَر يوماً يَر بهْ
A proverb of old says as much:
"Who sees another's day will have his own,"
قولُa saying of حكيمٍa sage قَالَهhe uttered it
قولُ حكيمٍ قَالَه
فيin سالفاتِbygone حِقَبِهْhis ages
في سالفاتِ حِقَبِهْ
a saying uttered by a sage
in his long-bygone days.
ورأسُand the head of أمرِan affair لامرئٍfor a man
ورأسُ أمرِ لامرئٍ
خيرٌbetter لهfor him منthan ذَنَبِهْits tail
خيرٌ له من ذَنَبِهْ
And for a man, an affair's head
is better than its tail.
حتفُthe death of امرئٍa man لسانهُhis tongue
حتفُ امرئٍ لسانهُ
فيin جدّهِhis earnestness أوor لَعبِهْhis play
في جدّهِ أو لَعبِهْ
A man's tongue is his death,
in earnest or in jest.
بينbetween اللُّهىthe soft palates مسْكَنُهُits dwelling
بين اللُّهى مسْكَنُهُ
رُكّبَwas fitted فيin مُرsetting (start) كَّبِهْits setting (end)
رُكّبَ في مُر كَّبِهْ
Its dwelling is amid the soft palates,
fitted into its proper setting.
ورُبَّand many a ذيpossessor of مزحjesting أفيـwas forfeited (start)
ورُبَّ ذي مزح أفيـ
ـتتwas forfeited (end) نفسهhis life فيon سببِهْits account
ـتت نفسه في سببِهْ
And many a jester has forfeited
his life because of it.
ليسis not الفتىa young man كلfully الفتىa young man
ليس الفتى كل الفتى
لاَّexcept الفتىthe young man فيin أدبِهْhis manners
لاَّ الفتى في أدبِهْ
A young man is no true young man
except through his good manners.
وبعضand some of أُخلاقthe qualities of الفتىthe young man
وبعض أُخلاق الفتى
خَيرٌbetter لهfor him منthan نسبِهْhis lineage
خَيرٌ له من نسبِهْ
And some of a young man's qualities
are better for him than his lineage.
يحلمُhe is forbearing عنكtoward you فيin الرِضاcontentment
يحلمُ عنك في الرِضا
كحلمِهlike his forbearance فيin غَضَبِهْhis anger
كحلمِه في غَضَبِهْ
He is forbearing with you when pleased,
as he is forbearing in his anger.
وذوand a possessor of النُّهىreason ليستare not تباdemands (start)
وذو النُّهى ليست تبا
عاتُdemands (end) الهوىpassion منamong أدبِهْhis good conduct
عاتُ الهوى من أدبِهْ
And for a man of reason, the demands
of passion are no part of his conduct,
لماbecause of what يرىhe sees منof أفنِهِits folly
لما يرى من أفنِهِ
فيهin it ومنand of تَشَعبِهْits branching
فيه ومن تَشَعبِهْ
for the folly he sees
in it, and its many ramifications.
وآفةand the blight of الرأيjudgment الهوىpassion
وآفة الرأي الهوى
والحزمand prudence فيin تَجَنُّبِهْavoiding it
والحزم في تَجَنُّبِهْ
Passion is the blight of judgment,
and prudence lies in avoiding it.
والأصلُand the root ينميnurtures فرعهits branch
والأصلُ ينمي فرعه
والمرءُand a man عندaccording to حَسَبِهْhis ancestral honor
والمرءُ عند حَسَبِهْ
The root nurtures its branch,
and a man is judged by his ancestral honor.
وأظنُنand think بكلof every كاذبliar
وأظنُن بكل كاذب
ماwhatever شئتyou wish بعدafter كذبِهْhis lying
ما شئت بعد كذبِهْ
And think of every liar
what you will, once he has lied.
والصدقand truthfulness منamong أفضلthe best of ماwhat
والصدق من أفضل ما
يؤثرis recounted عنabout مكتسبهْone who acquires it
يؤثر عن مكتسبهْ
Truthfulness is among the finest things
recounted of one who cultivates it.
منwhoever يَقنَعِis content الدهرَthroughout life وإنand even if
من يَقنَعِ الدهرَ وإن
قلis scant أثاثُthe furnishings of نَشَبِهْhis property
قل أثاثُ نَشَبِهْ
Whoever stays content throughout life, though
his household possessions are few,
يعشْwill live رحيباًat ease بالهُhis mind
يعشْ رحيباً بالهُ
فيin ضيقهِhis straitened circumstances أوor رحبِهْhis plenty
في ضيقهِ أو رحبِهْ
will live with his mind at ease,
in straitened circumstances or plenty.
ومنand whoever يصاحبkeeps company with صاحباًa companion
ومن يصاحب صاحباً
يُنسبْwill be associated إلىwith مستَصحبهْhis chosen companion
يُنسبْ إلى مستَصحبهْ
And whoever befriends a companion
will be classed with the companion he keeps,
بِزائناتby the adornments of رُشْدهhis right conduct
بِزائنات رُشْده
أوor شائناتthe blemishes of رتبهْhis standing
أو شائنات رتبهْ
by the virtues adorning his right conduct,
or the faults that mar his standing.
وربماand often عرَّinfected صحَاhealthy ones (start)
وربما عرَّ صحَا
حاhealthy ones (end) جربa mangy creature بجربهْwith its mange
حا جرب بجربهْ
And often the healthy are infected
by a mangy creature with its mange.
يعرفis known منof حالthe character of الفتىa young man
يعرف من حال الفتى
فيin لبسهhis clothing ومركبِهْand his mount
في لبسه ومركبِهْ
A young man's character can be known
from his clothing and his mount,
وفيand in شَمَأزيزَتهhis aversion
وفي شَمَأزيزَته
منكَfrom you ومنand from تَعَتُّبِهْhis reproaching
منكَ ومن تَعَتُّبِهْ
and from his shrinking away
from you, and his finding fault
عليكagainst you أوor أصغائِهِhis attentive listening
عليك أو أصغائِهِ
إليكto you أوor تحَبُّبِهْhis showing affection
إليك أو تحَبُّبِهْ
with you, or his listening
to you, or his show of affection.
والحرُand the noble man قدَmay تعرِفُهْyou recognize him
والحرُ قدَ تعرِفُهْ
بلينهِby his gentleness وقُربِهْand his approachability
بلينهِ وقُربِهْ
And you may recognize the noble man
by his gentleness and approachability,
وعَزْمهِand his resolve وحزمِهِand his prudence
وعَزْمهِ وحزمِهِ
ورأيِهِand his judgment وحدand solicitude (start) بِهْhis solicitude (end)
ورأيِهِ وحد بِهْ
his resolve and his prudence,
his judgment and his solicitude.
والمرءُand a man قدmay يُدرِكُهُovertake him
والمرءُ قد يُدرِكُهُ
يوماًone day جنودُthe armies of منصَبِهْhis station
يوماً جنودُ منصَبِهْ
And a man may be overtaken
one day by the armies of his station.
بجهلهby his ignorance يعرفhe is known وسيـand a mark (start)
بجهله يعرف وسيـ
ـماهhis mark (end) فيin توثبهْhis rash lunging
ـماه في توثبهْ
He is known by his ignorance; his mark
lies in his rash lunging,
وشرَّةِand the greed of النفسthe soul وفيand in
وشرَّةِ النفس وفي
إلحاحِهِhis insistence وطَلَبِهْand his pursuit
إلحاحِهِ وطَلَبِهْ
and his soul's greed, and in
his insistence and his pursuit.
رفيقُa companion of كلِّevery مطْمَعٍprospect of gain
رفيقُ كلِّ مطْمَعٍ
بحرصِهِthrough his greed وتَعَبِهْand his toil
بحرصِهِ وتَعَبِهْ
A companion to every prospect of gain,
through his greed and his toil,
وقدand indeed تعدَّىhe has overstepped طَورَهُhis bounds
وقد تعدَّى طَورَهُ
عنbeyond كُنِهاتِthe true limits of رُتبَهْhis ranks
عن كُنِهاتِ رُتبَهْ
he has overstepped his bounds,
beyond the true limits of his rank.
Sol 6.1