ياO بَدرُBadr وَالأَمثالُand proverbs يَضرِبُهاhe sets them forth
يا بَدرُ وَالأَمثالُ يَضرِبُها
لِذيfor one endowed with اللُبِّunderstanding الحَكيمُthe wise man
لِذي اللُبِّ الحَكيمُ
O Badr—and proverbs are set forth
O full moon, the wise at heart
for the discerning by the wise man—
Strike similes about you
دُمremain steadfast لِلخَليلِtoward the friend بِوُدِّهِin affection for him
دُم لِلخَليلِ بِوُدِّهِ
ماwhat خَيرُgood وُدِّaffection لاnot يَدومُlasts
ما خَيرُ وُدِّ لا يَدومُ
remain steadfast in affection for your friend;
Blood flows for the beloved
what good is affection that does not last?
Of no use is love that won’t last
وَاِعرِفand acknowledge لِجارِكَfor your neighbor حَقَّهُhis due
وَاِعرِف لِجارِكَ حَقَّهُ
وَالحَقُّand what is due يَعرِفُهُhe recognizes it الكَريمُthe noble man
وَالحَقُّ يَعرِفُهُ الكَريمُ
And acknowledge your neighbor's due;
And know your neighbor’s rights
and the noble man recognizes what is due.
The generous know them
وَاِعلَمand know بِأَنَّthat الضَيفَthe guest يَوone day (beginning)
وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ الضَيفَ يَو
ماًone day (completion) سَوفَwill يَحمَدُhe praises أَوor يَلومُhe blames
ماً سَوفَ يَحمَدُ أَو يَلومُ
And know that a guest, one day,
And know the guest one day
will praise you or blame you.
Will praise or blame
وَالناسُand people مُبتَنَيانِof two builds مَحْpraiseworthy (beginning)
وَالناسُ مُبتَنَيانِ مَحْ
مودُpraiseworthy (completion) البِنايَةِconstruction أَوor ذَميمُblameworthy
مودُ البِنايَةِ أَو ذَميمُ
And people are of two builds: praiseworthy
And people are built
in construction, or blameworthy.
By praised or damned deeds
وَاِعلَمand know بُنَيَّmy dear son فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it is
وَاِعلَم بُنَيَّ فَإِنَّهُ
بِالعِلمِthrough knowledge يَنتَفِعُbenefits العَليمُthe knowledgeable man
بِالعِلمِ يَنتَفِعُ العَليمُ
And know, my dear son: indeed,
And know, my son
the knowledgeable man benefits from knowledge.
The learned benefit from knowledge
إِنَّindeed الأُمورَaffairs دَقيقَهاtheir small details
إِنَّ الأُمورَ دَقيقَها
مِمّاamong what يَهيجُis stirred لَهُin response to it العَظيمُthe great matter
مِمّا يَهيجُ لَهُ العَظيمُ
Indeed, the smallest of affairs
Matters most delicate
can set the greatest astir.
Stir the mighty
وَالتَبلُand vengeance مِثلُlike الدينِa debt تُقyou are repaid (beginning)
وَالتَبلُ مِثلُ الدينِ تُق
ضاهُyou are repaid it (completion) وَقَدand sometimes يُلوىis kept waiting الغَريمُthe creditor
ضاهُ وَقَد يُلوى الغَريمُ
And vengeance, like a debt, is repaid to you;
Giving in is like religion
though the creditor may be kept waiting.
Even the hostile may soften
وَالبَغيُand aggression يَصرَعُfells أَهلَهُits practitioners
وَالبَغيُ يَصرَعُ أَهلَهُ
وَالظُلمُand injustice مَرتَعُهُits pasture وَخَيمُruinous
وَالظُلمُ مَرتَعُهُ وَخَيمُ
And aggression fells its practitioners;
Tyranny fells its people
and the pasture of injustice is ruinous.
Its home injustice and bleakness
وَلَقَدand indeed يَكونُmay be لَكَto you البَعيthe distant man (beginning)
وَلَقَد يَكونُ لَكَ البَعي
دُthe distant man (completion) أَخاًa brother وَيَقطَعُكَand cuts you off الحَميمُthe intimate friend
دُ أَخاً وَيَقطَعُكَ الحَميمُ
Indeed, a distant man may be your
Often strangers are brothers
brother, while an intimate friend cuts you off.
And intimates cut you off
وَالمَرءُand a man يُكرَمُis honored لِلغِنىfor wealth
وَالمَرءُ يُكرَمُ لِلغِنى
وَيُهانُand is scorned لِلعَدَمِfor poverty العَديمُthe destitute man
وَيُهانُ لِلعَدَمِ العَديمُ
A man is honored for wealth,
People are honored for wealth
and the destitute man is scorned for poverty.
And disdained for lack, the destitute
قَدmay يُقتِرُfall into poverty الحَوِلُthe resourceful man التَقِيْthe devout man (beginning)
قَد يُقتِرُ الحَوِلُ التَقِيْ
يُthe devout man (completion) وَيَكثُرُand grows wealthy الحَمِقُthe foolish man الأَثيمُthe sinful
يُ وَيَكثُرُ الحَمِقُ الأَثيمُ
The resourceful, devout man may be poor,
The pious may know poverty
while the sinful fool grows rich.
And fools abundance of sin
يُمليhe grants respite لِذاكَto that one وَيُبتَلىand is tested
يُملي لِذاكَ وَيُبتَلى
هذاthis one فَأَيُّهُماso which of the two المَضيمُthe wronged one
هذا فَأَيُّهُما المَضيمُ
That one is granted respite, while trials befall
One is tested, the other spared
this one—so which of them is wronged?
Who suffers more?
وَالمَرءُand a man يَبخَلُis miserly فيconcerning الحُقوdues (beginning)
وَالمَرءُ يَبخَلُ في الحُقو
قِdues (completion) وَلِلكَلالَةِand for collateral heirs ماwhat يَسيمُhe puts out to pasture
قِ وَلِلكَلالَةِ ما يَسيمُ
A man is miserly about what is due,
People withhold rights
yet the herds he pastures are for collateral heirs.
Yet freely give to baseness
ماwhat use is بُخلُmiserliness مَنone who هُوَhe is لِلمَنوfor Death (beginning)
ما بُخلُ مَن هُوَ لِلمَنو
نِDeath (completion) وَرَيبِهاand its vicissitudes غَرَضٌa target رَجيمُpelted
نِ وَرَيبِها غَرَضٌ رَجيمُ
What use is miserliness to one whom Death
No soul that hopes for paradise
and its vicissitudes target and pelt?
Can have intention so vile
وَيَرىand he sees القُرونَthe generations أَمامَهُbefore him
وَيَرى القُرونَ أَمامَهُ
هَمَدواthey fell still كَماjust as هَمَدَfell still الهَشيمُdry brushwood
هَمَدوا كَما هَمَدَ الهَشيمُ
And he sees the generations before him
And sees generations before him
fallen still, as dry brushwood falls still.
Lie as still as kindling
وَتُخَرَّبُand is laid waste الدُنياthe world فَلاso neither
وَتُخَرَّبُ الدُنيا فَلا
بُؤسٌmisery يَدومٌlasts وَلاnor نَعيمُbliss
بُؤسٌ يَدومٌ وَلا نَعيمُ
And the world is laid waste: neither
The world falls to ruins
misery endures nor bliss.
No lasting bliss or misery
كُلُّevery اِمرىءٍman سَتَئيمُshe will be widowed مِنby
كُلُّ اِمرىءٍ سَتَئيمُ مِن
هُhim العِرسُthe wife أَوor مِنهاby her يَئيمُhe becomes widowed
هُ العِرسُ أَو مِنها يَئيمُ
Every man—his wife will be widowed by
Every man disgusted
him, or he will be widowed by her.
By marriage or averse
ماwhat عِلمُknowledge ذيone with وَلَدٍa child أَيُثwill he be bereaved (beginning)
ما عِلمُ ذي وَلَدٍ أَيُث
كَلُهُbereaved of him (completion) اَمِor الوَلَدُthe child اليَتيمُthe orphan
كَلُهُ اَمِ الوَلَدُ اليَتيمُ
What does a father know: will he be bereaved of
What child knows which
his child, or will the child be left an orphan?
Raised him, he or the orphan?
وَالحَربُand war صاحِبُهاits companion الصَليthe stalwart (beginning)
وَالحَربُ صاحِبُها الصَلي
بُthe stalwart (completion) عَلىamid تَلاتِلِهاits ordeals العَزومُthe resolute man
بُ عَلى تَلاتِلِها العَزومُ
And war's companion is the stalwart,
War's companion is one long gripped
resolute amid its ordeals,
By its talons' imposing shade
مَنone who لاdoes not يَمَلُّgrow weary ضِراسَهاits biting combat
مَن لا يَمَلُّ ضِراسَها
وَلَدىand at الحَقيقَةِthe moment of truth لاdoes not يَخيمُflinch
وَلَدى الحَقيقَةِ لا يَخيمُ
who does not weary of its biting combat,
One who won't tire of its bite
and at the moment of truth does not flinch.
And never flees the fray
وَاِعلَمand know بِأَنَّthat الحَربَwar لاnot
وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ الحَربَ لا
يَسطيعُهاcan endure it المَرِحُthe frivolous man السَؤومُthe easily wearied one
يَسطيعُها المَرِحُ السَؤومُ
And know that war cannot
And know war cannot be waged
be borne by the frivolous man who tires easily.
By the feckless rogue
وَالخَيلُand horses أَجوَدُهاthe best of them المُناthe rival racer (beginning)
وَالخَيلُ أَجوَدُها المُنا
هِبُthe rival racer (completion) عِندَat كَبِّتِهاtheir headlong charge الأَزومُthe unflagging one
هِبُ عِندَ كَبِّتِها الأَزومُ
And among horses, the best is the rival racer,
The finest horses in the fray
unflagging amid their headlong charge.
Are gifts at the helm of the bold
Sol 6.1