كَمhow many حاجَةٍa need أَنزَلتُهاI presented it
كَم حاجَةٍ أَنزَلتُها
بِكَريمِto a noble man قَومٍa people أَوor لَئيمِa base man
بِكَريمِ قَومٍ أَو لَئيمِ
How many a need I have laid
How many a need have I presented
before a nobleman of a people—or a knave—
to a noble man of a people, or a base one!
فَإِذاand behold الكَريمُthe noble man مِنَof اللَئيمِthe base man
فَإِذا الكَريمُ مِنَ اللَئيمِ
أَوِor اللَئيمِthe base man مِنَof الكَريمِthe noble man
أَوِ اللَئيمِ مِنَ الكَريمِ
only to find the noble among the base,
And behold, the noble is of the base,
or the base among the noble!
or the base is of the noble.
سُبحانَglory be to رَبٍّa Lord قادِرٍmighty
سُبحانَ رَبٍّ قادِرٍ
قَدَّcut البَرِيَةَhumankind مِنfrom أَديمِa hide
قَدَّ البَرِيَةَ مِن أَديمِ
Glory be to an all-powerful Lord
Glory be to a mighty Lord,
who fashioned humankind from earth’s skin:
who cut humankind from a hide!
فَشَريفُهُمso their highborn وَوَضيعُهُمand their lowborn
فَشَريفُهُم وَوَضيعُهُم
سِيّانِalike فيin سَفَهٍfolly وَلَومِand blame
سِيّانِ في سَفَهٍ وَلَومِ
their highborn and their lowborn
So their highborn and their lowborn
are alike in folly and blame.
are alike in folly and blame.
قَدindeed قَلَّhas dwindled خَيرُthe good غَنِيِّهِمtheir rich man
قَد قَلَّ خَيرُ غَنِيِّهِم
فَغَنِيُّهُمso their rich man مِثلُlike العَديمِthe penniless man
فَغَنِيُّهُم مِثلُ العَديمِ
So little good is in their wealthy;
The good of their rich has dwindled,
their rich man is like one with nothing.
so their rich are like the penniless.
وَإِذاand when اِختَبَرتَyou tested حَميدَهُمtheir praiseworthy man
وَإِذا اِختَبَرتَ حَميدَهُم
أَلفَيتُهُI found him دونَbeneath الذَميمِthe blameworthy man
أَلفَيتُهُ دونَ الذَميمِ
And when you put their best man to the test,
And when you tested their praiseworthy man,
you find him beneath their worst.
I found him beneath the blameworthy.
لاdo not تَندُبَنهُمever enlist them لِلصَغيرِfor the small
لا تَندُبَنهُم لِلصَغيرِ
مِنَamong الأُمورِaffairs وَلاnor العَظيمِthe great
مِنَ الأُمورِ وَلا العَظيمِ
Call upon them neither for the smallest
Never enlist them for small
of affairs nor for the greatest.
affairs, nor for great ones.
اُنظُرlook إِلىat كِبَرِthe bulk الجُسوbod- (start of 'bodies')
اُنظُر إِلى كِبَرِ الجُسو
مِ-ies (end of 'bodies') وَلاand do not تَسَلask دَفعَthe averting of الجَسيمِa grave matter
مِ وَلا تَسَل دَفعَ الجَسيمِ
Look at the enormous size of their bodies,
Look at the bulk of their bod-
but do not ask them to ward off anything formidable.
ies, but do not ask them to avert anything grave.
