أَدنوI draw near وَيَجمَحُand bolts بِيَwith me الإِباءُproud defiance فَأَعزُبُso I withdraw
أَدنو وَيَجمَحُ بِيَ الإِباءُ فَأَعزُبُ
وَأَرىand I see الرضىcontentment آناًat one time وَآناًand at another أَغضَبُI grow angry
وَأَرى الرضى آناً وَآناً أَغضَبُ
I draw near, but pride runs away with me, so I withdraw.
At times I find contentment, and at times I grow angry.
أَتَظُنُّdo you think ليfor me فيin وُدِّthe friendship of مِثلِكَone like you مَطلَباًan aim
أَتَظُنُّ لي في وُدِّ مِثلِكَ مَطلَباً
نَفسيmy own self أُريدُI desire وَمَجدَand the glory of قَوميmy people أَطلُبُI seek
نَفسي أُريدُ وَمَجدَ قَومي أَطلُبُ
Do you think I seek anything in the friendship of one like you?
It is my own self I want, and my people's glory I seek.
لَوif كانَwere هَمّيmy concern أَنto أُصيبَI obtain مَعيشَةًa livelihood
لَو كانَ هَمّي أَن أُصيبَ مَعيشَةً
أُلفيتُI would be found فيin سَعَةٍthe abundance of الغِنىwealth أَتَقَلَّبُI live at ease
أُلفيتُ في سَعَةٍ الغِنى أَتَقَلَّبُ
If my concern were to secure a livelihood,
I would be found luxuriating in abundant wealth.
لاdo not تَخدَعَنَّكَever deceive you فِيَّabout me نَظرَةُthe view of كاذِبٍa liar
لا تَخدَعَنَّكَ فِيَّ نَظرَةُ كاذِبٍ
وانظُرand look إِلَيَّat me بِعَينِwith the eye of مَنone who لاdoes not يَكذِبُlie
وانظُر إِلَيَّ بِعَينِ مَن لا يَكذِبُ
Do not let a liar's view of me deceive you;
And look at me with the eye of one who does not lie.
إِنّيindeed I اِمرُءٌa man جَمُّabundant in الطِماحِlofty ambition إِلىtoward الَّتيthat which
إِنّي اِمرُءٌ جَمُّ الطِماحِ إِلى الَّتي
تَرِثُbequeaths الفَتىa young man شَرَفَthe honor of الحَياةِlife وَتُعقِبُand leaves a legacy
تَرِثُ الفَتى شَرَفَ الحَياةِ وَتُعقِبُ
I am a man of soaring ambition toward that which
Bequeaths a man life's honor and leaves a legacy.
غَيريsomeone other than me يُخادِعُهُdeceives him الرَجاءُhope فَيَشتَهيso he craves
غَيري يُخادِعُهُ الرَجاءُ فَيَشتَهي
وَتَغُرُّهُand beguiles him دُنياthe world of اللِئامِthe ignoble فَيَرغَبُso he desires
وَتَغُرُّهُ دُنيا اللِئامِ فَيَرغَبُ
Another is deceived by hope, and so he yearns;
And the world of the ignoble beguiles him, and so he longs for it.
لَمdid not تَرضَapprove ليfor me غَيرَother than المَحامِدِpraiseworthy deeds مَذهَباًas a path
لَم تَرضَ لي غَيرَ المَحامِدِ مَذهَباً
نَفسٌa soul يَجيءُcomes بِهاwith it العَفافُhonorable restraint وَيَذهَبُand goes
نَفسٌ يَجيءُ بِها العَفافُ وَيَذهَبُ
No path but praiseworthy deeds has been approved for me
By a soul that honorable restraint leads to and fro.
وَالمَرءُand a man يَنهَضُrises فيin الفَضائِلِthe virtues جَدُّهُhis fortune
وَالمَرءُ يَنهَضُ في الفَضائِلِ جَدُّهُ
ماas long as خَفَّis light مَحمَلُهُhis burden وَعَفَّand is pure المَكسَبُthe earnings
ما خَفَّ مَحمَلُهُ وَعَفَّ المَكسَبُ
And a man's fortune rises through the virtues,
So long as his burden is light and his earnings pure.
أَتُعيبُنيdo you fault me أَنbecause كُنتُI was تِربَa companion of خَصاصَةٍpoverty
أَتُعيبُني أَن كُنتُ تِربَ خَصاصَةٍ
تِربُthe companion of الغِنىwealth فيin مِثلِthe like of شَأنِكَyour circumstances أَعيَبُmore blameworthy
تِربُ الغِنى في مِثلِ شَأنِكَ أَعيَبُ
Do you fault me for having been poverty's companion?
Wealth's companion in circumstances like yours is more blameworthy.
صَفُرَتis empty يَديmy hand مِمّاof what مَلَكتَyou possess وَمِلؤُهاand its contents are
صَفُرَت يَدي مِمّا مَلَكتَ وَمِلؤُها
مَجدٌglory تُصابُare stricken بِهِby it المُلوكُkings وَتُنكَبُand are brought low
مَجدٌ تُصابُ بِهِ المُلوكُ وَتُنكَبُ
My hand is empty of what you possess, yet it is full of
Glory by which kings are stricken and brought low.
أَتُدِلُّdo you boast بِالتاجِof the crown الرَفيعِlofty فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I
أَتُدِلُّ بِالتاجِ الرَفيعِ فَإِنَّني
بِالمَكرُماتِwith noble deeds مُتَوَّجٌcrowned وَمُعَصَّبُand bound with a headband
بِالمَكرُماتِ مُتَوَّجٌ وَمُعَصَّبُ
Do you boast of the lofty crown? For I
Am crowned and wreathed with noble deeds.
سَتُريكَwill show you عَينُكَyour eye أَيَّwhich تاجٍcrown يَنطَويis folded away
سَتُريكَ عَينُكَ أَيَّ تاجٍ يَنطَوي
وَأَريكَةٍand a throne تَهويfalls وَمُلكٍand a kingdom يُسلَبُis wrested away
وَأَريكَةٍ تَهوي وَمُلكٍ يُسلَبُ
Your own eye will show you which crown is folded away,
And which throne falls, and which kingdom is wrested away.
غالِبcontend against بِبَأسِكَwith your might مَنwhomever تُطيقُyou can master فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I
غالِب بِبَأسِكَ مَن تُطيقُ فَإِنَّني
أَرميI strike at العُروشَthrones بِقُوَّةٍwith a force ماnot تُغلَبُis overcome
أَرمي العُروشَ بِقُوَّةٍ ما تُغلَبُ
Contend with your might against those you can master, for I
Assail thrones with a force that cannot be overcome.
وَاِذهَبand go بِجُندِكَwith your army فيthrough المَمالِكِthe kingdoms غازِياًas an invader
وَاِذهَب بِجُندِكَ في المَمالِكِ غازِياً
مُلكيmy realm أَعَزُّmore inviolable حِمىًprotected territory وَجُنديand my army أَغلَبُmore victorious
مُلكي أَعَزُّ حِمىً وَجُندي أَغلَبُ
And march with your army through the kingdoms as an invader;
My realm is more inviolable, and my army more victorious.
إِنّيindeed I عَفَفتُhave kept myself aloof عَنِfrom المُلوكِkings فَلَنso I shall never أَرىbe seen
إِنّي عَفَفتُ عَنِ المُلوكِ فَلَن أَرى
مُتَمَسِّحاًrubbing myself بِسُتورِهِمagainst their curtains أَتَقَرَّبُI seek favor
مُتَمَسِّحاً بِسُتورِهِم أَتَقَرَّبُ
I have kept myself aloof from kings; never shall I be seen
Rubbing against their curtains, seeking favor.
كَذَبَhave lied المُلوكُkings فَلَستُso I do not أَعلَمُknow of عِندَهُمin their keeping
كَذَبَ المُلوكُ فَلَستُ أَعلَمُ عِندَهُم
مِنany نِعمَةٍbounty تُسدىto be conferred وَمَجدٍand glory يوهَبُto be bestowed
مِن نِعمَةٍ تُسدى وَمَجدٍ يوهَبُ
Kings have lied; I know of nothing in their keeping—
No bounty to confer, no glory to bestow.
Translation model: Sol 6.1