اسلكtraverse الأرضthe land ومهِّدهاand level it اتساعاfar and wide
اسلك الأرض ومهِّدها اتساعا
واملأand fill الملكthe realm نعيماًwith comfort ومتاعاand enjoyment
واملأ الملك نعيماً ومتاعا
Traverse the land and level it far and wide,
Pave the land and make it spacious,
And fill the realm with comfort and enjoyment.
And fill the kingdom with bliss and delight,
واقضand judge بينamong الناسthe people يأخذmay receive حقهhis due
واقض بين الناس يأخذ حقه
كلevery إنسانperson حياةlife وانتفاعاand enjoyment
كل إنسان حياة وانتفاعا
And judge among the people, so that his due is received
And judge between people, let each person
By every person: life and its enjoyment.
Get their right, life and benefit.
عرفتrecognized كلevery طلوبstriver جدهhis diligence
عرفت كل طلوب جده
سنةthe rule العدلof justice الذيthat عمreached everywhere وشاعاand spread
سنة العدل الذي عم وشاعا
Every striver's diligence was recognized
You knew every urgent request,
By the rule of justice that spread far and wide.
The justice you spread and made common.
قسَّمdivided الماءthe water فروعاًinto branches ومضىand went on
قسَّم الماء فروعاً ومضى
يقسمapportioning الخصبfertility غياضاًamong groves وبقاعاand tracts
يقسم الخصب غياضاً وبقاعا
It divided the water into branches and went on
You divided the water into streams and left,
Apportioning fertility among groves and tracts.
To divide fertility into meadows and lands.
حاجةthe need الخلقof humankind إلىfor مزرعةa farm
حاجة الخلق إلى مزرعة
قبلbefore ماwhat حلcame اكتشافاًas discovery واختراعاand invention
قبل ما حل اكتشافاً واختراعا
Humanity's need for farmland
People need a farm
Predates what came as discovery and invention.
Before discovery and invention come about.
لوif خلاwere devoid البرthe land منof المحراثthe plow لمwould not
لو خلا البر من المحراث لم
ترفعraise الريحthe wind علىupon البحرthe sea شراعاa sail
ترفع الريح على البحر شراعا
Had the land been without the plow,
If the land was devoid of the plough, the wind
The wind would never have raised a sail upon the sea.
Would not have raised the sail on the sea.
مثلthe likeness of الزارعthe farmer يحتلoccupying القرىthe villages
مثل الزارع يحتل القرى
مثلis like الجنديthe soldier يحتلoccupying القلاعاthe fortresses
مثل الجندي يحتل القلاعا
The farmer who occupies the villages
Like a farmer who occupies villages,
Is like the soldier who occupies the fortresses.
Like a soldier who occupies fortresses.
سخرتهpressed him into service قوةthe might الأمسof yesterday وكمand how often
سخرته قوة الأمس وكم
أطعمhe fed الخلقhumankind وكمand how often هانhe was abased وجاعاand went hungry
أطعم الخلق وكم هان وجاعا
Yesterday's might pressed him into service; and how often
Yesterday's power employed him, and how much
He fed humanity, and how often he was abased and hungry!
He fed people, and how much he eased pains.
وتلقىand he received اليومtoday ماwhat عوضهcompensated him
وتلقى اليوم ما عوضه
منfrom أياديكyour favors اصطفاءpreferment واصطناعاand patronage
من أياديك اصطفاء واصطناعا
And today he has received his recompense
And today he receives compensation
From your favors: preferment and patronage.
From your hands, care and crafting.
سهلbecame easy الملكownership عليهfor him واستوىand became equal
سهل الملك عليه واستوى
ماwhat اقتنىhe acquired جوداًthrough generosity وماand what جاءcame ابتياعاby purchase
ما اقتنى جوداً وما جاء ابتياعا
Ownership became easy for him, and alike were
Kingship came easy to him and leveled out
What he acquired through bounty and what came by purchase.
What he gained in generosity and what came in trade.
رحلةa journey of الخيرgood وماand how أيمنهاblessed it was
رحلة الخير وما أيمنها
لكfor you ركباًa cavalcade ولقاءand encounter واجتماعاand gathering
لك ركباً ولقاء واجتماعا
A journey of good—how blessed it was
The journey of good - how propitious it was
For you, in its cavalcade, encounters, and gatherings!
For you a mount, meeting and gathering.
نعمتdelighted نفسكyour soul فيهاduring it بالذيin what
نعمت نفسك فيها بالذي
بلغتهattained it النفسthe soul علماًthrough knowledge واطلاعاand observation
بلغته النفس علماً واطلاعا
Your soul delighted, during it, in what
Your soul thrived in it through what
The soul attained through knowledge and observation.
The soul reached in knowledge and learning.
وأتتand came أنباءreports منthe one whom أوفدتهyou dispatched him
وأتت أنباء من أوفدته
بالذيwith what شئتyou wished مريحاتreassuring سراعاswift
بالذي شئت مريحات سراعا
And reports came from the one you dispatched,
And news came from those you sent
With what you wished, reassuring and swift.
With what you wished, quick messengers.
أخذhe took العدةthe equipment فيfor حملتهhis campaign
أخذ العدة في حملته
منكfrom you والجندand the troops لساناًa tongue ويراعاand a pen
منك والجند لساناً ويراعا
He took the equipment for his campaign
They took supplies in their campaign
From you—his troops a tongue and a pen.
From you, and the army a tongue and a shepherd.
جامعاًgathering رأيكyour counsel فيin حجتهhis argument
جامعاً رأيك في حجته
وقديماًand long ago نفعbenefited الرأيsound judgment الشجاعاthe brave man
وقديماً نفع الرأي الشجاعا
Gathering your counsel into his argument,
Gathering your opinion in their argument,
And sound judgment has long aided the brave.
And wisdom of old aids the brave.
نزلcame down الجبارthe tyrant منfrom معقلهhis stronghold
نزل الجبار من معقله
بعدafter ماhaving اعتزtaken pride إباءin defiance وامتناعاand resistance
بعد ما اعتز إباء وامتناعا
The tyrant came down from his stronghold,
The tyrant descended from his fortress
After priding himself on defiance and resistance,
After he was too proud and stubborn.
يطلبseeking العهدthe pact الذيthat يعوزهhe needs
يطلب العهد الذي يعوزه
ويوفيهand honoring it اصطحاباًwith companionship واتباعاand allegiance
ويوفيه اصطحاباً واتباعا
Seeking the pact that he needed,
Seeking the pact he lacks
And honoring it with companionship and allegiance.
And fulfilling it with company and following.
ليسis not منone who هاجroused سباعاًbeasts of prey فاعتدتso they attacked
ليس من هاج سباعاً فاعتدت
مثلlike منone who روضtamed واقتادand led السباعاthe beasts of prey
مثل من روض واقتاد السباعا
He who rouses beasts, so that they attack, is not
Not like one who provoked beasts and so is used to them,
Like one who tames and leads the beasts.
Unlike one who tamed and herded beasts.
والذيand one who ينقلmoves طوداًa mountain عالياًlofty
والذي ينقل طوداً عالياً
ليسis not كالناقلlike one who changes للناسpeople's طباعاnatures
ليس كالناقل للناس طباعا
And one who moves a lofty mountain
And one who carries a towering height
Is not like one who changes people's natures.
Is not like one who carries people's natures.
رجلthe man of الساعةthe hour حلهاresolved it سبلاًpaths
رجل الساعة حلها سبلاً
ممكناتpracticable ومنالاًand a goal مستطاعاattainable
ممكنات ومنالاً مستطاعا
The man of the hour resolved it into paths
The man of the hour found it ways
That could be taken, and a goal within reach.
Of possibilities and attainable things.
ودعand leave الرهطthe band الذيthat أمهلتهyou granted it respite
ودع الرهط الذي أمهلته
فتحداكso it challenged you اغتراراًin overconfidence وانخداعاand delusion
فتحداك اغتراراً وانخداعا
And leave the band you granted respite,
Leave the band you neglected
Who then challenged you, overconfident and deceived.
And so they challenged you in delusion and deceit.
قُضيwas settled الأمرthe matter كماas شئتyou wished فهلso, does…?
قُضي الأمر كما شئت فهل
يملكhave الحاسدthe envious man فيconcerning العقبىthe outcome نزاعاa dispute
يملك الحاسد في العقبى نزاعا
The matter is settled as you wished; can
The order is done as you wished, so does
The envious man dispute the outcome?
The envious have any dispute about fate?