Sol 6.1

  1. أَلَمَّ عُصفورٌ بِمَجرىً صافِ

    قَد غابَ تَحتَ الغابِ في الأَلفافِ

    A sparrow stopped by a clear stream,

    That lay hidden beneath the thicket, amid tangled growth,

  2. يَسقي الثَرى مِن حَيثُ لا يَدري الثَرى

    خَشيَةَ أَن يُسمَعَ عَنهُ أَو يُرى

    Watering the soil from a place the soil did not know,

    For fear it might be heard of or seen.

  3. فَاِغتَرَفَ العُصفورُ مِن إِحسانِهِ

    وَحَرَّكَ الصَنيعُ مِن لِسانِهِ

    So the sparrow drew water from its bounty,

    And the kindness set its tongue in motion.

  4. فَقالَ يا نورَ عُيونِ الأَرضِ

    وَمُخجِلَ الكَوثَرِ يَومَ العَرضِ

    So it said: "O light of the earth's eyes,

    And you who put al-Kawthar to shame on the Day of Judgment,

  5. هَل لَكَ في أَن أَرشِدَ الإِنسانا

    لِيَعرِفَ المَكانَ وَالإِمكانا

    Would you like me to guide humankind,

    So they may know the place and its potential,

  6. فَيَنظُرَ الخَيرَ الَّذي نَظَرتُ

    وَيَشكُرَ الفَضلَ كَما شَكَرتُ

    Then see the goodness that I have seen,

    And give thanks for the bounty as I gave thanks?

  7. لَعَلَّ أَن تُشهَرَ بِالجِميلِ

    وَتُنسِيَ الناسَ حَديثَ النيلِ

    Perhaps you would become renowned for your kindness,

    And make people forget talk of the Nile."

  8. فَاِلتَفَتَ الغَديرُ لِلعُصفورِ

    وَقالَ يُهدي مُهجَةَ المَغرورِ

    Then the pool turned toward the sparrow,

    And spoke, guiding the deluded one's heart:

  9. يا أَيُّها الشاكِرُ دونَ العالَمِ

    أَمَّنَكَ اللَهُ يَدَ اِبنِ آدَمِ

    "O grateful one, unlike the rest of the world,

    May God protect you from the hand of Adam's son.

  10. النيلُ فَاِسمَع وَاِفهَمِ الحَديثا

    يُعطي وَلَكِن يَأخُذُ الخَبيثا

    The Nile—so listen and understand the tale—

    Gives, yet receives what is foul.

  11. مِن طولِ ما أَبصَرَهُ الناسُ نُسي

    وَصارَ كُلُّ الذِكرِ لِلمُهَندِسِ

    People had seen it so long that it was forgotten,

    And all the credit went to the engineer.

  12. وَهَكَذا العَهدُ بِوُدِّ الناسي

    وَقيمَةُ المُحسِنِ عِندَ الناسِ

    Such is the affection one expects from the forgetful,

    And such is a benefactor's worth in people's eyes.

  13. وَقَد عَرَفتَ حالَتي وَضِدَّها

    فَقُل لِمَن يَسأَلُ عَنّي بَعدَها

    And now you know my condition and its opposite,

    So tell whoever asks about me thereafter:

  14. إِن خَفِيَ النافِعُ فَالنَفعُ ظَهَر

    يا سَعدَ مَن صافى وَصوفي وَاِستَتَر

    If the benefactor is hidden, the benefit is plain.

    How fortunate is one who gives and receives sincere friendship and stays hidden!"