الناسُpeople مُختَلِفونَdiffering قيلَit is said المَرءُa person لاnot
الناسُ مُختَلِفونَ قيلَ المَرءُ لا
يُجزىis recompensed عَلىfor عَمَلٍa deed وَقيلَand it is said يُجازىis recompensed
يُجزى عَلى عَمَلٍ وَقيلَ يُجازى
People differ: it is said that a person is not
Recompensed for a deed; and it is said that he is.
وَاللَهُand God حَقٌّreal مَنwhoever تَدَبَّرَreflects on أَمرَهُHis nature
وَاللَهُ حَقٌّ مَن تَدَبَّرَ أَمرَهُ
عَرَفَknows اليَقينَcertainty وَآنَسَand perceives الإِعجازاthe miraculous
عَرَفَ اليَقينَ وَآنَسَ الإِعجازا
And God is real; whoever reflects on His nature
Knows certainty and perceives the miraculous.
رَجَزَتchanted rajaz بِتَسبيحِin glorification of المَليكِthe Sovereign حَمامَةٌa dove
رَجَزَت بِتَسبيحِ المَليكِ حَمامَةٌ
بِالشامِin al-Sham توطِنُdwells أَوor تَحُلُّsettles in حِجازاthe Hijaz
بِالشامِ توطِنُ أَو تَحُلُّ حِجازا
A dove chanted rajaz in glorification of the Sovereign,
Dwelling in al-Sham or settling in the Hijaz.
وَالطَيرُand birds مِثلُlike الإِنسِhumankind تَعرِفُknow رَبِّهاtheir Lord
وَالطَيرُ مِثلُ الإِنسِ تَعرِفُ رَبِّها
وَتَرىand you see بِهاamong them الشَعراءَpoets وَالرُجّازاand rajaz-chanters
وَتَرى بِها الشَعراءَ وَالرُجّازا
And birds, like humankind, know their Lord,
And among them you see poets and rajaz-chanters.
فيهُنَّamong them مِسهابٌa long-winded speaker يُعَدُّis reckoned وَناطِقٌand a speaker
فيهُنَّ مِسهابٌ يُعَدُّ وَناطِقٌ
تَرَكَabandoned المَقالَdiscourse وَآثَرَand preferred الإيجازاbrevity
تَرَكَ المَقالَ وَآثَرَ الإيجازا
Among them is one reckoned long-winded, and another speaker
Who abandoned discourse and preferred brevity.
فَاِسأَلso consult حِجاكَyour reason إِذاwhen أَرَدتَyou seek هِدايَةًguidance
فَاِسأَل حِجاكَ إِذا أَرَدتَ هِدايَةً
وَاِحبِسand restrain لِسانَكَyour tongue أَنto يَقولَsay مُجازاfigurative speech
وَاِحبِس لِسانَكَ أَن يَقولَ مُجازا
So consult your reason when you seek guidance,
And restrain your tongue from uttering figurative speech.
لاdo not تَرضَbe content with وَعداًa promise إِنif قَدِرتَyou are able عَلىto نَداًa gift
لا تَرضَ وَعداً إِن قَدِرتَ عَلى نَداً
وَإِذاand when وَعَدتَyou promise فَيَسِّرِthen facilitate الإِنجازاfulfillment
وَإِذا وَعَدتَ فَيَسِّرِ الإِنجازا
Do not settle for a promise if you can obtain a gift,
And when you promise, make its fulfillment easy.
جاءَتكَhave come to you أَعناقُthe necks (beginnings) الأُمورِof affairs بَوادِياًplainly visible
جاءَتكَ أَعناقُ الأُمورِ بَوادِياً
وَلَقَدand indeed لَمَحتَyou glimpsed بِلُبَّكَwith your intellect الأَعجازاthe hindquarters (endings)
وَلَقَد لَمَحتَ بِلُبَّكَ الأَعجازا
The necks of affairs have come to you in plain sight,
And with your intellect you have indeed glimpsed their hindquarters.