إِنindeed الفَقيرthe poor man مُمتحنput to the test
إِن الفَقير مُمتحن
مستقبحdeemed ugly مِنهin him الحَسَنthe good
مستقبح مِنه الحَسَن
Indeed, the poor man is put to the test;
The poor man is indeed put to the test.
the fair in him is deemed foul.
The good in him is deemed ugly.
جَميعهall of him عُيوبfaults
جَميعه عُيوب
وَكُلهُand all of him ذُنوبsins
وَكُلهُ ذُنوب
His whole being is faults,
He is nothing but faults,
all of him sins.
And all of him is sins.
وَوَجههُand his face مَمقوتloathed
وَوَجههُ مَمقوت
وَجدهand his fortune مَكبوتcrushed
وَجده مَكبوت
His face is despised,
And his face is loathed,
his ardor stifled.
And his fortune is crushed.
إِحسانهhis kindness إِساءهwrongdoing
إِحسانه إِساءه
عَلاؤهhis loftiness دَناءهbaseness
عَلاؤه دَناءه
His kindness is an offense,
His kindness is deemed wrongdoing.
his loftiness, baseness.
His loftiness is deemed baseness.
سَماحهhis generosity تبذيرsquandering
سَماحه تبذير
تَدبيرهhis planning تَدميرdestruction
تَدبيره تَدمير
His generosity is waste,
His generosity is deemed squandering.
his prudence, ruin.
His planning is deemed destruction.
إِقدامهhis boldness تَهورrecklessness
إِقدامه تَهور
إِحجامهhis holding back تَقهقرretreat
إِحجامه تَقهقر
His boldness is recklessness,
His boldness is deemed recklessness.
his restraint, retreat.
His restraint is deemed retreat.
عِفتهhis chastity فسوقdebauchery
عِفته فسوق
وَبرهand his dutifulness عُقوقfilial disobedience
وَبره عُقوق
His chastity is debauchery,
His chastity is deemed debauchery.
his dutiful goodness, disobedience.
And his dutifulness is deemed disobedience.
صَوابهhis correctness خَطاءerror
صَوابه خَطاء
صَلاتهُhis prayer رِياءostentation
صَلاتهُ رِياء
His right judgment is error,
His correctness is deemed error.
his prayer, ostentation.
His prayer is deemed ostentation.
تَحقيقهُhis verification جُنونmadness
تَحقيقهُ جُنون
وَرَأيهُand his judgment مأفونunsound
وَرَأيهُ مأفون
His pursuit of truth is madness,
His verification is deemed madness.
his opinion, addled.
And his judgment is deemed unsound.
إِنif قالَhe speaks لَمnot يَصدقhe is believed
إِن قالَ لَم يَصدق
أَوor رامَhe seeks لَمnot يوفقhe is granted success
أَو رامَ لَم يوفق
If he speaks, he is not believed;
If he speaks, he is not believed.
if he strives, he finds no success.
Or if he seeks something, he is granted no success.
إِنif زارَhe visits ردhe is turned away وَحجبand he is barred
إِن زارَ رد وَحجب
إِنif لَمnot يَزرhe visits قيلit is said غَضبhe became angry
إِن لَم يَزر قيل غَضب
If he visits, he is turned away and barred;
If he visits, he is turned away and barred.
if he does not visit, they say he is angry.
If he does not visit, they say he is angry.
رامحهhis spearman كَالأعزلlike an unarmed man
رامحه كَالأعزل
وَرمحهُand his spear كَالمغزلlike a spindle
وَرمحهُ كَالمغزل
His lancer is like one unarmed,
His spearman is like an unarmed man,
and his lance is like a spindle.
And his spear is like a spindle.
أَعراسهُhis weddings مآتمmourning ceremonies
أَعراسهُ مآتم
لَيسَthere are no لَهاat them مَباسمsmiles
لَيسَ لَها مَباسم
His weddings are mourning rites,
His weddings are mourning ceremonies,
with not a smile among them.
With no smiles at them.
لاdo not تَحقرbelittle الوساطهmediation
لا تَحقر الوساطه
لاno بُدّescape مِنfrom مشاطهa bridal hairdresser
لا بُدّ مِن مشاطه
Do not scorn mediation;
Do not belittle mediation.
some combing is indispensable.
A bridal hairdresser cannot be dispensed with.
إِنindeed السخاءgenerosity فطنهdiscernment
إِن السخاء فطنه
إِنindeed النساءwomen فتنهtemptation
إِن النساء فتنه
Generosity is astuteness;
Generosity is indeed discernment.
women are a trial.
Women are indeed a temptation.
لِكُلِّfor every حَيliving being مَيتهa death
لِكُلِّ حَي مَيته
مَكتوبةordained مَوقوتهappointed to a time
مَكتوبة مَوقوته
Every living being has a death,
For every living being there is a death,
written and appointed.
Ordained and appointed to its time.
لَوif قامَتcame to pass القِيامهthe Resurrection
لَو قامَت القِيامه
لَزالتwould surely cease الظلامهinjustice
لَزالت الظلامه
Were the Resurrection to rise,
Were the Resurrection to come,
injustice would vanish,
Injustice would surely cease,
وَاِنقَطَعَتand would end هَذيthese المحنordeals
وَاِنقَطَعَت هَذي المحن
وَأَصبحand would become السرthe secret علنpublic
وَأَصبح السر علن
these ordeals would end,
And these ordeals would end,
and the secret become public.
And the secret would become public.
الحُرthe free man عَبدa slave إِنif طَمعhe covets
الحُر عَبد إِن طَمع
وَالعَبدand the slave حُرfree إِنif قَنعhe is content
وَالعَبد حُر إِن قَنع
The free man is a slave if he covets;
The free man is a slave if he covets,
the slave is free if he is content.
And the slave is free if he is content.
الوَغدthe base fellow لَيثa lion إِنif شَبعhe is sated
الوَغد لَيث إِن شَبع
وَهوَand he كَكَلبlike a dog إِنif جشعhe is greedy
وَهوَ كَكَلب إِن جشع
The ignoble man is a lion when full,
The base fellow is a lion when sated,
but like a dog when avaricious.
And he is like a dog when greedy.
مَنwhoever خَدَمserves اللَّهGod خدمis served
مَن خَدَم اللَّه خدم
مَنwhoever لَزمkeeps to الصَّمتsilence سَلمis safe
مَن لَزم الصَّمت سَلم
Whoever serves God is served;
Whoever serves God is served.
whoever keeps silent is safe.
Whoever keeps to silence is safe.
مَنwhoever رَحمshows mercy to الناسpeople رحمis shown mercy
مَن رَحم الناس رحم
مَنwhoever فَعلdoes الشرevil نَدمregrets it
مَن فَعل الشر نَدم
Whoever shows people mercy is shown mercy;
Whoever shows people mercy is shown mercy.
whoever does evil repents.
Whoever does evil regrets it.
إِذاعةdivulging الأسرارsecrets
إِذاعة الأسرار
سَجيةthe nature الأَشرارof the wicked
سَجية الأَشرار
Broadcasting secrets
Divulging secrets
is the nature of villains.
Is the nature of the wicked.
رَبٌّmany a كَريمnoble man فيin خرقrags
رَبٌّ كَريم في خرق
الماءwater رَيٌthirst-quenching وَشَرقand choking
الماء رَيٌ وَشَرق
Many a noble soul goes clad in rags;
Many a noble man is clad in rags.
water is quenching—and choking.
Water both quenches thirst and chokes.
ماhow أَحسنbeautiful الإِحساناkindness
ما أَحسن الإِحسانا
ماhow أَقبحugly العُدواناaggression
ما أَقبح العُدوانا
How beautiful benevolence is!
How beautiful kindness is!
How ugly aggression is!
How ugly aggression is!
بئسwretched is المهادthe bed العجزhelplessness
بئس المهاد العجز
ودaffection الكَريمof the noble man كَنزa treasure
ود الكَريم كَنز
Incapacity is a wretched bed;
Helplessness is a wretched bed.
a noble person’s affection is a treasure.
A noble man's affection is a treasure.
فَأحسناso the two did well إِذwhen خطباthe two delivered speeches
فَأحسنا إِذ خطبا
لَقَدindeed سَمعتI heard عَجَباa marvel
لَقَد سَمعت عَجَبا
How well the two spoke when they gave their addresses!
So both did well when they delivered their speeches.
I have indeed heard a wonder.
Indeed, I heard a marvel.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle فَرَغاthe two had finished
حَتّى إِذا ما فَرَغا
وَوَعظاand the two admonished فَأبلغاso the two spoke eloquently
وَوَعظا فَأبلغا
Then, when the two had finished
Until, when the two had finished,
and delivered their counsel most eloquently,
And had preached with eloquence,
اِنقَضَتswooped down الأَيكيهthe woodland dove
اِنقَضَت الأَيكيه
تَودعbidding farewell to البَريهthe creatures
تَودع البَريه
the tale of the grove came to its end.
The woodland dove swooped down,
The creatures bade one another farewell;
Bidding the creatures farewell.
فَاِعتَنَقاthen the two embraced طَويلاfor a long time
فَاِعتَنَقا طَويلا
وَأكثراand the two greatly increased التَعويلاthe wailing
وَأكثرا التَعويلا
the two embraced for a long while
Then the two embraced for a long while,
and wailed abundantly,
And wailed at great length,
وَذَكَراand the two recalled وصاياcounsels
وَذَكَرا وصايا
تهذبrefine السَّجاياcharacter
تهذب السَّجايا
recalling counsels
And recalled counsels
that refine the character.
That refine character.
