لاdo not تَحقِرَنever scorn عالِماًa scholar وَإِنand even if خَلِقَتbecame threadbare
لا تَحقِرَن عالِماً وَإِن خَلِقَت
أَثوابُهُhis garments فيin عُيونِthe eyes of رامِقِهِhis beholder
أَثوابُهُ في عُيونِ رامِقِهِ
Never scorn a scholar, however threadbare
Do not belittle a scholar though his clothes
His garments seem in his beholder’s eyes.
In a beholder’s eyes seem worn and frayed
وَاِنظُرand look إِلَيهِat him بِعَينِwith the eye of ذيone possessing خَطَرٍhigh standing
وَاِنظُر إِلَيهِ بِعَينِ ذي خَطَرٍ
مُهَذَّبِrefined in الرَأيِjudgment فيin طَرائِقِهِhis ways
مُهَذَّبِ الرَأيِ في طَرائِقِهِ
And look upon him with the eye of a man of worth,
But look on him with a keen, discerning sight
Refined in judgment in his ways.
Of refined intellect and wisdom’s way
فَالمِسكُfor musk إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle تَراهُyou see it مُمتَهَناًtreated with contempt
فَالمِسكُ إِذا ما تَراهُ مُمتَهَناً
بِفِهرِby the stone pestle of عَطّارِهِits perfumer وَساحِقِهِand its grinder
بِفِهرِ عَطّارِهِ وَساحِقِهِ
For when you see musk treated with contempt
For musk when lying trod in perfumers’ floors
By the stone pestle of its perfumer and grinder,
Still holds the throne and crown from its birthplace
سَوفَwill تَراهُyou see it بِعارِضَيon the two cheeks of مَلكٍa king
سَوفَ تَراهُ بِعارِضَي مَلكٍ
وَمَوضِعِand at the place of التاجِthe crown مِنamong مَفارِقِهِthe partings of his hair
وَمَوضِعِ التاجِ مِن مَفارِقِهِ
You will see it on a king’s two cheeks,
And where the crown rests upon the partings of his hair.
Partial English translation: 6 of 8 Arabic lines translated.