منwhoever كبُّرتgrew greater عنthan قدرهhis worth خُطةٌan office
من كبُّرت عن قدره خُطةٌ
داخَلَهُentered him منfor أَجلهاits sake الكبرُarrogance
داخَلَهُ من أَجلها الكبرُ
Whoever holds an office above his worth,
He who overrates himself, deems grand
arrogance enters him because of it.
Pride enters him for which he is too small
ومنand whoever سَمتrose high هِمّتهhis aspiration لمdid not يَكُنbe
ومن سَمت هِمّته لم يَكُن
لخطّةٍfor an office فيin نفسهhimself قَدرُworth
لخطّةٍ في نفسه قَدرُ
And whoever has lofty aspirations does not
And he whose ambition soars too high
attach importance to any office in his own mind.
No scheme his heart can entertain at all
ولايةُholding office الانسانِof a person سَكرٌintoxication فَماand as long as
ولايةُ الانسانِ سَكرٌ فَما
دامَتit lasted لهfor him دامlasted بهin him السُّكرthe intoxication
دامَت له دام به السُّكر
Holding office is intoxication for a person; as long as
Man's authority is heady wine; so long
it remains his, the intoxication remains in him.
As he retains it, drunk with it remains
مغايظthe vexations الدُّنياof the world وأربابهاand its masters
مغايظ الدُّنيا وأربابها
ليسthere is no عليهاin bearing them لامرىءfor any person صبرpatience
ليس عليها لامرىء صبر
The vexations of the world and its masters—
Vex not thyself at those who love this world
no one has the patience to bear them.
No man can patience have for worldly gains
دعهمleave them معwith الدهرTime واحداثِهand its events
دعهم مع الدهر واحداثِه
حتىuntil ترىyou see ماwhat يصنعdoes الدَّهرTime
حتى ترى ما يصنع الدَّهر
Leave them to Time and its vicissitudes,
Leave them to time and all the chance it brings
until you see what Time will do.
Till thou behold what works the hand of fate