القلبُthe heart بينَamong الصَحْبِthe companions أعدَلُthe most just شاهِدٍwitness
القلبُ بينَ الصَحْبِ أعدَلُ شاهِدٍ
يُرضىis accepted وإنeven though كانتit was شَهادةَtestimony of واحدِone person
يُرضى وإن كانت شَهادةَ واحدِ
The heart, among companions, is the fairest witness,
Accepted, though its testimony is that of one alone.
وإذاand if اتَّهمتَyou mistrust أمينَthe trusted one of قلبِكَyour heart مَرَّةًonce
وإذا اتَّهمتَ أمينَ قلبِكَ مَرَّةً
وطَلَبتَand you seek مُؤتَمَناًsomeone trustworthy فَلَستَthen you are not بواجِدِone who finds
وطَلَبتَ مُؤتَمَناً فَلَستَ بواجِدِ
And if you once mistrust your faithful heart,
And seek someone trustworthy, you will find none.
نَظَرُthe gaze of القُلوبِhearts إلىtoward القُلوبِhearts أصحُّtruer منthan
نَظَرُ القُلوبِ إلى القُلوبِ أصحُّ من
لَحظَاتِthe glances of عينٍan eye للوُجوهِupon faces رَواصِدِkeeping watch
لَحظَاتِ عينٍ للوُجوهِ رَواصِدِ
The gaze of hearts into hearts is truer than
An eye's glances keeping watch upon faces.
ولَقدand indeed يرىsees فيat البُعدِa distance قلبُthe heart of محقِّقٍa discerning person
ولَقد يرى في البُعدِ قلبُ محقِّقٍ
ماwhat لاnot ترَىsees فيat القُربِclose range عينُthe eye of مشاهدِan observer
ما لا ترَى في القُربِ عينُ مشاهدِ
Indeed, a discerning heart may see from afar
What an observer's eye cannot see close at hand.
وإذاand when بدَتْbecomes apparent للنَّاسِto people مَعذِرةُthe excuse of الفَتَىthe young man
وإذا بدَتْ للنَّاسِ مَعذِرةُ الفَتَى
أغنَتْهُit spares him عنfrom بَسْطِsetting out اعتذارٍan apology عامِدِacting deliberately
أغنَتْهُ عن بَسْطِ اعتذارٍ عامِدِ
And when a young man's excuse becomes clear to people,
It spares him deliberately setting out an apology.
يحتالُcontrives فيfor عُذرِthe excuse of الصديقِthe friend صديقُهُhis friend
يحتالُ في عُذرِ الصديقِ صديقُهُ
أَيَعافُwould he disdain? مِنهُfrom him قَبُولَaccepting عُذرٍan excuse وارِدِoffered
أَيَعافُ مِنهُ قَبُولَ عُذرٍ وارِدِ
A friend devises excuses for his friend;
Would he scorn to accept an excuse that friend offers?
عَبِثَتْhave toyed بناwith us الأيَّامُthe days وهيَand they are بليَّةٌa calamity
عَبِثَتْ بنا الأيَّامُ وهيَ بليَّةٌ
عُظمىmost grievous وأعظمُهاand its gravest part شِفاءُthe healing of الحاسدِthe envious person
عُظمى وأعظمُها شِفاءُ الحاسدِ
The days have toyed with us—a calamity
Most grievous; its worst is the healing of the envious.
وإذاand if رَجوتَyou hope for منَfrom الزَّمانِtime سَلامةًsafety
وإذا رَجوتَ منَ الزَّمانِ سَلامةً
فهيَthen it is الصَّلاحُgoodness رَجَوتَهُyou hoped for it منfrom فاسدِa corrupt person
فهيَ الصَّلاحُ رَجَوتَهُ من فاسدِ
And if you hope for safety from time,
That is hoping for goodness from one corrupt.
مَنْwhoever عاشَlives فيin الدُّنياthis world رأىsees فيin يَقْظةٍwakefulness
مَنْ عاشَ في الدُّنيا رأى في يَقْظةٍ
ماwhat لاnot تَرَىsees فيin الحُلمِa dream عينُthe eye of الراقِدِthe sleeper
ما لا تَرَى في الحُلمِ عينُ الراقِدِ
Whoever lives in this world sees while awake
What the sleeper's eye cannot see in a dream.
يَرِدُcomes الشَّقاءُmisery منَfrom النَعيمِbliss وإنَّماand yet
يَرِدُ الشَّقاءُ منَ النَعيمِ وإنَّما
ليسَis not الشَّقاءُmisery ولاnor النعيمُbliss بخالدِeverlasting
ليسَ الشَّقاءُ ولا النعيمُ بخالدِ
Misery comes from bliss, and yet
Neither misery nor bliss is everlasting.
إنّيindeed I am علىtrue to العَهدِthe pledge القديمِold فلمand have not تَحُلْchanged
إنّي على العَهدِ القديمِ فلم تَحُلْ
تلكَthose العُهودُvows علىdespite حُؤُولِthe changing of مَعَاهِدfamiliar haunts
تلكَ العُهودُ على حُؤُولِ مَعَاهِد
I stand by the old pledge; unchanged remain
Those vows, despite the changing of familiar haunts.
هيهاتِfar from it! لاnot يَبقَىstays faithful علىto مُتقَارِبٍone nearby
هيهاتِ لا يَبقَى على مُتقَارِبٍ
مَنwho كانwould لاnot يَبقَىstay faithful علىto مُتباعِدِone far away
مَن كان لا يَبقَى على مُتباعِدِ
Far from it! He will not stay true to one nearby
Who would not stay true to one far away.
عهدٌa pledge قديمٌancient قدindeed تَداوَلْناwe have passed down بهِthrough it
عهدٌ قديمٌ قد تَداوَلْنا بهِ
حَقَّthe right of الوراثةِinheritance والداًa father عنfrom والدِa father
حَقَّ الوراثةِ والداً عن والدِ
An ancient pledge, handed down among us
By right of inheritance, from father to father.
ولَرُبَّماand often سَمَحَwas liberal الكريمُthe generous man بطارفٍwith newly gained wealth
ولَرُبَّما سَمَحَ الكريمُ بطارفٍ
منof مالهِhis wealth عَفواًfreely وضَنَّand was sparing بتالدِwith inherited wealth
من مالهِ عَفواً وضَنَّ بتالدِ
And often a generous man gives what is newly gained
Of his wealth, freely, yet clings to what he inherited.
ورِسالةٍand a letter أَنِسَtook comfort الفُؤادthe heart بوفدهاin its arrival
ورِسالةٍ أَنِسَ الفُؤاد بوفدها
أُنْسَthe comfort of المريضِthe patient إلىin الطبيبthe physician الوافدِvisiting
أُنْسَ المريضِ إلى الطبيب الوافدِ
And a letter—the heart took comfort in its arrival,
As a patient takes comfort in the visiting physician.
عَطَفَتْit showed kindness علىto قلبيmy heart الكليمِwounded فحَبَّذاand how welcome!
عَطَفَتْ على قلبي الكليمِ فحَبَّذا
صِلَةٌa gift of friendship تلقَّتْنيgreeted me بأكرمِwith the noblest عائدِvisitor to the sick
صِلَةٌ تلقَّتْني بأكرمِ عائدِ
It showed kindness to my wounded heart—how welcome
A gift that greeted me as the noblest visitor!
جاءَتit came بِطيبِwith the sweetness of تحيَّةٍa greeting أشهىmore delightful لناto us
جاءَت بِطيبِ تحيَّةٍ أشهى لنا
نحنُwe العِطاشَthe thirsty منَthan الزُلالِclear, pure water الباردِcold
نحنُ العِطاشَ منَ الزُلالِ الباردِ
It came with a sweet greeting, more delightful to us,
Thirsty as we are, than cool, clear water.
تخَتالُit walks proudly بينamid دَقائقٍsubtleties ورَقائقٍand tender sentiments
تخَتالُ بين دَقائقٍ ورَقائقٍ
وتَميسُand it sways تحتَbeneath قَلائدٍnecklaces وفرائدِand rare jewels
وتَميسُ تحتَ قَلائدٍ وفرائدِ
It walks proudly amid subtleties and tender sentiments,
And sways beneath necklaces and rare jewels.
جَلَتِit revealed العِتابَreproach علىfor قَطيعةِthe estrangement of هاجرٍone who withdrew
جَلَتِ العِتابَ على قَطيعةِ هاجرٍ
ولَعلَّand perhaps فيin الهِجرانِestrangement بعضَsome فوائدِbenefits
ولَعلَّ في الهِجرانِ بعضَ فوائدِ
It revealed reproach for the estrangement of one who withdrew;
And perhaps estrangement has some benefits.
لوif لمnot يكُنْthere were سَبَبٌa cause لِعَتْبٍfor reproach لمnot يكنthere would be
لو لم يكُنْ سَبَبٌ لِعَتْبٍ لم يكن
سَبَبٌa cause لوَفْدِfor the arrival of رسائلٍletters وقصائدِand poems
سَبَبٌ لوَفْدِ رسائلٍ وقصائدِ
Had there been no cause for reproach, there would be no
Cause for the arrival of letters and poems.
هذِهْthese are بِضاعتُناour wares التيwhich ماnot مِثلُهاtheir like
هذِهْ بِضاعتُنا التي ما مِثلُها
فيin سوقِthe market of تاجرِهاtheir merchant الخَبيرِdiscerning بكاسدِunsold
في سوقِ تاجرِها الخَبيرِ بكاسدِ
These are our wares, whose like will never
Go unsold in their discerning merchant's market.
كَلِماتُwords of صِدقٍtruth فيin البَيانِeloquent expression تصرَّفَتtook varied forms
كَلِماتُ صِدقٍ في البَيانِ تصرَّفَت
منfrom بَعضِsome أبنيةِforms of الضَميرِthe conscience الجامدِunchanging
من بَعضِ أبنيةِ الضَميرِ الجامدِ
Words of truth that took varied shapes in eloquence,
From certain forms of an unchanging conscience.
قدindeed جَدَّدتْhave renewed عَقْدَthe pact of الوَلاءِloyalty وإنَّهُand indeed it
قد جَدَّدتْ عَقْدَ الوَلاءِ وإنَّهُ
يَبقىendures فيلزَمُand so remains binding بعدَafter مَوتِthe death of العاقدِthe pact-maker
يَبقى فيلزَمُ بعدَ مَوتِ العاقدِ
They have renewed the pact of loyalty, and it
Endures, still binding after its maker's death.
تِلكَthat السريرةُinward feeling عُمدةٌan essential mainstay مطلوبةٌsought
تِلكَ السريرةُ عُمدةٌ مطلوبةٌ
والغيرُand all else مَعْهاbeside it فضلةٌa surplus كالزائدِlike an extra
والغيرُ مَعْها فضلةٌ كالزائدِ
That inward feeling is the essential thing sought;
And all else beside it is surplus, mere excess.
Translation model: Sol 6.1