فخراًtake pride فإنّكfor you are منof قومٍa people إذاwhen اِفتَخرواthey boast
فخراً فإنّك من قومٍ إذا اِفتَخروا
مدّواthey stretched out إلىtoward كلِّevery نجمٍstar فيin السّماءِthe sky يداa hand
مدّوا إلى كلِّ نجمٍ في السّماءِ يدا
Take pride, for you are of a people who, when they boast,
stretch out a hand toward every star in the sky.
مُحَسَّدينgreatly envied وهذاand this الفضلexcellence مَرقَبةٌa lofty height
مُحَسَّدين وهذا الفضل مَرقَبةٌ
تَجرّdraws قِدْماًsince long ago علىupon طُلّاعِهاthose who scale it الحَسداenvy
تَجرّ قِدْماً على طُلّاعِها الحَسدا
Much envied—and this excellence is a lofty height
that has long drawn envy upon those who scale it.
لمّاwhen رأيناwe saw سجاياًvirtues منهمُof theirs سُمعتْwere heard of
لمّا رأينا سجاياً منهمُ سُمعتْ
كأنّناas though we ماnot رأيناwe saw منهمُamong them أحداanyone
كأنّنا ما رأينا منهمُ أحدا
When we saw virtues of theirs that had been spoken of,
it was as though we had never seen any of them.