أتمنحُناwill they grant us? أوطانهُنّtheir homelands الكواكبُthe stars
أتمنحُنا أوطانهُنّ الكواكبُ
وتصدُقُناand tell us the truth الأيامُthe days وهْيَwhile they are كواذِبُliars
وتصدُقُنا الأيامُ وهْيَ كواذِبُ
Will the stars grant us their homelands,
Do you grant us countries as planets
and will the days tell us the truth, though they are liars?
And do days believe us while they are liars
إذاif أنتَyou سلّمتَyou yielded to الزمانَtime ضراعةًin meek submission
إذا أنتَ سلّمتَ الزمانَ ضراعةً
وأهليهand its people حيناًfor a while فاختلِقْthen invent منsomeone who يُحاربُfights
وأهليه حيناً فاختلِقْ من يُحاربُ
If you yield to time in meek submission,
If you surrender time to begging
and to its people for a while, then invent an adversary.
And its people for a while, then fabricate one who fights
فإنْfor if أنتyou أغضيتَyou lowered الجفونَthe eyelids علىupon القذىgrit
فإنْ أنت أغضيتَ الجفونَ على القذى
وقادَتْكَand led you أطماعُcravings المُنىwishes والمطالبُand pursuits
وقادَتْكَ أطماعُ المُنى والمطالبُ
For if you close your eyelids upon grit,
If you close your eyelids to specks
and the lure of wishes and pursuits leads you,
And your ambitions and wants lead you
ففيthen in أيّwhich بُرْدىtwo cloaks فخرِهاits pride أنتyou رافِلٌstrutting
ففي أيّ بُرْدى فخرِها أنت رافِلٌ
وفيand in أيwhat عيشٍlife بعدَهاafter it أنتyou راغبُdesirous
وفي أي عيشٍ بعدَها أنت راغبُ
then in which of its two cloaks of pride do you swagger,
Then in which cold are you bundled up
and what life after that do you desire?
And after it in which life are you desirous
يذودُkeeps away حمىthe sanctuary of الأعراضِhonor عنfrom كلِّevery موقفِsituation
يذودُ حمى الأعراضِ عن كلِّ موقفِ
سَواءٌequal بهin it أُسْدُlions الشّرىal-Shara والثّعالبُand the foxes
سَواءٌ به أُسْدُ الشّرى والثّعالبُ
The sanctuary of honor keeps one away from every situation
It defends the honor of every situation
where the lions of al-Shara and the foxes are equal.
Equal to it the lions of evil and foxes
Sol 6.1