إِذا ما أَلَحَّ البَردُ فاِجعَل دِثارَهُ

إِذا ما أَلَحَّ البَردُ فاِجعَل دِثارَهُ

إِذا التَحَفَ الأَقوامُ رُكنَ المَطارِفِ

إِذا التَحَفَ الأَقوامُ رُكنَ المَطارِفِ

When the cold grows relentless, make your covering against it—

When the cold presses hard, let your blanket against it be,

when people draw the corners of bordered cloaks around themselves—

while others bundle themselves in the folds of their cloaks,

ثَلاثةُ أَرطالٍ نَبيذاً مُعَسّلاً

ثَلاثةُ أَرطالٍ نَبيذاً مُعَسّلاً

تَكُن آمِناً مِنهُ لَهُ غَيرَ جائِفِ

تَكُن آمِناً مِنهُ لَهُ غَيرَ جائِفِ

three ratls of honey-sweetened wine;

three full measures of sweet, honeyed wine;

you will be safe from it, unafraid of it.

you will be safe from the chill, its bite unable to pierce your core.

فَإِنَّ التِحافَ المَرءِ في جَوفِ بَطنِهِ

فَإِنَّ التِحافَ المَرءِ في جَوفِ بَطنِهِ

أَشَدُّ وأدفا مِن جيادِ المَلاحِفِ

أَشَدُّ وأدفا مِن جيادِ المَلاحِفِ

For a man's covering within his belly

For indeed, the cloak a man wraps within his own belly

is stronger and warmer than the finest blankets.

is stronger and warmer than the finest of woven blankets.