الملك عندي متعة الشباب

الملك عندي متعة الشباب

والعزل عندي فرقة الأحباب

والعزل عندي فرقة الأحباب

Kingship, to me, is the enjoyment of youth.

The king in my view is the pleasure of youth

And dismissal, to me, is separation from loved ones.

And isolation in my view is the separation of loved ones

والفقر عندي عدم الشراب

والفقر عندي عدم الشراب

والشيب عندي كذب الخضاب

والشيب عندي كذب الخضاب

And poverty, to me, is the absence of wine.

And poverty in my view is the lack of drink

And gray hair, to me, is hair dye's falsehood.

And old age in my view is the lies of dye

والقبح عندي عدم الآداب

والقبح عندي عدم الآداب

والعرس عندي ليلة الكِتاب

والعرس عندي ليلة الكِتاب

And ugliness, to me, is a lack of good manners.

And ugliness in my view is the lack of manners

And a wedding, to me, is a night with a book.

And wedding in my view is the night of scripture

والروض عندي مُلحُ الأعراب

والروض عندي مُلحُ الأعراب

والبغض عندي كثرة الإعراب

والبغض عندي كثرة الإعراب

And a garden, to me, is the Bedouins' witticisms.

And the garden in my view is the salt of nomads

And loathing, to me, is excessive grammatical parsing.

And hatred in my view is the abundance of expressions

والسيف عندي قلم الكتاب

والسيف عندي قلم الكتاب

والنجح عندي سرعة الإياب

والنجح عندي سرعة الإياب

And the sword, to me, is the scribes' pen.

And the sword in my view is the pen of scripture

And success, to me, is a speedy return.

And success in my view is the speed of return

والطرد عندي كلحة البواب

والطرد عندي كلحة البواب

والذلّ عندي وقفة الحجاب

والذلّ عندي وقفة الحجاب

And expulsion, to me, is the doorkeeper's scowl.

And expulsion in my view is the slap of the doorman

And humiliation, to me, is standing before chamberlains.

And humiliation in my view is the stance of the barrier

والقحط عندي قلة الأصحاب

والقحط عندي قلة الأصحاب

والشؤم عندي كثرة العتاب

والشؤم عندي كثرة العتاب

And drought, to me, is a scarcity of friends.

And drought in my view is the lack of friends

And ill luck, to me, is excessive reproach.

And ill omens in my view is the abundance of rebuke

والعيُّ عندي هذر الخطاب

والعيُّ عندي هذر الخطاب

والعزّ عندي طاعة الصواب

والعزّ عندي طاعة الصواب

And inarticulacy, to me, is rambling speech.

And blindness in my view is the nonsense of speech

And honor, to me, is obedience to what is right.

And dignity in my view is obedience to what is right

والإلُّ عندي خلّة القحاب

والإلُّ عندي خلّة القحاب

والغول عندي طلعة الكذاب

والغول عندي طلعة الكذاب

And a covenant, to me, is friendship with harlots.

And the deity in my view is the emptiness of wastelands

And a ghoul, to me, is a liar's countenance.

And the ghoul in my view is the emergence of the liar

والصفح عندي أبلغ العقاب

والصفح عندي أبلغ العقاب

واللوم عندي سفه الشراب

واللوم عندي سفه الشراب

And forgiveness, to me, is the most effective punishment.

And forgiveness in my view is the most eloquent punishment

And blame, to me, is the drinkers' folly.

And blame in my view is the foolishness of drinking

والأمس عندي أسرع الهرَّاب

والأمس عندي أسرع الهرَّاب

والمال عندي أسرع الهِراب

والمال عندي أسرع الهِراب

And yesterday, to me, is the swiftest of fugitives.

And yesterday in my view is the swiftest of fleeers

And wealth, to me, is the swiftest of fugitives.

And money in my view is the swiftest of thieves

والغدّ عندي الحقّ للطلاب

والغدّ عندي الحقّ للطلاب

والفخر عندي أفخر الثياب

والفخر عندي أفخر الثياب

And tomorrow, to me, is the seekers' rightful due.

And tomorrow in my view is the truth for students

And pride, to me, is the finest of garments.

And pride in my view is the proudest of clothes

والسجن عندي منزل التراب

والسجن عندي منزل التراب

والهول عندي موقف الحساب

والهول عندي موقف الحساب

And prison, to me, is an abode in the dust.

And prison in my view is the home of soil

And terror, to me, is standing for the reckoning.

And horror in my view is the station of judgment