جُبلَwere fashioned النساءُwomen عَلىfor التَكَتُّمِsecrecy فَاحتَرزso beware
جُبلَ النساءُ عَلى التَكَتُّمِ فَاحتَرز
مِنof كَيدِهِنَّtheir guile فَإِنَّهُfor it is لَعَظيمُindeed great
مِن كَيدِهِنَّ فَإِنَّهُ لَعَظيمُ
Women were fashioned for secrecy, so beware
Women are inclined to be secretive, so beware
of their guile, for it is great indeed.
Of their plots, for they are indeed great.
فَمَتىso whenever تَعِفُّyou remain chaste فَرُبَّماthen perhaps عَفَّتshe remains chaste فَإِنbut if
فَمَتى تَعِفُّ فَرُبَّما عَفَّت فَإِن
تُهمَلshe is neglected فَكَشحٌthen a waist يُستَباحُis made free with هَضيمُslender
تُهمَل فَكَشحٌ يُستَباحُ هَضيمُ
So whenever you are chaste, she may be chaste; but if
When she is chaste, maybe she has been, so if
she is neglected, a slender waist is free for the taking.
Neglected, she becomes violable prey.
وَكَذاand likewise الصَبِيُّthe boy إِذاwhen عَرَتهُafflicts him خَصاصَةٌpoverty
وَكَذا الصَبِيُّ إِذا عَرَتهُ خَصاصَةٌ
يَبدوappears لَهُto him لَفظٌan utterance يُعدُّis considered رَخيمُsoft and sweet
يَبدو لَهُ لَفظٌ يُعدُّ رَخيمُ
And likewise the boy, when poverty afflicts him:
Thus a boy, when puberty visits him,
an utterance comes to him, deemed soft and sweet.
Utters words considered vile.
وَتَراهُand you see him يَسمَحُgives freely بِالَّذيwith that which هُوَhe باخِلٌis stingy
وَتَراهُ يَسمَحُ بِالَّذي هُوَ باخِلٌ
وَيَعودُand he becomes بَعدَafter الحَمدِpraise وَهوَwhile he is ذَميمُblameworthy
وَيَعودُ بَعدَ الحَمدِ وَهوَ ذَميمُ
And you see him freely yield what he is loath to give,
You see him generous, he who was stingy,
and after praise he becomes blameworthy.
And returning, after thanks, despised.
قَدhas مَسَّtouched ظهرَthe surface of الأَرضِthe earth حُرُّthe noble part of جَبينهِhis brow
قَد مَسَّ ظهرَ الأَرضِ حُرُّ جَبينهِ
فَيَقومُthen he rises وَهوَwhile he is مِنof الحَياءِshame عَديمُdevoid
فَيَقومُ وَهوَ مِن الحَياءِ عَديمُ
His noble brow has touched the earth’s surface;
The heat of his brow touched the earth’s back,
then he rises, devoid of shame.
So he stands, from shyness devoid.
طوراًat times نَديمٌa drinking companion للقِحابِto whores وَتارَةًand at other times
طوراً نَديمٌ للقِحابِ وَتارَةً
لِلائِطينَto sodomites الفاسِقينَthe debauched نَديمُa drinking companion
لِلائِطينَ الفاسِقينَ نَديمُ
At times a drinking companion to whores, and at others
At times a boon companion to revelers,
a drinking companion to the debauched sodomites.
At others a companion to debauched profligates.
وِإِذاand when التَحىhe grows a beard فَفَقيرٌthen a pauper أَوor لصٌa thief وَفيand at
وِإِذا التَحى فَفَقيرٌ أَو لصٌ وَفي
بابِthe door of القُضاةِthe judges أَوor الوُلاةِthe governors خَديمُa servant
بابِ القُضاةِ أَو الوُلاةِ خَديمُ
And when he grows a beard, he is a pauper or a thief, and at
And when alone, either a pauper or a thief,
the door of judges or governors, a servant.
At the judges’ or governors’ doors a servile attendant.
Sol 6.1