جُبلَwere naturally disposed النساءُwomen عَلىto التَكَتُّمِsecrecy فَاحتَرزso beware
جُبلَ النساءُ عَلى التَكَتُّمِ فَاحتَرز
مِنof كَيدِهِنَّtheir guile فَإِنَّهُfor it is لَعَظيمُindeed great
مِن كَيدِهِنَّ فَإِنَّهُ لَعَظيمُ
Women were fashioned to dissemble, so beware
Women are by nature given to secrecy, so beware
their guile—for mighty indeed it is.
of their guile, for it is indeed great.
فَمَتىso whenever تَعِفُّyou remain chaste فَرُبَّماthen perhaps عَفَّتshe remained chaste فَإِنbut if
فَمَتى تَعِفُّ فَرُبَّما عَفَّت فَإِن
تُهمَلshe is neglected فَكَشحٌthen a waist يُستَباحُis violated هَضيمُslender
تُهمَل فَكَشحٌ يُستَباحُ هَضيمُ
Whenever you abstain, perhaps she too abstains; but if
So whenever you remain chaste, she may remain chaste; but if
she is neglected, a tender waist is made fair game.
she is neglected, a slender waist becomes fair game.
وَكَذاand likewise الصَبِيُّthe boy إِذاwhen عَرَتهُafflicts him خَصاصَةٌpoverty
وَكَذا الصَبِيُّ إِذا عَرَتهُ خَصاصَةٌ
يَبدوappears لَهُfor him لَفظٌspeech يُعدُّis deemed رَخيمُsoft and sweet
يَبدو لَهُ لَفظٌ يُعدُّ رَخيمُ
So too the boy, when poverty overtakes him,
And likewise the boy, when poverty afflicts him:
finds a phrase presenting itself to him, accounted sweet.
his speech emerges, deemed soft and sweet.
وَتَراهُand you see him يَسمَحُgives freely بِالَّذيwith what هُوَhe باخِلٌstingy
وَتَراهُ يَسمَحُ بِالَّذي هُوَ باخِلٌ
وَيَعودُand he returns بَعدَafter الحَمدِpraise وَهوَwhile he is ذَميمُblameworthy
وَيَعودُ بَعدَ الحَمدِ وَهوَ ذَميمُ
You see him freely yielding what he once withheld,
And you see him give freely what he begrudges,
then returning after praise, yet disgraced.
and after praise he returns deserving blame.
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 surface of the earth;
His noble brow has touched the earth's surface,
then he rises utterly bereft of shame.
then he rises, bereft of shame.
طوراًat times نَديمٌa boon companion للقِحابِto the whores وَتارَةًand at another time
طوراً نَديمٌ للقِحابِ وَتارَةً
لِلائِطينَto the sodomites الفاسِقينَthe wicked نَديمُa boon companion
لِلائِطينَ الفاسِقينَ نَديمُ
At one time a boon companion to prostitutes, and at another
At times a boon companion to whores, and at others
a companion to sinful sodomites.
a boon companion to wicked sodomites.
وِإِذاand when التَحىgrows 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 his beard comes in, he is a pauper or a thief, and at
And when he grows a beard, he is a pauper or a thief, and at
the judges’ or governors’ gate, a lackey.
the door of judges or governors, a servant.
Sol 6.1