إِيّاكَbeware! وَالخَمرَand wine فَهيَfor it is خالِبَةٌbeguiling
إِيّاكَ وَالخَمرَ فَهيَ خالِبَةٌ
غالِبَةٌoverpowering خابَmay it come to nothing ذَلِكَthat الغَلَبُthe conquest
غالِبَةٌ خابَ ذَلِكَ الغَلَبُ
Beware of wine, for it is beguiling,
Beware of wine, for it is deceitful
overpowering—may that conquest come to nothing!
Overpowering, failed has that dominance
خابِيَةُa large jar الراحِwine ناقَةٌa she-camel حَفَلَتbecame full of milk
خابِيَةُ الراحِ ناقَةٌ حَفَلَت
لَيسَis not لَهاfor her غَيرَother than باطِلٍfalsehood حَلَبُmilk yielded
لَيسَ لَها غَيرَ باطِلٍ حَلَبُ
The wine jar is a she-camel whose udder is full;
Deceitful is the comfort of wine, a camel gone astray
she yields no milk but falsehood.
It has nothing but false milk to offer
أَشأَمُmore ill-omened مِنthan ناقَةِthe she-camel of البَسوسِal-Basūs عَلىfor الناthe people (first part of الناس)
أَشأَمُ مِن ناقَةِ البَسوسِ عَلى النا
سِcompletion of الناس, ‘the people’ وَإِنand even if يُنَلis attained عِندَهاwith her الطَلَبُwhat is sought
سِ وَإِن يُنَل عِندَها الطَلَبُ
More ill-omened than al-Basūs’s she-camel for people,
More ominous than the camel of mischief to people
even if what is sought is attained through her.
Even if milk is gotten from it when milk is sought
ياO صالِṢāliḥ (shortened vocative) خَفfear! إِنif حَلَبتyou milked دِرَّتَهاher flow of milk
يا صالِ خَف إِن حَلَبت دِرَّتَها
أَنthat يَتَرامىspread far and wide بِدائِهاwith her disease حَلَبُAleppo
أَن يَتَرامى بِدائِها حَلَبُ
O Ṣāliḥ, beware, if you draw her milk,
O you who prays, tread carefully should you milk its udder
lest her disease spread through Aleppo.
Lest its sickness spreads through its milk
أَفضَلُbetter مِمّاthan what تَضُمُّcontain أَكؤُسُهاher cups
أَفضَلُ مِمّا تَضُمُّ أَكؤُسُها
ماwhat ضُمَّنَتهُcontained it العِساسُthe large milk bowls وَالعُلَبُand the milk vessels
ما ضُمَّنَتهُ العِساسُ وَالعُلَبُ
Better than what her cups contain
Better than what its cups contain
is what the milk bowls and vessels hold.
Is what the honeybee and grape hold
Sol 6.1