لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot غادَرتُI left مَطلِعَthe ascent هَضبَةٍof a hill
لَعَمرُكَ ما غادَرتُ مَطلِعَ هَضبَةٍ
مِنَof الفِكرِthought إِلّاexcept وَاِرتَقَيتُand I climbed هِضابَهاits heights
مِنَ الفِكرِ إِلّا وَاِرتَقَيتُ هِضابَها
By your life, I have never left the ascent of a hill
of thought without scaling its heights.
أَقَلُّthe least الَّذيthat which تَجنيcommit الغَوانيbeautiful women تَبرُّجٌself-display
أَقَلُّ الَّذي تَجني الغَواني تَبرُّجٌ
يُريshows العَينَthe eye مِنهاof her حَليهَاher jewelry وَخِضابَهاand her henna
يُري العَينَ مِنها حَليهَا وَخِضابَها
The least offense beautiful women commit is self-display,
revealing to the eye their jewelry and henna.
فَإِنso if أَنتَyou عاشَرتَyou consort with الكَعابَthe nubile maiden فَصادِهاthen humor her
فَإِن أَنتَ عاشَرتَ الكَعابَ فَصادِها
وَحاوِلand seek رِضاهاher approval وَاِحذَرَand beware نَّغَضابَهاher wrath (emphatic)
وَحاوِل رِضاها وَاِحذَرَ نَّغَضابَها
So if you consort with a nubile maiden, humor her,
and seek her approval, and beware her wrath.
فَكَمfor how often بَكَرَتshe rose early تَسقيshe gives to drink الأَمَرَّthe bitterest حَليلَهاher husband
فَكَم بَكَرَت تَسقي الأَمَرَّ حَليلَها
مِنَfrom الغارِlaurel إِذwhile تَسقيshe gives to drink الخَليلَthe lover رُضابَهاher saliva
مِنَ الغارِ إِذ تَسقي الخَليلَ رُضابَها
For how often she has risen early to give her husband the bitterest draught
of laurel, while giving her lover the moisture of her lips!
وَإِنَّand indeed حِبالَthe cords العَيشِof life ماnot عَلِقَتclung بِهاto them
وَإِنَّ حِبالَ العَيشِ ما عَلِقَت بِها
يَدُthe hand الحَيِّof the living إِلّاexcept وَهيَwhile it تَخشىfears اِنقِضابَهاtheir snapping
يَدُ الحَيِّ إِلّا وَهيَ تَخشى اِنقِضابَها
And indeed, the cords of life are never grasped
by a living hand without fear that they may snap.
Sol 6.1