أَياO سارِحاًwanderer فيin الجَوِّthe sky دُنياكَyour world مَعدِنٌa mine
أَيا سارِحاً في الجَوِّ دُنياكَ مَعدِنٌ
يَفورُseethes بِشَرٍّwith evil فَاِبغَso seek فيin غَيرِهاsomewhere other than it وَكراa nest
يَفورُ بِشَرٍّ فَاِبغَ في غَيرِها وَكرا
O wanderer in the sky, your world is a mine
O you who roam the air, your world is a mine
seething with evil; so seek a nest elsewhere.
Brimming with evil, so seek goodness elsewhere.
فَإِنso if أَنتَyou لَمnot تَملِكcontrol وَشيكَswift فِراقِهاdeparture from it
فَإِن أَنتَ لَم تَملِك وَشيكَ فِراقِها
فَعِفَّthen be chaste وَلاand do not تَنكِحmarry عَواناًa previously married woman وَلاnor بِكراa virgin
فَعِفَّ وَلا تَنكِح عَواناً وَلا بِكرا
So if you cannot bring about your swift departure from it,
If you don't soon leave it behind,
then be chaste, and marry neither a previously married woman nor a virgin.
Then refrain, wedding neither spinster nor widow.
وَأَلقاكَand cast you فيهاinto it والِداكَyour two parents فَلاso do not تَضَعplace
وَأَلقاكَ فيها والِداكَ فَلا تَضَع
بِهاin it وَلَداًa child يَلقىencounters الشَدائِدَhardships وَالنُكراand horrors
بِها وَلَداً يَلقى الشَدائِدَ وَالنُكرا
Your parents cast you into it; so do not place
Your parents cast you into it, so bear
a child in it to face hardships and horrors.
No children who'll meet with woes and disgrace.
سَمِعناwe heard وَشاهَدناand we witnessed البَدِيَّwonders وَحَسبُناand enough for us
سَمِعنا وَشاهَدنا البَدِيَّ وَحَسبُنا
مِنَfrom العَيشِlife أَنthat فُهناwe uttered لِخالِقِناto our Creator شُكراthanks
مِنَ العَيشِ أَن فُهنا لِخالِقِنا شُكرا
We have heard and witnessed wonders, and enough for us
We've seen and witnessed the ugly and foul, and found
from life is that we have voiced thanks to our Creator.
Our life is to thank our Creator.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle فَعَلتَyou did الخَيرَgood فَاِنسَthen forget فِعالَهُdoing it
إِذا ما فَعَلتَ الخَيرَ فَاِنسَ فِعالَهُ
فَإِنَّكَfor you ماwhile تَنساهُforget it أَحياbetter at keeping alive لَهُfor it ذِكراremembrance
فَإِنَّكَ ما تَنساهُ أَحيا لَهُ ذِكرا
When you do good, forget having done it,
When you do good, forget what you've done -
for by forgetting it, you best keep its memory alive.
For if you remember, you've ruined its grace.
وَحاذِرand beware مِنَof الصَهباءِtawny wine فَهيَfor she is عَدُوَّةٌan enemy
وَحاذِر مِنَ الصَهباءِ فَهيَ عَدُوَّةٌ
مِنَamong الصُهبِthe tawny-haired مَشَّتsent coursing فيthrough مَفاصِلِكَyour joints السُكراdrunkenness
مِنَ الصُهبِ مَشَّت في مَفاصِلِكَ السُكرا
And beware of tawny wine, for she is an enemy
Beware pretty girls, for they're enemies
among the tawny-haired, who sent drunkenness coursing through your joints.
Who with their charm in your joints spread the rot.
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيin المَمكورَةِthe plump-legged الخَودِthe lovely young woman أَضمَرَتshe harbored
وَلا خَيرَ في المَمكورَةِ الخَودِ أَضمَرَت
لَكَtoward you الغِلَّmalice وَاِمتارَتand gathered provisions جَوانِحُهاher ribs مَكراguile
لَكَ الغِلَّ وَاِمتارَت جَوانِحُها مَكرا
And no good lies in the full-limbed maiden who harbors
No good is the shy little thing, when inside
malice toward you, and whose ribs have stored up guile.
She harbors deceit and is plotting your lot.
إِذاwhen صَحَّis sound فِكرُthe thought of المَرءِa person فَماthen whatever يَنوبُهُbefalls him
إِذا صَحَّ فِكرُ المَرءِ فَما يَنوبُهُ
مِنَfrom الدَهرِtime لَمnot يَشغَلoccupy بِحادِثَةٍwith a mishap فِكراa mind
مِنَ الدَهرِ لَم يَشغَل بِحادِثَةٍ فِكرا
When a person's thought is sound, whatever befalls him
When a man's thoughts are sound, nothing can come
from time will not engross his mind in a mishap.
From fate to distract him or trouble his care.
وَتَغلِبُand Taghlib كانَتwas سَيفَthe sword of بَكرٍBakr وَرُمحَهاand her spear
وَتَغلِبُ كانَت سَيفَ بَكرٍ وَرُمحَها
فَأَمسَتthen became تُراميtrading arrows with عَنin defense of حَرائِبِهاher possessions بَكراBakr
فَأَمسَت تُرامي عَن حَرائِبِها بَكرا
And Taghlib was Bakr's sword and spear,
And the sword and spear of Taghlib would overcome,
then came to trade arrows with Bakr in defense of her own possessions.
Yet now from their tents they are fleeing in fear.
كَرَيتُI slept عَنِthrough الشَهرِthe month الكُرَيتِthe full وَجُزتُهُand I passed it
كَرَيتُ عَنِ الشَهرِ الكُرَيتِ وَجُزتُهُ
فَماso why لِيَfor me أَكرىI lag عَنbehind زَمانيmy time إِذاwhen أَكرىit dwindles
فَما لِيَ أَكرى عَن زَماني إِذا أَكرى
I slept through the full month and passed beyond it;
The months I have shunned and paid them no mind,
so why should I lag behind my time when it dwindles?
So why should I care about time when it's passed?
Sol 6.1