لاdo not تُخدَعنَّbe deceived فتصطفيand thus choose لكَfor yourself صاحباًa companion
لا تُخدَعنَّ فتصطفي لكَ صاحباً
شرَّthe worst الورىof mankind نفساًin soul وأخبثَand the foulest عنصراin origin
شرَّ الورى نفساً وأخبثَ عنصرا
Do not be deceived into choosing for yourself a companion,
Do not be deceived and choose a companion for yourself
the worst of mankind in soul and the foulest in origin.
The evilest of souls and most wicked of natures
لَؤمَتْwere base مغارسُthe seedbeds أصلِهof his lineage فتكدَّرتْand so grew turbid
لَؤمَتْ مغارسُ أصلِه فتكدَّرتْ
نُطَفُdrops الاِخاءِof brotherhood بمثلِهthrough his like وتكدَّراand grew murky
نُطَفُ الاِخاءِ بمثلِه وتكدَّرا
Base were the seedbeds of his lineage; thus grew turbid
The saplings of his origin bore bitter fruit
the drops of brotherhood through his like, and it too grew murky.
And the seeds of brotherhood soured like him and went bad
يُبديhe displays لكَto you الملقflattery الشهيsweet حديثهhis speech
يُبدي لكَ الملق الشهي حديثه
وتراهand you see him صِلاًa venomous serpent مِنfrom ورائكَbehind you أبتراtailless
وتراه صِلاً مِن ورائكَ أبترا
He offers you flattery, his speech sweet,
He shows you his eloquent speech
yet behind your back you see him as a tailless viper.
Yet you find him, behind your back, maimed
لاnot يأتليhe slackens بالأوابدِin monstrous deeds قاصداًacting deliberately
لا يأتلي بالأوابدِ قاصداً
طبعa disposition غداcame to be لابنfor the son of اللئيمةthe base woman لمبكراindeed early
طبع غدا لابن اللئيمة لمبكرا
He spares no effort in monstrous deeds, acting deliberately—
He does not spend nights awake out of good intentions
a nature that came early indeed to the son of a base woman.
A scoundrel's nature is one of early corruption
ومُطفلٍand a doe with young سنحتْshe appeared فيin القاعِthe plain ناشدةًseeking
ومُطفلٍ سنحتْ في القاعِ ناشدةً
ظبياًa fawn لهاof hers ضلَّhad strayed بينَamong الضّالِthe wild lote trees والسَّمُرِand the acacias
ظبياً لها ضلَّ بينَ الضّالِ والسَّمُرِ
And a doe with young appeared on the plain, seeking
And a sponger who begs in the valley, having lost
a fawn of hers that had strayed among wild lote trees and acacias.
A gazelle amid the misguided and the night travelers
نأتْshe kept distant نفاراًin shyness وداراًand in dwelling مشبهةٌresembling
نأتْ نفاراً وداراً مشبهةٌ
ليلىLayla وقدand already سُمْتُهاI asked her for وصلاًunion علىat غررِa risk
ليلى وقد سُمْتُها وصلاً على غررِ
She kept aloof, in shyness and dwelling alike, resembling
I come visiting, though the houses resemble
Layla—and I had asked her for union, taking a chance.
My Layla, whom I named and bid farewell over the graves
Sol 6.1