وَلَلمَوتُand surely death خَيرٌbetter مِنthan حَياةٍa life عَلىamid أَذىًsuffering
وَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن حَياةٍ عَلى أَذىً
يَضيمُكَwrongs you فيهِin it صاحِبٌa companion وَتُراقِبُهand you watch him
يَضيمُكَ فيهِ صاحِبٌ وَتُراقِبُه
And death is surely better than a life of suffering,
Death is better than a life of distress
in which a companion wrongs you while you watch him warily.
Where a companion oppresses you and watches you
كَأَنَّas though حَياةَthe life of الناسِpeople حينَwhen ضَمِنتَهاyou undertook it
كَأَنَّ حَياةَ الناسِ حينَ ضَمِنتَها
قَذىًgrit فيin حُقوقِthe sockets of العَينِthe eye مِنّيof mine أُوارِبُهI try to evade it
قَذىً في حُقوقِ العَينِ مِنّي أُوارِبُه
As though human life, when you undertook it,
As if when people guaranteed their lives
were grit in my eye sockets, which I try to evade.
It was a speck in my eye's rights that I blink away
يَخونُكَbetrays you ذوone possessing القُربىkinship مِراراًrepeatedly وَرُبَّماand sometimes
يَخونُكَ ذو القُربى مِراراً وَرُبَّما
وَفىkept faith لَكَwith you عِندَin times of الجَهلِfolly مَنsomeone whom لاnot تُقارِبُهyou draw close to him
وَفى لَكَ عِندَ الجَهلِ مَن لا تُقارِبُه
Your kin betray you time and again, and sometimes
A close relative betrays you repeatedly
one you are not close to keeps faith with you in times of folly.
Yet the ignorant are faithful to you
وَقَدand indeed رابَنيhas troubled me قَلبٌa heart يُكَلِّفُنيburdens me with الصِباyouthful passion
وَقَد رابَني قَلبٌ يُكَلِّفُني الصِبا
وَماand not كُلَّevery حينٍmoment يَتبَعُfollows القَلبَthe heart صاحِبُهits owner
وَما كُلَّ حينٍ يَتبَعُ القَلبَ صاحِبُه
And a heart that burdens me with youthful passion has troubled me;
And a heart has confused me that makes youth obligatory
and not always does the heart's owner follow it.
Yet not every time does the heart follow its companion
وَماand never قادَنيit led me فيin الدَهرِa lifetime إِلّاexcept that غَلَبتُهُI overcame it
وَما قادَني في الدَهرِ إِلّا غَلَبتُهُ
وَكَيفَand how يُلامُis blamed المَرءُa man وَالحُبُّwhile love غالِبُهoverpowers him
وَكَيفَ يُلامُ المَرءُ وَالحُبُّ غالِبُه
And never in my life has it led me without my overcoming it.
And nothing led me in life except overcoming it
And how can a man be blamed when love overpowers him?
And how can a man be blamed when love overcomes him
وَأَحوَرَand many a dark-eyed man مَحسودٍenvied عَلىfor حُسنِthe beauty of وَجهِهِhis face
وَأَحوَرَ مَحسودٍ عَلى حُسنِ وَجهِهِ
يَزينُadorns السُموطَthe necklaces نَحرُهُhis throat وَتَرائِبُهand his upper chest
يَزينُ السُموطَ نَحرُهُ وَتَرائِبُه
And many a dark-eyed man, envied for the beauty of his face—
The neck and braids of a jealous handsome man
his throat and upper chest adorn the necklaces.
Adorn his nape
Sol 6.1