ذَهَبتُI set out وَماand not أَدريI know إِلىto أَينَwhere أَذهَبُI go
ذَهَبتُ وَما أَدري إِلى أَينَ أَذهَبُ
وَأَيُّand which الأُمورِcourses of action فيin العَزيمَةِresolve أَركَبُI undertake
وَأَيُّ الأُمورِ في العَزيمَةِ أَركَبُ
I set out, not knowing where I am going,
And which course of action I should undertake with resolve.
فَلَوfor if لَمَسَتtouched كَفّايَmy two palms عِقداًa necklace مُنَظَّماًstrung
فَلَو لَمَسَت كَفّايَ عِقداً مُنَظَّماً
مِنَof الدُرِّpearls أَضحىit would become وَهوَand it is وَدعٌcowrie shells مُثَقَّبُpierced
مِنَ الدُرِّ أَضحى وَهوَ وَدعٌ مُثَقَّبُ
For if my two palms touched a strung necklace
Of pearls, it would become pierced cowrie shells.
وَلَوand if قَبَضَتgrasped كَفّيmy palm عَلىupon كَفِّa handful دِرهَمٍa dirham (silver coin)
وَلَو قَبَضَت كَفّي عَلى كَفِّ دِرهَمٍ
لَأُبتُI would return إِلىto رَحليmy dwelling وَفيand in الكَفِّthe palm عَقرَبُa scorpion
لَأُبتُ إِلى رَحلي وَفي الكَفِّ عَقرَبُ
And if my palm grasped a handful of dirhams,
I would return to my dwelling with a scorpion in my palm.
Sol 6.1