احذرbeware منof ابنson العمthe paternal uncle فهوfor he is مصحَّفa mispointed word
احذر من ابن العم فهو مصحَّف
ومنand of القريبthe close relative فإنماfor only هوhe أحْرُفُletters
ومن القريب فإنما هو أحْرُفُ
Beware of your paternal cousin, for he is a mispointed word.
Beware of the cousin, for he is treacherous,
And of a close relative, for he is nothing but letters.
And of the relative, for he is deceitful.
القافthe letter qāf منfrom قبرٍa grave غداhas become لكfor you حافراًa digger
القاف من قبرٍ غدا لك حافراً
والراءand the letter rāʾ منهfrom him ردّىًdeath لنفسكfor your soul يخطفsnatches
والراء منه ردّىً لنفسك يخطف
The qāf comes from 'grave': he has become your gravedigger.
The Q is a grave that will dig for you tomorrow,
And his rāʾ is death that snatches your soul.
The R is ruin that will snatch your soul away.
والياءand the letter yāʾ يأسdespair دائمlasting منof خيرهhis goodness
والياء يأس دائم من خيره
والباءand the letter bāʾ بُغْضhatred منهfrom him لاnot يتكيَّفis describable
والباء بُغْض منه لا يتكيَّف
And the yāʾ is lasting despair of any good from him.
The Y is constant despair of any good from him,
And the bāʾ is hatred from him that defies description.
The B is hatred of him that does not abate.
فاقبلْso accept نصيحَتيَmy advice التيwhich أهديتهاI offered it as a gift
فاقبلْ نصيحَتيَ التي أهديتها
إنيindeed I بأبناءabout the sons العمومةthe paternal uncles أعرَفُknow better
إني بأبناء العمومة أعرَفُ
So accept my advice, which I have offered as a gift.
So accept my advice that I gift to you,
Indeed, I know paternal cousins better.
For I well know the nature of cousins.
Sol 6.1