ماليwhat ails me? كأنيَas though I were مخبولٌmad ولستyet I am not بهso (mad)
مالي كأنيَ مخبولٌ ولست به
أشكوI complain إلىto الناسpeople معْdespite علميmy knowing مَنwho الناسُpeople
أشكو إلى الناس معْ علمي مَن الناسُ
What ails me? I seem mad, yet I am not.
Why do I seem confused when in truth I'm not
I complain to people, though I know who people are.
I complain to people though I know who they are
كناwe used to إذاwhenever اعتلّتfell ill الأذنابthe tails يجبرناconsole us
كنا إذا اعتلّت الأذناب يجبرنا
رجاؤناour hope الرأسَin the head حتىuntil أُدوِيَwas stricken with illness الراسُthe head
رجاؤنا الرأسَ حتى أُدوِيَ الراسُ
Whenever the tails fell ill, we would be consoled
When tails were raised we were forced to restrain
by our hope in the head—until the head was stricken.
Our heads until the chief was healed
لابأسَno harm فيin كفّrestraining نفسيmyself عنfrom سؤالهِمُasking them
لابأسَ في كفّ نفسي عن سؤالهِمُ
وليسand there is no عندهُمُwith them جودgenerosity ولاnor باسُmight
وليس عندهُمُ جود ولا باسُ
There is no harm in restraining myself from asking them,
No harm refraining from asking them
and they have neither generosity nor might.
They have no generosity or goodness
نقِّلْmove about ركابَكyour riding camels إلاexcept فيin رحالِهمُtheir camps
نقِّلْ ركابَك إلا في رحالِهمُ
واستغنand be independent ماas much as شئتَyou wish عنهمof them فالغنىfor wealth الياسُgiving up hope
واستغن ما شئتَ عنهم فالغنى الياسُ
Move your riding camels about, but not among their camps;
Move your mount only among their camels
and be as independent of them as you wish, for wealth lies in giving up hope.
And do without them as much as you wish, for sufficiency is solace
Sol 6.1