لاdo not ترقَclimb مدرجةَthe stairway الصعوthe ascent (word begins here)
لا ترقَ مدرجةَ الصعو
دِcompletion of 'ascent' لأجلِfor the sake of مهواةِan abyss الهبوطِdescent
دِ لأجلِ مهواةِ الهبوطِ
Do not climb the stairway of ascent
Do not rise up the stairs of difficulty
for the sake of the abyss of descent.
Just for the sake of descending
واجعلْand make علاكَyour high standing عليكَupon you شرa condition (word begins here)
واجعلْ علاكَ عليكَ شر
طاًcompletion of 'a condition' حينَwhen تؤخذُyou are bound بالشروطِby the conditions
طاً حينَ تؤخذُ بالشروطِ
And make your high standing a condition upon yourself
And make your rising conditional
when you are bound by conditions.
When you accept conditions
واستفدْand learn منfrom خزرِsidelong glances الصحاthe friends (word begins here)
واستفدْ من خزرِ الصحا
بِcompletion of 'the friends' فكمfor how many لآلٍpearls فيin السموطِthe necklaces
بِ فكم لآلٍ في السموطِ
And learn from friends' sidelong glances—
And benefit from the lessons of companions
for how many pearls there are in necklaces!—
For how many groups have fallen
أنَّthat السفينةَthe ship كلماwhenever
أنَّ السفينةَ كلما
صغرتْit grows smaller تراهاyou see it فيby الشطوطِthe shores
صغرتْ تراها في الشطوطِ
that the ship, whenever
Indeed the ship, the smaller it is
it grows smaller, you see it by the shores.
You see it in the open sea
والعنكبوتُand the spider إذاwhen بنتْshe builds
والعنكبوتُ إذا بنتْ
بيتاًa house فأهونُthen how frail! بالخيوطِwith the threads
بيتاً فأهونُ بالخيوطِ
And the spider, when she builds
And the spider, if it builds a home
a house—how frail the threads!
It is slight with threads
Sol 6.1