إِنَّindeed أَفراسَhorses شَبابيmy youth جَمَحَتran wild
إِنَّ أَفراسَ شَبابي جَمَحَت
لَمdid not أَرُضtame بِالحِلمِwith forbearance مِنهاof them فَرَساa horse
لَم أَرُض بِالحِلمِ مِنها فَرَسا
Indeed, the horses of my youth ran wild;
Indeed, the horses of my youth ran wild.
The steeds of my youth have run wild
The steeds of my youth have bolted wild,
I tamed not one of them with forbearance.
I did not tame a single one of them with forbearance.
I have not found in them a tame steed
And I did not tame a single one with wisdom.
لَيتَنيwould that I were كَالطيّبِlike al-Tayyib اِبنيmy son إِنَّهُindeed, he
لَيتَني كَالطيّبِ اِبني إِنَّهُ
عَقدtied الحِلمُforbearance حباهُhis knee-wraps فَرَساso he became steadfast
عَقد الحِلمُ حباهُ فَرَسا
Would that I were like al-Tayyib, my son; for, in his case,
Would that I were like al-Tayyib, my son, for
Would that I were like good son Tayyib
I wish I were like al-Tayyib, my son, for truly,
prudence tethered the horse bestowed upon him.
Forbearance tied his knee-wraps, and so he remained steadfast.
Wisdom has made of him a tamed steed
Wisdom knotted his sash of composure, so he stood firm.