مَضىhas passed ماwhat كانَwas قَبلُformerly مِنَof الدَعارَهdebauchery
مَضى ما كانَ قَبلُ مِنَ الدَعارَه
فَبانَso it departed وَأُطفِئَتand was quenched تِلكَthat الحَرارَهheat
فَبانَ وَأُطفِئَت تِلكَ الحَرارَه
The debauchery of former days has passed;
The wantonness of the past has passed away,
so it departed, and that heat was quenched.
And that passion has been extinguished and faded.
وَأَصبَحَand became وَجهُكَyour face المَعشوقُbeloved عَفّىeffaced
وَأَصبَحَ وَجهُكَ المَعشوقُ عَفّى
عَلىupon ديباجِهِits brocade بُردُthe cloak of الإِجارَهhire
عَلى ديباجِهِ بُردُ الإِجارَه
And now your beloved face has lost
Your adored face became chaste
its brocade to the cloak of hire.
Like the coolness of silk on Damascene brocade.
وَكانَand it was أَرَقَّthe most delicate وَجهٍface ثُمَّthen أَضحىit became
وَكانَ أَرَقَّ وَجهٍ ثُمَّ أَضحى
يَكادُit almost بِأَنthat تُرَصَّbe packed tightly بِهِwith it الحِجارَهstones
يَكادُ بِأَن تُرَصَّ بِهِ الحِجارَه
And it was the most delicate of faces; then it became
It was the most radiant of faces, but now
one with which stones could almost be tamped into place.
It is as though about to be pelted with stones.
وَهَلand can ...? يَبقىremain لِثَوبِfor the garment of الصِدقِtruth ماءٌluster (literally, water)
وَهَل يَبقى لِثَوبِ الصِدقِ ماءٌ
إِذاif أَدمَنتَyou persist فيهِin it عَلىat القَصارَهbleaching
إِذا أَدمَنتَ فيهِ عَلى القَصارَه
And can the garment of truth retain any luster
Can the water of sincerity remain
if you keep on bleaching it?
When you persist in turbid gatherings?
تَجَرتَyou traded بِعَينِwith the 'eye' of ظَهرِكَyour back مُستَعيناًseeking help
تَجَرتَ بِعَينِ ظَهرِكَ مُستَعيناً
بِأَثوابِwith the garments of البَطالَةِidleness وَالخَسارَهand loss
بِأَثوابِ البَطالَةِ وَالخَسارَه
You traded with the 'eye' of your back, relying
You make your living by the labor of your back
on the garments of idleness and loss.
In the garb of idleness and loss.
فَأَنتَso you أَحَقُّmost deserving خَلقِcreatures of اللَهِGod أَلّاnot to
فَأَنتَ أَحَقُّ خَلقِ اللَهِ أَلّا
تَضيعَyou come to ruin مَعَwith الكِتابَةِwriting وَالتِجارَهand trade
تَضيعَ مَعَ الكِتابَةِ وَالتِجارَه
So you, of all God's creatures, most deserve not
You, more worthy than anyone, should not
to come to ruin while writing and trading.
Squander yourself amid writing and trade.