بِالأَرضِon the ground أُستاهُمُtheir backsides عَجزاًthrough helplessness وَأَنفُهُمُand their noses
بِالأَرضِ أُستاهُمُ عَجزاً وَأَنفُهُمُ
عِندَamong الكَواكِبِthe stars بَغياًthrough arrogance ياO لِذاat this عَجَباa wonder
عِندَ الكَواكِبِ بَغياً يا لِذا عَجَبا
Their backsides are on the ground in helplessness, while their noses
Their backsides are on the ground through helplessness, yet their noses
are up among the stars in insolence—what a wonder!
are among the stars through arrogance—how astonishing!
وَلَوand even if أَصابُواthey obtained كُراعاًa trotter لاَno طَعامَfood لَهُمfor them
وَلَو أَصابُوا كُراعاً لاَ طَعامَ لَهُم
لَمwould not يُنضِجُوهاthey cook it وَلَوand even if أَعطَواthey supplied لَهاfor it حَطَباfirewood
لَم يُنضِجُوها وَلَو أَعطَوا لَها حَطَبا
Even if they came by a mere shank when they had no food,
And even if they found a trotter when they had no food,
they would not cook it through, even if they were given firewood for it.
they would not cook it, even if they supplied firewood for it.
تَرَقُّشَcrawling العَثِّthe moths فِيin بَطنِthe inside of الأَدِيمِthe hide فَماand so not
تَرَقُّشَ العَثِّ فِي بَطنِ الأَدِيمِ فَما
نَالُواthey gained بِذلِكُمُby that تَقوىًpiety وَلاnor نَشَباwealth
نَالُوا بِذلِكُمُ تَقوىً وَلا نَشَبا
Moths would mottle it inside the hide; and so
They crawl like moths within a hide, yet have not
by that they gained neither piety nor wealth.
gained thereby either piety or wealth.
