هَوَاءٌair كَالهَوَىlike love حُسْنَاًin beauty وَظَرْفَاand grace
هَوَاءٌ كَالهَوَى حُسْنَاً وَظَرْفَا
وَخَيْشٌand coarse linen لَيْسَis not يُتْرَكُleft أنْto يَجِفَّاdry out
وَخَيْشٌ لَيْسَ يُتْرَكُ أنْ يَجِفَّا
Air like love in beauty and grace,
And coarse linen never left to dry,
وفِتْيَانٌand young men كِرَامٌgenerous باكرُوهthey came to it early
وفِتْيَانٌ كِرَامٌ باكرُوه
وَنَجْمُand the star صَبَاحِهِمْof their morning يَبْدُوappears ويَخْفَىand disappears
وَنَجْمُ صَبَاحِهِمْ يَبْدُو ويَخْفَى
And generous young men who came to it early,
And their morning star appears and disappears.
فَإنْso if بَادَرْتُهُمْI hasten ahead of them جَعَلُوكَthey deem you بَدْراًa full moon
فَإنْ بَادَرْتُهُمْ جَعَلُوكَ بَدْراً
وَإنْand if خَالَفْتَهُمْyou oppose them جَعَلُوكَthey deem you خَلْفَاa worthless fellow
وَإنْ خَالَفْتَهُمْ جَعَلُوكَ خَلْفَا
So if I hasten ahead of them, they deem you a full moon;
And if you oppose them, they deem you a worthless fellow.