لِقَلعُ ضِرسٍ وَضَربُ حَبسِ

لِقَلعُ ضِرسٍ وَضَربُ حَبسِ

وَنَزعُ نَفسٍ وَرَدُّ أَمسِ

وَنَزعُ نَفسٍ وَرَدُّ أَمسِ

Indeed, pulling a molar and a beating in prison,

The tearing out of a molar and imprisonment’s blow,

And wrenching out a soul and bringing yesterday back,

And the plucking out of a soul and yesterday’s return,

وَقَرُّ بَردٍ وَقَودُ فَردِ

وَقَرُّ بَردٍ وَقَودُ فَردِ

وَدَبغُ جِلدٍ بِغَيرِ شَمسِ

وَدَبغُ جِلدٍ بِغَيرِ شَمسِ

And cold’s bitter chill and leading a solitary beast,

And the nearness of cold and the burning of one alone,

And tanning a hide without the sun,

And the tanning of skin without the sun,

وَأَكلُ ضَبٍّ وَصَيدُ دُبٍّ

وَأَكلُ ضَبٍّ وَصَيدُ دُبٍّ

وَصَرفُ حَبٍّ بِأَرضِ خَرسِ

وَصَرفُ حَبٍّ بِأَرضِ خَرسِ

And eating a spiny-tailed lizard and hunting a bear,

And the eating of hyena meat and the hunting of bears,

And scattering grain upon mute earth,

And the spending of love in a silent land,

وَنَفخُ نارٍ وَحَملُ عارٍ

وَنَفخُ نارٍ وَحَملُ عارٍ

وَبَيعُ دارٍ بِرُبعِ فِلسِ

وَبَيعُ دارٍ بِرُبعِ فِلسِ

And blowing on a fire and bearing disgrace,

And the kindling of fire and the bearing of shame,

And selling a house for a quarter of a copper coin,

And the sale of a house for a quarter fils,

وَبَيعُ خُفٍّ وَعَدمُ إِلفٍ

وَبَيعُ خُفٍّ وَعَدمُ إِلفٍ

وَضَربُ إِلفٍ بِحَبلِ قَلسِ

وَضَربُ إِلفٍ بِحَبلِ قَلسِ

And selling a leather boot and lacking a dear companion,

And the sale of shoes and the lack of intimacy,

And beating a dear companion with a thick ship’s rope,

And the striking of intimacy with a flaccid rope,

أَهوَنُ مِن وَقفَةِ الحُرِّ

أَهوَنُ مِن وَقفَةِ الحُرِّ

يَرجو نَوالاً بِبابِ نَحسِ

يَرجو نَوالاً بِبابِ نَحسِ

Are easier than a free man’s standing,

Are easier than the standing of the free man

Hoping for a gift at a wretch’s door.

Who hopes for gifts at the door of bad luck.