إِلىto الأَمْنِsafety يُفْضِيleads بِالفَتىwith the young man مَاwhat يُحاذِرُhe fears
إِلى الأَمْنِ يُفْضِي بِالفَتى مَا يُحاذِرُ
فَلِلْكَلْمِso, for the wound مِنْone who يَأْسُوheals وَلِلْكَسْرِand for the fracture جابِرُa mender
فَلِلْكَلْمِ مِنْ يَأْسُو وَلِلْكَسْرِ جابِرُ
What a young man fears leads him to safety;
for a wound has its healer, and a fracture its mender.
وَكَمْand how many أَنْفُسٍsouls لَمْdid not تَنْتَفِعْbenefit بِموارِدٍfrom watering places
وَكَمْ أَنْفُسٍ لَمْ تَنْتَفِعْ بِموارِدٍ
وَرَوَّىand quenched صَداهاtheir thirst بَعْدَafter يَأْسٍdespair مَصادِرُdepartures
وَرَوَّى صَداها بَعْدَ يَأْسٍ مَصادِرُ
And many souls gained nothing at watering places,
yet departures quenched their thirst after despair.
فَلاso do not تَعْذُلِيناreproach us يَاO بْنَةَdaughter القَوْمِthe tribe إِنَّناindeed we
فَلا تَعْذُلِينا يَا بْنَةَ القَوْمِ إِنَّنا
بِمَنْزلَةٍin a state تُمتاحُare drawn مِنْهاfrom it المَفاقِرُprivations
بِمَنْزلَةٍ تُمتاحُ مِنْها المَفاقِرُ
So do not reproach us, daughter of the tribe, for we
are in a state from which privations are drawn.
وَلَولاand were it not for انْتِكاسُthe reversal of الدَّهْرِtime زِينَتْwere adorned أَسِرَّةٌthrones
وَلَولا انْتِكاسُ الدَّهْرِ زِينَتْ أَسِرَّةٌ
بِناwith us حَيْثُwherever أَلْقَيْناwe laid down العَصاthe staff وَمَنابِرُand pulpits
بِنا حَيْثُ أَلْقَيْنا العَصا وَمَنابِرُ
But for time's reversal, thrones would have been adorned
with us wherever we laid down our staff—and pulpits too.
وَنَحْنُand we سَراةُthe foremost of النّاسِthe people فيin كُلِّevery مَوْطِنٍland
وَنَحْنُ سَراةُ النّاسِ في كُلِّ مَوْطِنٍ
فَلاso do not تُلْزميناhold us responsible for ماwhat جَنَتْهُhave wrought it المَقادِرُthe decrees of fate
فَلا تُلْزمينا ما جَنَتْهُ المَقادِرُ
And we are the foremost of men in every land;
so do not hold us responsible for what fate has wrought.
وَلَلْفَقْرُand surely poverty خَيْرٌbetter مِنْthan غِنىًwealth فيin مَذَلَّةٍhumiliation
وَلَلْفَقْرُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ غِنىً في مَذَلَّةٍ
إِذاwhen أَخَذَتْtake مِنّاfrom us الجُدودُfortunes العَواثِرُstumbling
إِذا أَخَذَتْ مِنّا الجُدودُ العَواثِرُ
And poverty is surely better than wealth in humiliation,
when stumbling fortunes take from us.
وَعاداتُناand our habits أَلّاnot to نَرُومَwe seek سِوىother than العُلاthe heights
وَعاداتُنا أَلّا نَرُومَ سِوى العُلا
وَأُمُّand the mother of المعاليnoble deeds فيin زَمانِكِyour age عاقِرُbarren
وَأُمُّ المعالي في زَمانِكِ عاقِرُ
And our custom is to seek nothing but the heights,
yet the mother of noble deeds is barren in your age.