أَباO father of سَعيدٍSa'id لَناfor us فيin شاتِكَyour ewe العِبَرُthe lessons
أَبا سَعيدٍ لَنا في شاتِكَ العِبَرُ
جاءَتshe came وَماand not إِنat all (emphatic) لَهاshe has بَولٌurine وَلاnor بَعَرُdung
جاءَت وَما إِن لَها بَولٌ وَلا بَعَرُ
O Abu Sa'id, there are lessons for us in your ewe.
Abu Sa'id, there are lessons for us in your talk
She came, yet she has neither urine nor dung.
That came though it has no camel or young camel
وَكَيفَand how تَبعَرُshe passes dung شاةٌa ewe عِندَكُمwith you (plural) مَكَثَتshe stayed
وَكَيفَ تَبعَرُ شاةٌ عِندَكُم مَكَثَت
طَعامُهاher food الأَبيَضانِthe two white ones الشَمسُthe sun وَالقَمَرُand the moon
طَعامُها الأَبيَضانِ الشَمسُ وَالقَمَرُ
And how can a ewe that has stayed with you pass dung?
How can a sheep at your place get camel's foot disease
Her food is the two white ones: the sun and the moon.
When its food is the two lights, sun and moon
لَوif أَنَّهاthat she أَبصَرَتshe saw فيin نَومِهاher sleep عَلَفاًfodder
لَو أَنَّها أَبصَرَت في نَومِها عَلَفاً
غَنَّتshe sang لَهُto it وَدُموعُand tears العَينِof the eye تَنحَدِرُstream down
غَنَّت لَهُ وَدُموعُ العَينِ تَنحَدِرُ
If she saw fodder in her sleep,
If during its sleep it saw some fodder in its dream
she would sing to it, while tears streamed from her eyes:
It would sing for it as tears stream from its eyes
ياO مانِعيyou who deny me لَذَّةَthe pleasure الدُنياof the world بِأَجمَعِهاin its entirety
يا مانِعي لَذَّةَ الدُنيا بِأَجمَعِها
إِنّيindeed I لَيَفتِنُنيtruly enchants me مِنfrom وَجهِكَyour face النَظَرُthe sight
إِنّي لَيَفتِنُني مِن وَجهِكَ النَظَرُ
O you who deny me all the world's pleasure,
O you who forbid all the pleasures of this life
truly, the sight of your face enchants me.
I'm indeed tempted by the sight of your face