لَعُمرُكَby your life ماnot زَوجُthe husband الفَتاةِthe young woman بِحازِمat all prudent
لَعُمرُكَ ما زَوجُ الفَتاةِ بِحازِم
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle النَدامىthe drinking companions فيin مَحَلَّتِهِhis quarter غَنَّواthey sang
إِذا ما النَدامى في مَحَلَّتِهِ غَنَّوا
By your life, the young woman's husband is not prudent
If, when drinking companions sing in his quarter,
أَتىhe came بَيتَهُhis house بِالراحِwith wine وَالشُربِand the drinkers لاهِياًheedless
أَتى بَيتَهُ بِالراحِ وَالشُربِ لاهِياً
فَإِمّاthen either رَنواthey gazed نَحوَtoward الظَعينَةِthe wife أَوor زَنَّواthey accused her of adultery
فَإِمّا رَنوا نَحوَ الظَعينَةِ أَو زَنَّوا
He comes home with wine and the drinkers, heedless:
Then they either gaze toward the wife or accuse her of adultery.
رَآهُمhe saw them عَلىengaged in ماwhat يَكرَهُdetests الناسَpeople رَبُّهُمtheir Lord
رَآهُم عَلى ما يَكرَهُ الناسَ رَبُّهُم
وَعُذتُand I sought refuge بِهِin Him فيماconcerning what تَمَنَّواthey wished for وَماand what مَنَّواthey promised
وَعُذتُ بِهِ فيما تَمَنَّوا وَما مَنَّوا
He sees them doing what their Lord detests in people;
And I sought refuge in Him from what they wished for and what they promised.
وَدَدتُI wished بِعِلمِwith the knowledge of اللَهِGod أَنَّthat صَحابَتيmy companions
وَدَدتُ بِعِلمِ اللَهِ أَنَّ صَحابَتي
عَلىin كُلِّevery حالٍcircumstance أَفرَدونيthey left me alone فَماand so did not ثَنّواthey paired
عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ أَفرَدوني فَما ثَنّوا
I wished, as God knows, that my companions
Would leave me alone in every circumstance, never pairing me with another.
إِذاif كانَare سُكّانُthe inhabitants البِلادِthe lands كَماas هُمُthey
إِذا كانَ سُكّانُ البِلادِ كَما هُمُ
فَلاthen do not تَحفَلَنbe at all concerned إِنif صَغَّرواthey used a diminutive اِسمِكَyour name أَوor كَنّواthey gave a byname
فَلا تَحفَلَن إِن صَغَّروا اِسمِكَ أَو كَنّوا
If the inhabitants of the lands are as they are,
Then pay no heed if they use a diminutive of your name or give you a byname.
يُنافِسُcompetes فيfor الدُنياthe world الخَسيسَةِbase جاهِلٌan ignorant man
يُنافِسُ في الدُنيا الخَسيسَةِ جاهِلٌ
رُوَيدُكَtake your time يَذهَبُwill pass away عَنكَfrom you عارِضُcloud هَذاthis النَوthe rainstorm
رُوَيدُكَ يَذهَبُ عَنكَ عارِضُ هَذا النَو
An ignorant man vies for the base world.
Be patient: the cloud of this rainstorm will pass away from you.
يَسيرُjourneys عَلىupon الأَرضِthe earth الرَحيبَةِspacious أَهلُهاits inhabitants
يَسيرُ عَلى الأَرضِ الرَحيبَةِ أَهلُها
وَيُترَكُand is left behind ماwhat شادواthey erected هُناكَthere وَماand what بَنّواthey built
وَيُترَكُ ما شادوا هُناكَ وَما بَنّوا
The spacious earth's inhabitants journey upon it,
And what they erected there, and what they built, is left behind.