لاdo not تُسدِيَنَّever commit قَبيحاًa foul deed إِنif هَمَمتَyou contemplate بِهِdoing it
لا تُسدِيَنَّ قَبيحاً إِن هَمَمتَ بِهِ
وَاِفعَلand do جَميلاًa good deed فَإِنَّfor indeed الخَيرَgood يُغتَنَمُis to be seized
وَاِفعَل جَميلاً فَإِنَّ الخَيرَ يُغتَنَمُ
Do not ever commit a foul deed if you contemplate it.
And do a good deed, for good is to be seized.
إِنif فارَقَتنيleaves me حَياتيmy life خِلتُنيI would deem myself صَنَماًan idol
إِن فارَقَتني حَياتي خِلتُني صَنَماً
وَلاand not يُراعُis frightened لِكَسرِby the breaking of الهامَةِthe head الصَنَمُthe idol
وَلا يُراعُ لِكَسرِ الهامَةِ الصَنَمُ
If my life leaves me, I shall regard myself as an idol.
And an idol is not frightened by the breaking of its head.
فَاِجعَلso make عِظامِيَmy bones قِرىa guest's meal غَبراءَdust-gray earth مُظلِمَةٍdark
فَاِجعَل عِظامِيَ قِرى غَبراءَ مُظلِمَةٍ
أَوor قوتَfood حَمراءِred نارٍa fire ضَوءُهاits light سَنِمُrising high
أَو قوتَ حَمراءِ نارٍ ضَوءُها سَنِمُ
So make my bones a feast for the dark, dust-gray earth,
Or food for a red fire whose light rises high.
سَوّىalike عَلىto الجِسمِthe body خُضُرٌgreen seas حَوَتهاtheir fish جَشِعٌravenous
سَوّى عَلى الجِسمِ خُضُرٌ حَوَتها جَشِعٌ
بَعدَafter المَماتِdeath وَخُضرٌand green birds زُرقُهاtheir droppings تَنِمُreveal their presence
بَعدَ المَماتِ وَخُضرٌ زُرقُها تَنِمُ
Green seas whose fish are ravenous are the same to the body,
After death, as green birds whose droppings betray them.
قَطعُsevering البَنانِthe fingers شَبَّهتُهُI likened them عَنَماًʿanam, a plant
قَطعُ البَنانِ شَبَّهتُهُ عَنَماً
إِنif ماتَhas died كَالقَطعِlike cutting فيin قُضبٍshoots هِيَthey are العَنَمُthe ʿanam plant
إِن ماتَ كَالقَطعِ في قُضبٍ هِيَ العَنَمُ
Severing the fingers, which I likened to ʿanam,
If they are dead, is like cutting shoots of the ʿanam plant.
وَالغانِياتُand beautiful women وَفيand in آذانِهاtheir ears دُرَرٌpearls
وَالغانِياتُ وَفي آذانِها دُرَرٌ
كَالضَأنِlike sheep تَرعىgraze وَفيand in آذانِهاtheir ears زَنَمُear-wattles
كَالضَأنِ تَرعى وَفي آذانِها زَنَمُ
And beautiful women, with pearls in their ears,
Are like grazing sheep, with wattles hanging from their ears.