أَعجِلhasten بِتَسبيحِwith glorification رَبٍّa Lord لاno كِفاءَequal لَهُto Him
أَعجِل بِتَسبيحِ رَبٍّ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ
أَوor رَتِّلَنهُdo chant it slowly وَلاand do not تَجنَحincline إِلىtoward رَتِلِa fair-toothed mouth
أَو رَتِّلَنهُ وَلا تَجنَح إِلى رَتِلِ
Hasten to glorify a Lord who has no equal;
Hasten to praise a Lord beyond compare,
Or chant it slowly, and do not incline toward a fair-toothed mouth.
Chant His virtues, but chant them with care.
وَلاand do not تَكُنbe عادِياًan aggressor كَالذِئبِlike the wolf شيمَتُهُits nature
وَلا تَكُن عادِياً كَالذِئبِ شيمَتُهُ
خَتلٌguile فَلاso no خَيرَgood مَصروفٌdirected إِلىtoward الخُتلِdeceit
خَتلٌ فَلا خَيرَ مَصروفٌ إِلى الخُتلِ
Do not be an aggressor like the wolf, whose nature
Do not race like the wolf, whose trait
Is guile; no good is devoted to deceit.
Is to be foolish, worthless, and irate.
ماwhat أَنتَyou وَالطَعنَةُand the spear-wound النَجلاءُwide-gaping يَحفِزُهاdrives it open
ما أَنتَ وَالطَعنَةُ النَجلاءُ يَحفِزُها
مِثلَlike القُلَيبِthe well أَصَمُّan unyielding spear الذادَةِthe defenders القُتُلِthe deadly ones
مِثلَ القُلَيبِ أَصَمُّ الذادَةِ القُتُلِ
What have you to do with the gaping spear-wound, driven open
You and the sharp-tongued mockers have naught
Like a well by a spear deaf to the deadly defenders?
In common, like deaf adders that can be caught.
غارَتit ran deep وَفارَتand it gushed وَأَلقىand cast مَنwhoever يُمارِسُهاtends it
غارَت وَفارَت وَأَلقى مَن يُمارِسُها
فيهاinto it العَمائِمَthe turbans أَبدالاًsubstitutes مِنَfor الفُتَلِthe wicks
فيها العَمائِمَ أَبدالاً مِنَ الفُتَلِ
It ran deep and gushed, and whoever tended it cast
They hissed and fled, while those who challenged them
Turbans into it in place of wicks.
Donned turbans instead of winding sheets in the end.