إِذاif قيلَit is said إِنَّthat الفَتىthe young man ناسِكٌdevout
إِذا قيلَ إِنَّ الفَتى ناسِكٌ
وَرامَand sought الجَمالَbeauty فَلاthen no نُسكَdevotion لَهfor him
وَرامَ الجَمالَ فَلا نُسكَ لَه
If a young man is said to be devout,
When they say that the young man is devout
yet seeks beauty, there is no devotion in him.
Yet he desires beauty, he has no true devotion
يُصَلّيhe prays وَهِمَّتُهُand his ambition أَنto يُقاbe called (first part of يُقال)
يُصَلّي وَهِمَّتُهُ أَن يُقا
لَcompletion of يُقال: be called سابِقُa front-runner خَيلٍof horses رَضاhe pleased فِسكِلَهhis last-place horse
لَ سابِقُ خَيلٍ رَضا فِسكِلَه
He prays, his ambition being to be
He prays while his mind thinks of racing
called a front-runner among horses, pleasing his last-place steed.
His swift horses, which please and delight him
وَأَفضَلُand better مِنهُthan he اِمرُؤٌa man خامِلٌobscure
وَأَفضَلُ مِنهُ اِمرُؤٌ خامِلٌ
يَقوتُhe feeds بِمَكسَبِهِwith his earnings حِسكِلَهhis little one
يَقوتُ بِمَكسَبِهِ حِسكِلَه
And better than he is an obscure man
Better than him is a man who works hard
who feeds his little one from his earnings.
Earning his keep by the labor of his own hands