دَعِleave القَومَthe people سَلّواthey drew بِالضَغائِنِout of grudges بَينَهُمamong themselves
دَعِ القَومَ سَلّوا بِالضَغائِنِ بَينَهُم
خَناجِرَdaggers وَاِشرَبand drink ماwhat سَقَتكَthey gave you to drink الخَناجِرُthe daggers
خَناجِرَ وَاِشرَب ما سَقَتكَ الخَناجِرُ
Leave the people to draw daggers against one another out of grudges.
And drink what the daggers pour for you.
طَعامُthe food of غَنِيِّa rich person among الإِنسِhumankind وَالفاقِدِand one lacking الغِنىwealth
طَعامُ غَنِيِّ الإِنسِ وَالفاقِدِ الغِنى
سَواءٌequal إِذاwhen ماindeed غَيَّبَتهُthey have swallowed it الحَناجِرُthe throats
سَواءٌ إِذا ما غَيَّبَتهُ الحَناجِرُ
The food of the rich person and the one without wealth
Is the same once their throats have swallowed it.
بَهِجتَyou delighted بِفَرعٍin a branch لاno ثَباتَfirmness لِأَصلِهِfor its root
بَهِجتَ بِفَرعٍ لا ثَباتَ لِأَصلِهِ
فَفيمَso why تُلاحيdo you quarrel أَوor عَلامَover what تُشاجِرُdo you fight
فَفيمَ تُلاحي أَو عَلامَ تُشاجِرُ
You delight in a branch whose root has no hold;
So why quarrel, and over what do you fight?
إِذاif أَنتَyou هاجَرتَleft behind القَبائِحَugly deeds وَالخَنىand foul speech
إِذا أَنتَ هاجَرتَ القَبائِحَ وَالخَنى
فَأَنتَthen you are عَلىdespite قُربِthe nearness of الدِيارِthe homes مُهاجِرُan emigrant
فَأَنتَ عَلى قُربِ الدِيارِ مُهاجِرُ
If you leave behind ugliness and foul speech,
Then you are an emigrant, though your home is near.
تَعَرَّضَwatched for لِلطَيرِthe birds السَوانِحِpassing by زاجِرٌan augur
تَعَرَّضَ لِلطَيرِ السَوانِحِ زاجِرٌ
أَماhave you not لَكَfor yourself مِنany عَقلٍreason يَكُفُّكَthat restrains you زاجِرُa restrainer
أَما لَكَ مِن عَقلٍ يَكُفُّكَ زاجِرُ
An augur watched for birds passing by;
Have you no reason to restrain you instead?
وَلَكِنَّهاyet it is الدُنياthe world أَرَتthat showed مَنthose who يُحِبُّهاlove it
وَلَكِنَّها الدُنيا أَرَت مَن يُحِبُّها
مَحاجِرَeyes تُسقىthat are watered دونَهُنَّbefore them المَحاجِرُother eyes
مَحاجِرَ تُسقى دونَهُنَّ المَحاجِرُ
Yet the world has shown those who love it
Eyes for whose sake other eyes are wet.
مَتىwhenever مافَعَلتَyou have done الخَيرَgood ثُمَّthen كَفَرتَهُyou left it unacknowledged
مَتى مافَعَلتَ الخَيرَ ثُمَّ كَفَرتَهُ
فَلاso do not تَأسَفَنgrieve إِنَّindeed المُهَيمِنَthe All-Watching One آجِرُrewards
فَلا تَأسَفَن إِنَّ المُهَيمِنَ آجِرُ
Whenever you do good and then leave it unacknowledged,
Do not grieve: the All-Watching One rewards.
وَلَوeven if لَمnot يَبَرَّdid good الحُرُّthe free person إِلّاexcept مَخافَةًout of fear
وَلَو لَم يَبَرَّ الحُرُّ إِلّا مَخافَةً
مِنَof الخِزيِdisgrace بَينَamong الناسِthe people إِنif قيلَhe were called فاجِرُwicked
مِنَ الخِزيِ بَينَ الناسِ إِن قيلَ فاجِرُ
Even if a free person did good only for fear
Of disgrace among people if called wicked,
فَنَزِّهso keep free جَميلاًa good deed جِئتَهُyou have done عَنfrom جَزايَةٍrecompense
فَنَزِّه جَميلاً جِئتَهُ عَن جَزايَةٍ
تُؤَمَّلُthat you hope for أَوor رِبحٍprofit كَأَنَّكَas though you تاجِرُwere a merchant
تُؤَمَّلُ أَو رِبحٍ كَأَنَّكَ تاجِرُ
Keep the good deed you have done free from recompense
You hope for, or profit, as though you were a merchant.
وَبِالجِدِّand in earnest زارَvisited اللاتَal-Lat أَهلُpeople of ضَلالَةٍmisguidance
وَبِالجِدِّ زارَ اللاتَ أَهلُ ضَلالَةٍ
وَعُظِّمَتِand was revered العُزّىal-Uzza وَأُكرِمَand was honored باجِرُBajir
وَعُظِّمَتِ العُزّى وَأُكرِمَ باجِرُ
In earnest, people gone astray visited al-Lat;
Al-Uzza was revered, and Bajir was honored.
شَتَوناwe spent winters وَصِفناand summers وَاِرتَبَعناand springs فَلَمyet did not يَدُمlast
شَتَونا وَصِفنا وَاِرتَبَعنا فَلَم يَدُم
شِتاءٌa winter وَزالَand passed القَيظُthe summer heat عَنّاfrom us وَناجِرُand Najir
شِتاءٌ وَزالَ القَيظُ عَنّا وَناجِرُ
We spent winters, summers, and springs, yet no winter lasted;
The summer heat passed from us, and so did Najir.