جَهلٌfolly مَرامِيَmy aim أَنthat تَكونَyou be مُوافِقيagreeing with me
جَهلٌ مَرامِيَ أَن تَكونَ مُوافِقي
وَشُكوكُand the doubts نَفسيmy soul بَينَهُنَّamong them تَعاديmutual hostility
وَشُكوكُ نَفسي بَينَهُنَّ تَعادي
My wish that you should agree with me is folly,
And my soul's doubts are at odds with one another.
لَيسَis not التَكَثُّرُseeking greater numbers مِنof خَليقَةِthe nature صادِقٍa truthful man
لَيسَ التَكَثُّرُ مِن خَليقَةِ صادِقٍ
فَاِذهَبso go لِعادِكَto your accustomed way أَستَمَرَّI shall continue لِعاديin my accustomed way
فَاِذهَب لِعادِكَ أَستَمَرَّ لِعادي
Seeking greater numbers is not in a truthful man's nature;
So go your accustomed way; I shall keep to mine.
لَوif كانَthere were ليfor me غَيمٌa cloud لَجادَit would give generously بِمائِهِwith its water
لَو كانَ لي غَيمٌ لَجادَ بِمائِهِ
مِنfrom غَيرِabsence of إِبراقٍlightning وَلاnor إِرعادِthunder
مِن غَيرِ إِبراقٍ وَلا إِرعادِ
If I had a cloud, it would generously give its water,
Without lightning or thunder.
أَخلِفleave unfulfilled إِذاwhen أَوعَدتَyou threaten غافِرَforgiving زَلَّةٍa lapse
أَخلِف إِذا أَوعَدتَ غافِرَ زَلَّةٍ
مِنby جارِمٍan offender وَأَنِلand give بِلاwithout ميعادِa promise
مِن جارِمٍ وَأَنِل بِلا ميعادِ
When you threaten, leave it unfulfilled, forgiving a lapse
By an offender; and give without a prior promise.
وَلَقَدand indeed غَدَوتُI have become بِأُمَّةٍwith a stature وَبِإِمَّةٍand with circumstances
وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ بِأُمَّةٍ وَبِإِمَّةٍ
قَزميَّتَينِboth dwarfish وَهِمَّةٍand an ambition مِنfrom عادِʿĀd
قَزميَّتَينِ وَهِمَّةٍ مِن عادِ
And indeed I have come to have stature and circumstances,
Both dwarfish, yet an ambition like ʿĀd's.
وَالجُسمُand the body يَهويfalls بِالطِباعِby nature إِلىtoward الثَرىthe earth
وَالجُسمُ يَهوي بِالطِباعِ إِلى الثَرى
وَيَبينُand is evident فيهِin it تَكَلُّفُthe exertion الإِصعادِthe ascent
وَيَبينُ فيهِ تَكَلُّفُ الإِصعادِ
And the body falls by nature toward the earth,
And the strain of ascending is evident in it.
وَأَخالُand I think نَفسيmy soul حينَwhen تَفقِدُit loses شَخصَهاits bodily form
وَأَخالُ نَفسي حينَ تَفقِدُ شَخصَها
تَلقىit encounters الَّذيthat which عَمِلَتهُit has done it قَبلَbefore مَعادِresurrection
تَلقى الَّذي عَمِلَتهُ قَبلَ مَعادِ
And I think my soul, when it loses its bodily form,
Will meet its deeds before the resurrection.
لاdo not تَشرَبَنever drink ماعِشتَas long as you live مِنof دَمِthe blood أَبيَضٍa white one
لا تَشرَبَن ماعِشتَ مِن دَمِ أَبيَضٍ
سَبِطٍsmooth-skinned وَلاnor سودٍblack ones يَلُحنَthey appear جِعادِwrinkled
سَبِطٍ وَلا سودٍ يَلُحنَ جِعادِ
Never, while you live, drink the blood of a white one,
Smooth-skinned, nor of black ones that appear wrinkled.
دَعَةٌrepose لِمِثلِكَfor one like you تَركُleaving دَعدٍDaʿd لِلنَوىto separation
دَعَةٌ لِمِثلِكَ تَركُ دَعدٍ لِلنَوى
وَسَعادَةٌand happiness لَكَfor you هِجرَةٌabandonment لِسُعادِof Suʿād
وَسَعادَةٌ لَكَ هِجرَةٌ لِسُعادِ
Leaving Daʿd to separation is repose for one like you,
And abandoning Suʿād is happiness for you.
لَمdid not تَبلُغِattain الآرابَthe aims شِدَّةُthe strength ساعِدٍa forearm
لَم تَبلُغِ الآرابَ شِدَّةُ ساعِدٍ
ماas long as لَمnot يُعِنهاaids it اللَهُGod بِالإِسعادِby granting success
ما لَم يُعِنها اللَهُ بِالإِسعادِ
Strength of arm does not attain its aims
Unless God aids it by granting success.