لاdo not تُسدِيَنَّever commit قَبيحاًan ugly deed إِنif هَمَمتَyou intend بِهِto do it
لا تُسدِيَنَّ قَبيحاً إِن هَمَمتَ بِهِ
وَاِفعَلand do جَميلاًa good deed فَإِنَّfor indeed الخَيرَgoodness يُغتَنَمُis to be seized
وَاِفعَل جَميلاً فَإِنَّ الخَيرَ يُغتَنَمُ
Never commit an ugly deed, should you contemplate it.
And do good, for goodness is a prize 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 would deem myself an idol,
and an idol is not frightened when its head is broken.
فَاِجعَلso make عِظامِيَmy bones قِرىa feast غَبراءَdust-gray earth مُظلِمَةٍdark
فَاِجعَل عِظامِيَ قِرى غَبراءَ مُظلِمَةٍ
أَوor قوتَfood حَمراءِred نارٍfire ضَوءُهاits light سَنِمُlofty
أَو قوتَ حَمراءِ نارٍ ضَوءُها سَنِمُ
So make my bones a feast for dark, dust-gray earth,
or food for red fire whose light towers high.
سَوّىall one عَلىto الجِسمِthe body خُضُرٌgreen seas حَوَتهاtheir fish (reading حُوتُها) جَشِعٌravenous
سَوّى عَلى الجِسمِ خُضُرٌ حَوَتها جَشِعٌ
بَعدَafter المَماتِdeath وَخُضرٌand green flies زُرقُهاtheir blue ones تَنِمُleave droppings
بَعدَ المَماتِ وَخُضرٌ زُرقُها تَنِمُ
All one to the body are green seas whose fish are ravenous,
after death, and green flies whose blue ones leave droppings.
قَطعُcutting البَنانِthe fingers شَبَّهتُهُI likened them عَنَماًthe ‘anam shrub
قَطعُ البَنانِ شَبَّهتُهُ عَنَماً
إِنif ماتَthey have died كَالقَطعِlike cutting فيin قُضبٍtwigs هِيَthey are العَنَمُthe ‘anam shrub
إِن ماتَ كَالقَطعِ في قُضبٍ هِيَ العَنَمُ
Cutting fingers I likened to the ‘anam shrub,
if they are dead, is like cutting twigs of ‘anam itself.
وَالغانِياتُand beautiful women وَفيand in آذانِهاtheir ears دُرَرٌpearls
وَالغانِياتُ وَفي آذانِها دُرَرٌ
كَالضَأنِlike sheep تَرعىgrazing وَفيand in آذانِهاtheir ears زَنَمُfleshy ear-wattles
كَالضَأنِ تَرعى وَفي آذانِها زَنَمُ
And beautiful women, with pearls in their ears,
are like grazing sheep with wattles in their ears.