ياO نَحلُbees إِنif شارَgathered شُهداًhoney مُكتَسِبٌsomeone seeking gain
يا نَحلُ إِن شارَ شُهداً مُكتَسِبٌ
فَحَسبُهُthen sufficient for him أَنَّthat بَعدَafter المَوتِdeath إِنشاراresurrection
فَحَسبُهُ أَنَّ بَعدَ المَوتِ إِنشارا
O bees, if someone seeking gain gathers honey,
O bee, if you gather honey,
then let it suffice him that after death comes resurrection.
It is enough that after death there is dispersal.
وَماand not أُسَرُّI harbor لِتَعشيرِat the tenfold cawing of الغُرابِthe crow أَسىًgrief
وَما أُسَرُّ لِتَعشيرِ الغُرابِ أَسىً
وَلاnor أُبَكّيI weep for خَليطاًcompanions حَلَّsettled in تِعشاراTiʿshār
وَلا أُبَكّي خَليطاً حَلَّ تِعشارا
And I harbor no grief at the crow’s tenfold caw,
I do not rejoice at the collection of crows' misery,
nor do I weep for companions who settled in Tiʿshār.
Nor do I weep over a mixed potion poured out as a libation.
وَلاnor تَوَهَّمتُI imagined أُنثىthe female among الأَنجُمِthe stars اِمرَأَةًa woman
وَلا تَوَهَّمتُ أُنثى الأَنجُمِ اِمرَأَةً
وَلاnor ظَنَنتُI thought سُهَيلاًSuhayl كانَwas عَشّاراa tithe collector
وَلا ظَنَنتُ سُهَيلاً كانَ عَشّارا
Nor have I imagined the female among the stars to be a woman,
I did not imagine the female stars were women,
nor thought that Suhayl was a tithe collector.
Nor did I think Suhail was an innkeeper.
وَلَستُand I am not أَحمَدُpraising بُشرىgood news وَهيَwhile it is كاذِبَةٌfalse
وَلَستُ أَحمَدُ بُشرى وَهيَ كاذِبَةٌ
وَلاnor أُوافِقُI agree with حَمّاداًḤammād وَبَشّاراand Bashshār
وَلا أُوافِقُ حَمّاداً وَبَشّارا
And I do not praise good news when it is false,
I do not praise good tidings that are lies,
nor do I agree with Ḥammād and Bashshār.
Nor do I agree with Hammad or Bashshar.