أُقعُدsit down فَماfor … not نَفَعَbenefited القِياstanding (first part)
أُقعُد فَما نَفَعَ القِيا
مُcompletion of 'standing' وَلاand not ثَنىturned away خَيراًgood قُعودُsitting
مُ وَلا ثَنى خَيراً قُعودُ
Sit down, for standing has brought no benefit,
nor has sitting turned any good away.
غَنَّتكَsang to you دُنياكَyour world الخلوbeguiling (first part)
غَنَّتكَ دُنياكَ الخلو
بُcompletion of 'beguiling' وَحُبُّهاand love for it فيin الكَفِّthe palm عودُa lute
بُ وَحُبُّها في الكَفِّ عودُ
Your beguiling world has sung to you,
and love for it is a lute in the palm.
أَمّاas for إِساءَتُهاits mistreatment فَقَدthen already
أَمّا إِساءَتُها فَقَد
كانَتhas occurred وَحُسناهاand its kindness رُعودُthunderclaps
كانَت وَحُسناها رُعودُ
As for its mistreatment, it has already
come to pass, while its kindness is thunder.
وَالمَرءُand a person يَهبِطُdescends هاوِياًfalling headlong
وَالمَرءُ يَهبِطُ هاوِياً
وَالعَيشُand life مِنfrom كَلَفٍhardship صَعودُan uphill climb
وَالعَيشُ مِن كَلَفٍ صَعودُ
And a person descends, falling headlong,
and life is an uphill climb through hardship.
وَالشَخصُand a person مِثلُlike اليَومِthe day يَمpasses (first part)
وَالشَخصُ مِثلُ اليَومِ يَم
ضيcompletion of 'passes' فيin الزَمانِtime فَلاand so not يَعودُreturns
ضي في الزَمانِ فَلا يَعودُ
And a person, like a day, passes
through time and does not return.
أَسعِدgive help بِلاwithout مِنٍّreminding others of favors فَإِنَّfor indeed
أَسعِد بِلا مِنٍّ فَإِنَّ
الجَودَgenerosity بِالنُعمىwith blessings سُعودُgood fortune
الجَودَ بِالنُعمى سُعودُ
Give help without reminding others of your favors, for
generosity in bestowing blessings is good fortune.
وَالغَيثُand the rain أَهنَوءُهُthe most welcome of it الَّذيthat which
وَالغَيثُ أَهنَوءُهُ الَّذي
يَهميpours down وَلَيسَand is not لَهُfor it رُعودُthunderclaps
يَهمي وَلَيسَ لَهُ رُعودُ
And the most welcome rain is that which
pours down and has no thunder.