يقولُsays لَكَto you إِنعَمfare well مُصبِحاًin the morning مُتَوَدِّدٌone showing affection
يقولُ لَكَ إِنعَم مُصبِحاً مُتَوَدِّدٌ
إِلَيكَtoward you وَخَيرٌand better مِنهُthan him أَغَلبُa thick-necked lion أَصبَحُtawny
إِلَيكَ وَخَيرٌ مِنهُ أَغَلبُ أَصبَحُ
Someone says to you, 'Have a pleasant morning,' showing affection
toward you; yet a thick-necked, tawny lion is better than he.
رَجَوتَyou hoped بِقُربٍthrough closeness مِنto خَليلِكَyour close friend مَرحَباًa welcome
رَجَوتَ بِقُربٍ مِن خَليلِكَ مَرحَباً
وَبُعدُكَand your distance مِنهُfrom him فيin الحَقائِقِthe realities أَربَحُmore profitable
وَبُعدُكَ مِنهُ في الحَقائِقِ أَربَحُ
You hoped to find a welcome through closeness to your friend,
yet distance from him is, in reality, more profitable.
إِذاif أَنتَyou لَمnot تَهرُبyou flee مِنَfrom الإِنسِhumankind فَاِعتَرِفthen acknowledge
إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَهرُب مِنَ الإِنسِ فَاِعتَرِف
بِطُلسٍwith dusky wolves تَعاوىhowling together أَوor ثَعالِبَfoxes تَضبَحyelping
بِطُلسٍ تَعاوى أَو ثَعالِبَ تَضبَح
If you do not flee humankind, then admit you are dealing
with dusky wolves howling together, or foxes yelping.
وَمارِسand confront بِحُسنِwith good الصَبرِpatience بِلِواكَyour ordeal إِنif هُمُthey
وَمارِس بِحُسنِ الصَبرِ بِلِواكَ إِن هُمُ
أَتواthey came بِقَبيحٍwith something vile فَالَّذيthen what جِئتَyou did أَقبَحُviler
أَتوا بِقَبيحٍ فَالَّذي جِئتَ أَقبَحُ
And face your ordeal with good patience; if they
do something vile, what you have done is viler.
تَروحُyou go at evening إِلىto فِعلِthe conduct السَفيهِof the fool وَتَغتَديand you go at dawn
تَروحُ إِلى فِعلِ السَفيهِ وَتَغتَدي
وَتُمسيand you spend the evening عَلىin غَيرِother than الجَميلِthe seemly وَتُصبِحُand you enter the morning
وَتُمسي عَلى غَيرِ الجَميلِ وَتُصبِحُ
You pursue a fool's deeds at evening and at dawn,
and spend your evenings and mornings doing what is unseemly.
كَأَنَّas though خُطوبَthe calamities الدَهرِof time بَحرٌa sea فَمَنso whoever يَمُتdies
كَأَنَّ خُطوبَ الدَهرِ بَحرٌ فَمَن يَمُت
بِفَرطِfrom the excess of صَداهُhis thirst فَهُوَthen he فيin اللُجِّthe deep waters يَسبَحُswims
بِفَرطِ صَداهُ فَهُوَ في اللُجِّ يَسبَحُ
It is as though time's calamities were a sea: whoever dies
of excessive thirst is swimming in the deep.