لِسانُtongue الفَتىthe young man يُدعىis called سِناناًa spearhead وَتارَةًand sometimes
لِسانُ الفَتى يُدعى سِناناً وَتارَةً
حُساماًa sword وَكَمand how many مِنof لَفظَةٍa word ضَرَبَتstruck عُنقاa neck
حُساماً وَكَم مِن لَفظَةٍ ضَرَبَت عُنقا
The young man's tongue is called a spearhead, and at times
A young man's tongue is called a spearhead, and sometimes
a keen-edged sword—how many a word has severed a neck!
a sword; how many a word has struck a neck!
لَقَدindeed وَرَدَcame to water الناسُthe people الحَياةَlife أَمامَناbefore us
لَقَد وَرَدَ الناسُ الحَياةَ أَمامَنا
فَماso ... not تَرَكواthey left إِلّاexcept الأُجونَةَwater's stagnant foulness وَالرَنقاand murkiness
فَما تَرَكوا إِلّا الأُجونَةَ وَالرَنقا
People reached life's watering-place before us,
Indeed, people came to life's waters before us,
but left behind nothing save stagnant water and murk.
so they left nothing but stagnant foulness and murk.
وَأَنقىand cleansed away سَوادَthe blackness الرَأسِof the head دَهرٌtime وَغاسِلٌand a washer
وَأَنقى سَوادَ الرَأسِ دَهرٌ وَغاسِلٌ
لِباساًa garment فَأَمّاbut as for سوءُbadness طَبعٍof character فَماso ... not أَنقىgrew pure
لِباساً فَأَمّا سوءُ طَبعٍ فَما أَنقى
Time has washed the blackness from the head, and a launderer
And time has cleansed away the head's blackness, and a washer has cleaned
a garment; but a base disposition has never been washed clean.
a garment; but as for bad character, it has not grown pure.
