رِياضُكِ غَيرُ دائِمَةٍ فَرَوضي

رِياضُكِ غَيرُ دائِمَةٍ فَرَوضي

نَوافِلَ بَعدَ اِحكامِ الفُروضِ

نَوافِلَ بَعدَ اِحكامِ الفُروضِ

Your gardens do not endure; my obligatory duties are

Your gardens will not last, so practice

my voluntary devotions, once the ordinances of duty have been observed.

voluntary devotions after perfecting the obligatory duties.

أَقارِضُكِ الشَهادَةَ غَيرَ بَرٍّ

أَقارِضُكِ الشَهادَةَ غَيرَ بَرٍّ

كِلانا طاحَ في تِلكَ القُروضُ

كِلانا طاحَ في تِلكَ القُروضُ

I exchange testimony with you, though I am not sincere;

I exchange testimony with you, though I am not righteous;

both of us have fallen into those reciprocal debts.

both of us have come to ruin in those loans.

وَما يَأتيكَ بِالأَغراضِ خِلٌّ

وَما يَأتيكَ بِالأَغراضِ خِلٌّ

وَلا شَدُّ الرَواحِلِ بِالغُروضِ

وَلا شَدُّ الرَواحِلِ بِالغُروضِ

My friend does not come to you in pursuit of ulterior aims,

And no friend brings you what you seek,

nor has he cinched the riding-camels with saddle-girths.

nor does cinching the mounts with girths.

وَجِسمُ المَرءِ بِالأَغراضِ رَبعٌ

وَجِسمُ المَرءِ بِالأَغراضِ رَبعٌ

فَهَل زَكّاهُ تَزكِيَةَ العُروضِ

فَهَل زَكّاهُ تَزكِيَةَ العُروضِ

A person’s body is an abode for desires;

And a person's body is a dwelling for desires;

has he paid its zakat, as zakat is paid on merchandise?

has he, then, purified it as merchandise is purified?

مَغانيهِ مُحيلاتُ المَعاني

مَغانيهِ مُحيلاتُ المَعاني

كَبَيتِ الشِعرِ قُطِّعَ بِالعَروضِ

كَبَيتِ الشِعرِ قُطِّعَ بِالعَروضِ

Its chambers alter the meanings,

Its dwelling-places are bereft of meaning,

as a verse of poetry is divided into feet by prosody.

like a line of poetry cut apart by prosody.