تَمشيwalk النَعامُthe ostriches بِهِin it خَلاءًdeserted حَولَهُaround it
تَمشي النَعامُ بِهِ خَلاءً حَولَهُ
مَشيَlike the walking of النَصارىthe Christians حَولَaround بَيتِthe house of الهَيكَلِthe temple
مَشيَ النَصارى حَولَ بَيتِ الهَيكَلِ
Ostriches roam there, through the empty waste around it,
Ostriches walk around it in its desolation,
as Christians process around the temple shrine.
as Christians walk around the temple building.
اِحذَرbeware of مَحَلَّthe dwelling-place of السَوءِevil لاdo not تَحلُلsettle بِهِin it
اِحذَر مَحَلَّ السَوءِ لا تَحلُل بِهِ
وَإِذاand if نَباproves inhospitable بِكَto you مَنزِلٌa dwelling فَتَحَوَّلِthen move away
وَإِذا نَبا بِكَ مَنزِلٌ فَتَحَوَّلِ
Beware an evil dwelling; do not settle there.
Beware a dwelling of evil; do not settle in it.
And if a stopping place rejects you, move on.
And if a dwelling proves inhospitable to you, then move away.
تَكفيsuffice to relieve خَصاصَةَthe poverty of بَيتِناour household أَرماحُناour spears
تَكفي خَصاصَةَ بَيتِنا أَرماحُنا
شالَتmay it rise نَعامَةُthe ostrich of (in a death-curse) أَيِّناwhoever among us لَمdoes not يَفعَلِdo so
شالَت نَعامَةُ أَيِّنا لَم يَفعَلِ
Our spears suffice to meet our household’s need—
Our spears suffice to relieve our household’s poverty;
may whichever of us fails to do so perish!
May the ostrich of whoever among us fails to do so rise—may he perish!
