ياO حارِHarith مَنwhoever يَغدِرbetrays بِذِمَّةِwith respect to the covenant of جارِهِhis neighbor
يا حارِ مَن يَغدِر بِذِمَّةِ جارِهِ
مِنكُمamong you فَإِنthen indeed مُحَمَّداًMuhammad لَمnot (past negation) يَغدِرbetray
مِنكُم فَإِن مُحَمَّداً لَم يَغدِر
O Harith, if anyone betrays his neighbor's covenant
O neighbor who betrays his neighbor's trust,
Among you, then surely Muhammad has not betrayed.
Muhammad would never betray his word.
إِنif تَغدِرواyou betray (plural) فَالغَدرُthen treachery مِنكُمamong you شيمَةٌa character trait
إِن تَغدِروا فَالغَدرُ مِنكُم شيمَةٌ
وَالغَدرُand treachery يَنبُتُgrows فيin أُصولِthe roots of السَخبَرِthe sakhbar shrub
وَالغَدرُ يَنبُتُ في أُصولِ السَخبَرِ
If you betray, then treachery is a trait of yours,
If you betray, betrayal is your hallmark,
And treachery grows in the roots of the sakhbar shrub.
And betrayal sprouts in knavish roots.
وَأَمانَةُand the trustworthiness of المُرِّيِّthe Murri حَيثُwherever لَقَيتَهُyou met him
وَأَمانَةُ المُرِّيِّ حَيثُ لَقَيتَهُ
مِثلُlike الزُجاجَةِthe glass vessel صَدعُهاits crack لَمnot (past negation) يُجبَرِbe mended
مِثلُ الزُجاجَةِ صَدعُها لَم يُجبَرِ
And the Murri's trustworthiness, wherever you meet him,
The Bedouin's promise, wherever you meet it,
Is like a glass vessel whose crack has not been mended.
Is like a glass bottle - once broken, beyond repair.