إذاwhen ماemphatic particle جَهدتُI strained النَّفسَthe soul أبلغتُI fully established عُذرَهاits excuse
إذا ما جَهدتُ النَّفسَ أبلغتُ عُذرَها
ولاand no لومَblame فيin أمرٍa matter إذاwhen بُلِغَis fully attained العُذرُthe justification
ولا لومَ في أمرٍ إذا بُلِغَ العُذرُ
When I have strained my soul to the utmost, I have fully justified it.
When exerting my soul, I excuse her,
And no blame attaches to a matter once full justification is attained.
No blame when the excuse is clear.
لعمركَby your life ماnot الشَّكوىcomplaint بأمرِan act of (emphatic b-) حَزامَةٍprudence
لعمركَ ما الشَّكوى بأمرِ حَزامَةٍ
ولاand no بُدَّescape منfrom شَكوىcomplaint إذاwhen لمnot يكنthere is صَبرُpatience
ولا بُدَّ من شَكوى إذا لم يكن صَبرُ
By your life, complaint is no act of prudence.
I swear your life, no trivial plaint is this -
And complaint is unavoidable when there is no patience.
But plaint we must when patience disappears.