ماwhat نقيُّunsullied العِرضhonor طاهرُpure الجَسَدthe body
ما نقيُّ العِرض طاهرُ الجَسَد
كُلَّماwhenever خالطهmingles with it الماءُwater فَسَدspoils
كُلَّما خالطه الماءُ فَسَد
What is unsullied in honor and pure of body?
The pure of lineage, pure of body,
Whenever water mingles with it, it spoils.
As soon as he mingled with water, was spoiled,
خالطmingled with الماءthe water القراحpure; unmixed فغوىand so went astray
خالط الماء القراح فغوى
بعدماafter قدalready كانhad been منamong أهلthe people of الرَّشدright guidance
بعدما قد كان من أهل الرَّشد
It mingled with pure water and went astray,
The jar mingled with water and went astray,
After it had been among the rightly guided.
After it had been of the rightly-guided.
عجميّforeign; non-Arab الأصلorigin ثمthen حُسنُهُits beauty
عجميّ الأصل ثم حُسنُهُ
عندماwhen صادcaught; hunted الغزالةَthe gazelle الأسَدthe lion
عندما صاد الغزالةَ الأسَد
Foreign in origin; then its beauty appears
Persian in origin, then its beauty,
When the lion catches the gazelle.
When it hunted the gazelle, the lion.
واسمُهُand its name اسمُthe name of امرأةٍa woman مصحفاًwith letter-dots altered
واسمُهُ اسمُ امرأةٍ مصحفاً
ولقدand indeed يكونُmay be وصفاًa description لوَلَدof a child
ولقد يكونُ وصفاً لوَلَد
And its name is a woman's name with the letter-dots altered,
And its name is the name of a woman misspelled,
And it may indeed be a description of a child.
And it may well be a description of a boy.
هاكَهُhere, take it قدindeed; already بَهَرتdazzled أنوارهits lights
هاكَهُ قد بَهَرت أنواره
فارمِso shoot بالفكرwith thought تُصِبyou will hit تُصِبyou will hit قَصدَthe intended mark of السَّددaccuracy; rightness
فارمِ بالفكر تُصِب تُصِب قَصدَ السَّدد
Here, take it—its lights have dazzled.
So cast with thinking, you will hit, hit the mark.
So shoot with thought: you will hit, you will hit the true mark.
Partial English translation: 9 of 10 Arabic lines translated.