إِذاif نِلتُI receive العَطِيَّةَthe gift بَعدَafter مَطلٍdelay
إِذا نِلتُ العَطِيَّةَ بَعدَ مَطلٍ
فَلاthen may it not كانَتbe وَإِنeven if كانَتit is جَزيلَهlavish
فَلا كانَت وَإِن كانَت جَزيلَه
If I receive a gift after being kept waiting,
may it never have come, however lavish it is.
فَسَقياًso, a blessing of rain لِلعَطِيَّةِupon the gift ثُمَّthen سَقياًa blessing of rain
فَسَقياً لِلعَطِيَّةِ ثُمَّ سَقياً
إِذاif سَهُلَتit comes readily وَإِنeven if كانَتit is قَليلَهsmall
إِذا سَهُلَت وَإِن كانَت قَليلَه
So may rain bless the gift, then rain again,
if it comes readily, however small it is.
وَلِلشُعَراءِand poets have أَلسِنَةٌtongues حِدادٌsharp
وَلِلشُعَراءِ أَلسِنَةٌ حِدادٌ
عَلىover العَوراتِhidden faults موفِيَةٌsurveying دَليلَهpointing them out
عَلى العَوراتِ موفِيَةٌ دَليلَه
And poets have sharp tongues,
surveying hidden faults and pointing them out.
وَمِنand part of عَقلِthe good sense of الكَريمِthe noble man إِذاwhen اِتَّقاهُمhe guards against them
وَمِن عَقلِ الكَريمِ إِذا اِتَّقاهُم
وَداراهُمand treats them tactfully مُداراةًtactful treatment جَميلَهgracious
وَداراهُم مُداراةً جَميلَه
A noble man shows good sense when he guards against them
and treats them with gracious tact.
إِذاwhen وَضَعواthey lay مَكاويهِمtheir branding irons عَلَيهِupon him
إِذا وَضَعوا مَكاويهِم عَلَيهِ
وَإِنeven if كَذَبواthey lie فَلَيسَthen there is no لَهُنَّagainst them حيلَهdefense
وَإِن كَذَبوا فَلَيسَ لَهُنَّ حيلَه
When they lay their branding irons upon him,
even if they lie, there is no defense against them.