إِنَّماonly المَرءُman مِنَfrom المَرthe wom-
إِنَّما المَرءُ مِنَ المَر
أَةِ-an والحالُand the situation عجيبُstrange
أَةِ والحالُ عجيبُ
Man comes only from woman,
and strange is the matter.
إِنَّهُindeed he منهاfrom her ولكِنand yet
إِنَّهُ منها ولكِن
هُلكُهُhis ruin فيهاin her قريبُnear
هُلكُهُ فيها قريبُ
Indeed, he comes from her, and yet
his ruin in her is near.
فَهوَso he كالمِلحِlike salt منَfrom الماthe wa-
فَهوَ كالمِلحِ منَ الما
ءِ-ter وبالماءِand in water يَذُوبُhe dissolves
ءِ وبالماءِ يَذُوبُ
For he is like salt, from water,
and in water he dissolves.
وإذاand if ماemphatic particle أَخطأَhe misses الناthe behold-
وإذا ما أَخطأَ النا
ظِرُ-er مرآهاthe sight of her يُصيبُhits the mark
ظِرُ مرآها يُصيبُ
And if the beholder misses,
the sight of her strikes true.
كَيفَماhowever كانتshe may be فإِنِّيso indeed I
كَيفَما كانت فإِنِّي
فيregarding تُقاهاher piety مُستَرِيبُdoubtful
في تُقاها مُستَرِيبُ
However she may be, I
am doubtful of her piety.
كمhow many أَتَتhave come منهاfrom her ذُنوبٌsins
كم أَتَت منها ذُنوبٌ
ليسَnot يمحوهاwashes them away الذَنُوبُthe bucketful of water
ليسَ يمحوها الذَنُوبُ
How many sins have come from her
that no bucketful of water can wash away!
داؤُهاher ailment داءٌa disease عُضَالٌincurable
داؤُها داءٌ عُضَالٌ
ماnot لَهُfor it اصلاًat all طيبُhealing
ما لَهُ اصلاً طيبُ
Her ailment is an incurable disease,
with no healing for it at all.
فاستعِذso seek refuge باللَهِin God منهاfrom her
فاستعِذ باللَهِ منها
داعياًcalling in prayer فَهوَfor He المُجِيبُthe One who answers
داعياً فَهوَ المُجِيبُ
So seek refuge in God from her,
calling in prayer, for He is the One who answers.