يصافحshakes hands with المرءthe person حسنgoodness الحظِّfortune مجتهداًstriving diligently
يصافح المرء حسن الحظِّ مجتهداً
ولمand did not يفدهbenefit him إذاif لمnot يوتَbe granted تصحيفاa textual misreading
ولم يفده إذا لم يوتَ تصحيفا
A man diligently shakes hands with good fortune;
One shakes hands with good fortune by striving,
yet it does him no good unless he is granted a misreading.
But it will not benefit him if he does not devote himself fully.