عِنديَI have للأيّامِfor the days إنif أقْبَلَتْthey turn favorably
عِنديَ للأيّامِ إن أقْبَلَتْ
عليَّtoward me فعلُdoing الخيرِgood والجودُand generosity
عليَّ فعلُ الخيرِ والجودُ
I have for the days, should they turn
In my favor, good deeds and generosity.
وإنand if تَوَلَّتْthey turn away فَفؤاديthen my heart كماas
وإن تَوَلَّتْ فَفؤادي كما
علِمْتَyou know فيin اللأواءِadversity جُلمودُa boulder
علِمْتَ في اللأواءِ جُلمودُ
And if they turn away, my heart, as
You know, is a boulder in adversity.
يُصابرُit patiently withstands الأيّامَthe days أوuntil تَنقضيcome to an end
يُصابرُ الأيّامَ أو تَنقضي
خُطوبُهنَّtheir vicissitudes البيضُthe white والسّودُand the black
خُطوبُهنَّ البيضُ والسّودُ
It patiently withstands the days until there cease
Their vicissitudes, the white and the black.
تَيقَّظْstay alert فمنfor whoever يَشناكhates you يسهرُstays awake لَيلَهhis night
تَيقَّظْ فمن يَشناك يسهرُ لَيلَه
وقَدand may يخدَعُdeceive اليقظانَthe wakeful مَنone who هوhe راقدُasleep
وقَد يخدَعُ اليقظانَ مَن هو راقدُ
Stay alert, for whoever hates you stays awake all night;
And one asleep may deceive the wakeful.
ولاand do not تَحتَقِرscorn كيدَthe guile of الضَّعيفِthe weak فإنّماfor it is
ولا تَحتَقِر كيدَ الضَّعيفِ فإنّما
تَقُدُcut شِفارَthe edges of المُرهَفاتِthe keen swords المَبارِدُthe files
تَقُدُ شِفارَ المُرهَفاتِ المَبارِدُ
And do not scorn the weak one's guile, for it is
Files that cut the edges of keen swords.
وتُلْقَىand are cast الأسودُthe lions بالخديعَةِby trickery فيinto الزُّبَىthe hunting pits
وتُلْقَى الأسودُ بالخديعَةِ في الزُّبَى
ولَوand if جُوهِرَتْthey were openly confronted لمnot يَنْجُescape منهُنَّfrom them صائدُa hunter
ولَو جُوهِرَتْ لم يَنْجُ منهُنَّ صائدُ
And lions are cast into hunting pits by trickery;
And were they openly confronted, no hunter would escape them.
وإهمالُand neglecting ماwhat يُخشىis feared منin الأمرِthe matter مُهلكٌfatal
وإهمالُ ما يُخشى من الأمرِ مُهلكٌ
ومَصرعُand the death of رِضوانٍRidwan بماto what قُلتُI have said شاهِدُa witness
ومَصرعُ رِضوانٍ بما قُلتُ شاهِدُ
And neglecting the dangers in an affair is fatal;
And Ridwan's death bears witness to what I have said.