تَسَلطَنَbecame sultan بِالحَدباءِin al-Hadba عَبدٌa slave بِلُؤمِهِregarding his baseness
تَسَلطَنَ بِالحَدباءِ عَبدٌ بِلُؤمِهِ
بَصِيرٌclear-sighted بَلىyes عَنto نَيلِattaining مَكرُمَةٍhonor عَمِblind
بَصِيرٌ بَلى عَن نَيلِ مَكرُمَةٍ عَمِ
A slave has become sultan in al-Hadba—his own baseness
A servant rules with ignorance, blinded in folly,
He sees clearly, yes, but is blind to attaining honor.
Yet somehow aware when seeking an honored gain,
إِذاif أَيقَظَتهُawakens him لَفظَةٌa word عَرَبِيَّةٌArabic
إِذا أَيقَظَتهُ لَفظَةٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ
إِلىto المَجدِglory قالَتsaid أَرمَنِيَّتُهُhis Armenian tongue نَمِsleep
إِلى المَجدِ قالَت أَرمَنِيَّتُهُ نَمِ
If an Arabic word awakens him
When an Arabic phrase awakens him
To glory, his Armenian tongue says, 'Sleep.'
To glory, his Armenian soul says, sleep!
Sol 6.1