ياO سائِليyou who ask me عنabout خبرِthe tale of الرّغيفthe loaf
يا سائِلي عن خبرِ الرّغيف
وعنand about أَبيAbu (father of) القاسمal-Qasim فيin التَّوليفِthe composing
وعن أَبي القاسم في التَّوليفِ
O you who ask me about the tale of the loaf,
O you who ask about the news of bread
And about Abu al-Qasim in the composing:
And about Abu Al Qasim in authorship
ناهِيكَهit suffices you منas خبرٍa tale طريفِcurious
ناهِيكَه من خبرٍ طريفِ
تُحْلَقُis shaved فيهin it لِحْيَةُbeard العريفِthe headman
تُحْلَقُ فيه لِحْيَةُ العريفِ
What a curious tale it is!
I deter you from any amusing news
In it, the headman's beard is shaved,
In which the sergeant's beard is plucked
ولاnor يقيمremains قمحُهُits wheat فيin الرِّيفِthe countryside
ولا يقيم قمحُهُ في الرِّيفِ
ويهربُand flees الربيعُspring للخريفِto autumn
ويهربُ الربيعُ للخريفِ
And its wheat does not remain in the countryside,
And its wheat does not stand in the countryside
And spring flees to autumn.
And spring escapes to autumn
كمhow many للفقيهِfor the jurist فيهover it منof وقوفِoccasions of standing
كم للفقيهِ فيه من وقوفِ
مشتهرِwell-known فيin أَوَّلthe first الصّفوفِthe rows
مشتهرِ في أَوَّل الصّفوفِ
How often the jurist stands over it,
How much the jurist in it has of standing
Well-known in the foremost rows!
Well known in the first of ranks
يُنْفَشُis carded فيهover it أَلْفُa thousand عِدْلِbale صوفِwool
يُنْفَشُ فيه أَلْفُ عِدْلِ صوفِ
حتىuntil يعرّيstrips bare جلدةskin الخروفِthe sheep
حتى يعرّي جلدة الخروفِ
A thousand bales of wool are carded over it,
In it a thousand weights of wool are scattered
Until the sheep's skin is stripped bare.
Until the skin of the lamb is stripped
يقولhe says هلquestion marker أَنكرتُمُyou denied معروفيmy kindness
يقول هل أَنكرتُمُ معروفي
واللهby God لاnot أَسكتُI keep silent عنabout رغيفيmy loaf
والله لا أَسكتُ عن رغيفي
He says: Have you denied my kindness?
He says, have you denied my good deed
By God, I will not keep silent about my loaf,
By Allah, I will not be silent about my bread
ولاnor قنعتُI was content عنهinstead of it بالتَّسويفwith stalling
ولا قنعتُ عنه بالتَّسويف
كانit was غذائيmy food وغذاand the food of حليفيmy ally
كان غذائي وغذا حليفي
Nor have I settled for stalling in its place.
Nor will I be content with procrastination
It was my food and my ally's food,
It was my food and my ally’s food
وكانand it was ليfor me يُدَقُّis pounded فيinto السَّفوفِpowder taken dry
وكان لي يُدَقُّ في السَّفوفِ
لوif رامهsought it فارٌa mouse منfrom السقوفِthe roofs
لو رامه فارٌ من السقوفِ
And was pounded for me into powder taken dry.
And it was for me, kneaded in bowls
If a mouse from the rooftops had sought it,
If a mouse from the ceilings coveted it
صرفتهI sent it away فيinto قبضةthe grip of الصّروفِfate's vicissitudes
صرفته في قبضة الصّروفِ
كمhow many شاربٍa mustache منfrom دونهbefore it; in its defense مَنْتوفِplucked
كم شاربٍ من دونه مَنْتوفِ
I would have consigned it to the clutches of fate.
I would ward it off in the palm of plaited baskets
How many a mustache was plucked in its defense,
How many a drinker without it is famished
وكمand how much صِفاعٍslapping دونهin its defense عنيفِviolent
وكم صِفاعٍ دونه عنيفِ
منwho ذاthat one يوافينيcomes to me بهwith it ويوفيand pays in full
من ذا يوافيني به ويوفي
And how much violent slapping in its defense!
And how many a slapper without it is harsh
Who will bring it to me and give me my due,
Who will bring it to me and fulfill
يردُّrestores فضلwhat remains of عقلِيَmy mind المصروفِdistracted
يردُّ فضل عقلِيَ المصروفِ
مُكفكِفاًwiping away لدمعِيَfor my tears المذروفِshed
مُكفكِفاً لدمعِيَ المذروفِ
Restoring what remains of my distracted mind,
And return the merit of my exhausted mind
Wiping away my shed tears?
While staunching my flowing tear
آهah عليهfor it وعلىand for مَصِيفيmy summer retreat
آه عليه وعلى مَصِيفي
أَظَنَّنِيdid he think me أَمَلُّI tire منof تعنيفيmy rebuking
أَظَنَّنِي أَمَلُّ من تعنيفي
Ah, for it and for my summer retreat!
Alas for it and for my summer
Did he think I would tire of rebuking
I reckon I hope more than my rebuke
لعقلِof the mind أَكَّالٍa glutton لهhis سخيفِfoolish
لعقلِ أَكَّالٍ له سخيفِ
شيخٍan old man أَكولٍvoracious أَحمَقٍstupid خفيفِfrivolous
شيخٍ أَكولٍ أَحمَقٍ خفيفِ
The foolish mind of this glutton—
For the mind of a wasteful, stupid, flippant old man
An old man, voracious, stupid, and frivolous?
Who loses my composition in his authorship
يضيعis lost فيin توليفهhis composing تأْليفيmy composition
يضيع في توليفه تأْليفي
يأْكلُhe eats أَلْفَa thousand حَمَلٍlamb معلوفِfodder-fed
يأْكلُ أَلْفَ حَمَلٍ معلوفِ
My composition is lost in his composing.
Eats a thousand known camels
He devours a thousand well-fed lambs,
Starting with their wool before their meat
يبدأَhe begins قبلbefore لحمهits meat بِالصُّوفِwith the wool
يبدأَ قبل لحمه بِالصُّوفِ
أَدعوI call upon عليهagainst him اللَّهGod فيwhile وقوفِstanding
أَدعو عليه اللَّه في وقوفِ
Beginning with the wool before its meat.
I pray to Allah against him while standing
I call on God against him while standing,
The prayer of the best, most decent religion
دعاءَthe prayer of خيرِthe best دَيِّنٍa devout man عفيفِchaste
دعاءَ خيرِ دَيِّنٍ عفيفِ
With the prayer of the best of pious, chaste men.
Partial English translation: 30 of 31 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1