أعرفI know ورَّاقاًa bookseller بآيينِهِby his ways
أعرف ورَّاقاً بآيينِهِ
منfrom قَرْنهhis horn نُصبhandles سكاكينِهِhis knives
من قَرْنه نُصب سكاكينِهِ
I know a bookseller by his ways;
I know a scribe with his pens,
His knives' handles come from his horn.
Spears erected from his horn.
يُكنىis called أباAbu (father of) حفصٍHafs لهhe has زوجةٌa wife
يُكنى أبا حفصٍ له زوجةٌ
جارُthe neighbor of استهاher arse أيسرُreadiest ماwhat عونهhis aid
جارُ استها أيسرُ ما عونه
He is called Abu Hafs; he has a wife.
Nicknamed Abu Hafs, he has a wife,
Her arse's neighbor is his readiest aid.
Whose neighbor finds her an easy aid.
لاdoes not يمنعbar المسكينَthe poor man منfrom نيكهاfucking her
لا يمنع المسكينَ من نيكها
ياoh ليتنيif only I were بعضُone of مساكينهhis poor men
يا ليتني بعضُ مساكينه
He does not bar a poor man from fucking her.
He does not refuse the poor his goodness.
Oh, if only I were one of his poor men!
Would that I were one of his poor!
جودٌgenerosity دِيانيٌّpious لهfor him فضلةٌa surplus
جودٌ دِيانيٌّ له فضلةٌ
يأمنhe is safe from خُسرانa shortfall موازينهhis scales
يأمن خُسران موازينه
Pious generosity, with a surplus to his credit;
He has bounty and faith,
He is safe from a shortfall in his scales.
Whoever lowers his scales is safe.
انظرْlook إذاif شئتyou wish إلىat قرنهhis horn
انظرْ إذا شئت إلى قرنه
وانظرand look إلىat قائمthe handle of سكينهhis knife
وانظر إلى قائم سكينه
Look, if you wish, at his horn,
See if you wish his horn,
And look at the handle of his knife:
And see the erect spear.
تجدْهماyou will find them both منof جوهرsubstance واحدٍone
تجدْهما من جوهر واحدٍ
كجودِهِlike his generosity المشتقderived منfrom دينهhis religion
كجودِهِ المشتق من دينه
You will find them both of one substance,
You find them both of one essence,
Like his generosity, derived from his religion.
Like his bounty derived from his faith.
وقائلand someone saying لستَyou are not بذيpossessed of فهَّةٍinarticulacy
وقائل لستَ بذي فهَّةٍ
ولاnor ضعيفِweak in الرأيjudgment مأفونهunsound in it
ولا ضعيفِ الرأي مأفونه
And someone said: “You are not tongue-tied,
“You are no feeble-minded one,” said he,
Nor weak or unsound in judgment;
“Nor weak in judgment, covered.”
فلِمْso why أَذلتَhave you debased الشعرpoetry فيabout مثلهsomeone like him
فلِمْ أَذلتَ الشعر في مثله
فقلتُso I said والعذرُand the excuse بتبيينهby explaining it
فقلتُ والعذرُ بتبيينه
So why have you debased poetry by writing of his like?”
“Why then have you debased poetry for his like,
So I replied, making my excuse clear:
Saying - and the excuse is in explaining it:”
قدindeed جُنَّhas gone mad جُلُّmost of الناسِthe people فيin دهرناour age
قد جُنَّ جُلُّ الناسِ في دهرنا
فعُدَّنيso count me بعضَas one of مجانينهits madmen
فعُدَّني بعضَ مجانينه
“Most people have gone mad in our age;
“Most people in our time are mad,
So count me among its madmen.
So count me one of their madmen.
إنif أكُI am قدindeed أكسبْتُهI have earned him سمعةًrenown
إن أكُ قد أكسبْتُه سمعةً
وزانهand graced him شعريmy verse بتزيينهby adorning him
وزانه شعري بتزيينه
If I have indeed won him renown,
“If I flattered him, I brought him fame,
And my verse, by adorning him, has lent him grace,
And my poetry weighed by adorning him.”
فطالماfor often ملَّكنيhe gave me mastery over رأسهhis head
فطالما ملَّكني رأسه
تسبحُswims كفيmy palm فيthrough ميادينهits fields
تسبحُ كفي في ميادينه
For often he has given me command of his head,
“Often he let me mount his head,
While my palm swims through its fields.
My palms swimming in his plains.”
شيخan old man لناof ours فيon مستوىthe level surface of رأسِهِhis head
شيخ لنا في مستوى رأسِهِ
بستانan orchard صدقfine منamong بساتينهhis orchards
بستان صدق من بساتينه
An old man of ours: on the flat of his head
“A sheikh to us straight of head,
Lies a fine orchard among his orchards.
An orchard of truth among his orchards.”
إذاwhen البساتينthe orchards انقضىhas run out حمْلُهاtheir yield
إذا البساتين انقضى حمْلُها
أطعمَhe bears fruit فيin كلِّevery أحايينِهِhis seasons
أطعمَ في كلِّ أحايينِهِ
When the orchards have exhausted their yield,
“When the orchards finish their burden,
He bears fruit in every season of his.
He feeds in all his flats.”
فخراtake pride أباAbu (father of) حفصHafs بماin what نلتهyou have gained it
فخرا أبا حفص بما نلته
منfrom زينthe beauty of شعريmy verse تحاسينهits embellishments
من زين شعري تحاسينه
Take pride, Abu Hafs, in what you have gained
“Boast, Abu Hafs, of what you attained
Of my verse's beauty and embellishments.
Of ornament from my poetry's good traits.”
قدmay يعظُمgrow great الشيءa thing بتعظيمهby exalting it
قد يعظُم الشيء بتعظيمه
وربماand sometimes هانloses worth بتهوينهby belittling it
وربما هان بتهوينه
A thing may grow great by being exalted,
“A thing may be magnified by extolling it,
And sometimes loses worth through being belittled.
And sometimes diminished by disparaging it.”
أصبحnow is شعريmy verse بعدafter ضنّيmy jealous guarding بهof it
أصبح شعري بعد ضنّي به
يَرْفلُstruts فيin ألوانِthe colors of موضونهits woven finery
يَرْفلُ في ألوانِ موضونه
Now my verse, after I guarded it jealously,
“After my stinginess toward it, my poetry
Struts in the colors of its woven finery.
Struts about in the hues of things stored away.”
عمنfrom whom يُصانُis guarded الشعرpoetry منfrom بعدماafter
عمن يُصانُ الشعر من بعدما
صارhas come to be لكfor you اسمٌa name فيin دواوينهits collections
صار لك اسمٌ في دواوينه
From whom should poetry be guarded, now that
“From whom is poetry protected after
You have a name in its collections?”
You had a name among its scrolls?”
Sol 6.1