فتىًa young man لمdid not يَخْلُقِcreate اللَّهُGod
فتىً لم يَخْلُقِ اللَّهُ
يديهhis two hands لسوىfor anything other than اللَّقْمِtaking mouthfuls
يديه لسوى اللَّقْمِ
A young man—God did not create
A youth whom Allah did not create
his hands for anything but eating.
His hands except for morsels
فماso not يرتاحُhe takes delight للمدحِin praise
فما يرتاحُ للمدحِ
ولاand not يرتاعُhe takes fright للشَّتمِat abuse
ولا يرتاعُ للشَّتمِ
So he takes no delight in praise,
So he is not content with praise
nor is he alarmed by abuse.
Nor upset by insults
فرتْcut away جِلْدتَهhis skin الألسُthe tongues (word continues)
فرتْ جِلْدتَه الألسُ
نُ(completes “the tongues”) عنfrom شحمٍfat وعنand from لحمِflesh
نُ عن شحمٍ وعن لحمِ
Tongues have cut his skin away
His skin uncovered bones
from fat and from flesh.
Without fat or flesh
كأنَّاas though we إذwhen سألْناهُwe asked him
كأنَّا إذ سألْناهُ
وقفناwe stood سائليpetitioners of رسْمِa dwelling’s traces
وقفنا سائلي رسْمِ
It was as though, when we asked him,
As if when we asked him
we stood petitioning a dwelling’s traces.
We asked a picture
Sol 6.1