أبوfather of سليمانSulayman لاnot تُرضَىis approved طريقتُهُhis manner
أبو سليمان لا تُرضَى طريقتُهُ
لاneither فيin غناءsinging ولاnor تعليمteaching صبيانِchildren
لا في غناء ولا تعليم صبيانِ
Abu Sulayman's manner wins no approval,
Abu Suleiman, his way is not pleasing,
neither in singing nor in teaching children.
Neither in singing nor in teaching boys.
شيخٌan old man إذاwhen عَلَّمَhe teaches الصِّبيانthe children أفزعهمhe frightens them
شيخٌ إذا عَلَّمَ الصِّبيان أفزعهم
كأنهas though he were أمُّMother of صبيانٍChildren وغيلانand ghouls
كأنه أمُّ صبيانٍ وغيلان
An old man who frightens the children when he teaches them,
When he teaches the boys he terrifies them,
as though he were Umm Sibyan and ghouls.
As if he were the mother of boys and sucklings.
وإنand if تغنَّيhe sings فسلحٌthen shit جاءcomes منبثقاًgushing forth
وإن تغنَّي فسلحٌ جاء منبثقاً
فيin لونِthe color of خلقتِهhis physical form منfrom سَلحِthe shit of سكرانa drunkard
في لونِ خلقتِه من سَلحِ سكران
And if he sings, it is shit gushing forth,
And if he sings, out comes a weapon
in the hue of his complexion, from a drunkard's shit.
In the form of his creation from a drunkard's weapon.
لهhe has إذاwhen جاوَبhe answers الطنبورَthe tanbur محتفلاًceremoniously
له إذا جاوَب الطنبورَ محتفلاً
صوتٌa voice بمصرin Egypt وضربٌand strumming فيin خراسانKhurasan
صوتٌ بمصر وضربٌ في خراسان
When he answers the tanbur with great ceremony,
When he responds to the tambourine celebrating,
his voice is in Egypt and his strumming in Khurasan.
He has a voice in Egypt and a beat in Khorasan.
عواءthe howling of كلبa dog علىupon أوتارِthe strings of مندفةٍa cotton-carding bow
عواء كلب على أوتارِ مندفةٍ
فيin قُبحِthe ugliness of قردٍa monkey وفيand in استكبارthe arrogance of هامانِHaman
في قُبحِ قردٍ وفي استكبار هامانِ
A dog's howl upon a cotton-carding bow's strings,
The howling of a dog on the strings of a mandolin
with a monkey's ugliness and Haman's arrogance.
In the ugliness of a monkey and the arrogance of Haman.
وتحسبُand regards العينُthe eye فكّيهhis two jaws إذاwhen اختلفاthey move to and fro
وتحسبُ العينُ فكّيه إذا اختلفا
عندduring التنغمmelodious singing فكَّيthe two jaws of بغلِa mule of طحانa miller
عند التنغم فكَّي بغلِ طحان
And the eye takes his two jaws, when they move to and fro,
And the eye assumes his jaws when they differ
as he sings, for the jaws of a miller's mule.
In melody, the jaws of a donkey driver.
لاحظْwatch لهازِمَهُhis jowls واضحكْand laugh مُسارقةًon the sly
لاحظْ لهازِمَهُ واضحكْ مُسارقةً
فإنهfor he is عبرةٌa cautionary spectacle ماnot إنat all لهاfor it ثانيa second
فإنه عبرةٌ ما إن لها ثاني
Watch his jowls, and laugh on the sly,
Note his defeats and laugh stealthily,
for he is a cautionary spectacle without an equal.
For it is a lesson, it has no second.
وأقذرُand the filthiest الناسof people أسناناًin teeth وأطفَسُهمand the dirtiest of them
وأقذرُ الناس أسناناً وأطفَسُهم
وأشبهand the most similar الناسِof people أخلاقاًin character بإنسانto a human
وأشبه الناسِ أخلاقاً بإنسان
His teeth are the foulest of all, and he is the filthiest,
And the filthiest of people in teeth, the most foul,
and of all men, he is most like a human in character.
And most similar in morals to human.
عربيدةٌa drunken brawler صلفٌarrogant بالنّقلwith drinking snacks منصرفٌpreoccupied
عربيدةٌ صلفٌ بالنّقل منصرفٌ
فيin كُمِّهِhis sleeve أبداًalways آثارtraces of رُمّانpomegranates
في كُمِّهِ أبداً آثار رُمّان
A drunken brawler, arrogant, absorbed in drinking snacks;
Senseless, arrogant in transmitting,
his sleeve always holds traces of pomegranates.
In his sleeve always traces of pomegranate.
واللوزُand almonds لاmay never فارقتهleave him لوزتاtwo almond-shaped lumps of ورمٍswelling
واللوزُ لا فارقته لوزتا ورمٍ
فشرطهfor his requirement منهof it عندwhen الشَّرْبdrinking ريعانprime freshness
فشرطه منه عند الشَّرْب ريعان
And almonds—may two almond-shaped swellings never leave him!—
And the almond did not part with it, the swelling of pox,
for when drinking he demands them at their freshest.
So its description with him when drinking is the youth.
نُقلٌsnacks ونفلٌand extras إلىalong with نبتٍa growth of hair لهُof his وضِرٍgreasy
نُقلٌ ونفلٌ إلى نبتٍ لهُ وضِرٍ
كأنهas though he were منهbecause of it فيin حانوتthe shop of سمَّانa fat-seller
كأنه منه في حانوت سمَّان
Snacks and extras, along with his greasy beard—
Transmitting and transmitting to a growth he has and harm,
from all this, he seems to be in a fat-seller's shop.
As if he were from it in the shop of a fishmonger.
وإنand if سألناwe ask ابنهhis son ماذاwhat أتاكhe came to you بهwith it
وإن سألنا ابنه ماذا أتاك به
أبوكyour father قالhe said لناto us إكرارُrepetition of حرمانdeprivation
أبوك قال لنا إكرارُ حرمان
And if we ask his son: What has he brought you—
And if we asked his son what did he bring you
your father? He tells us: Repeated deprivation.
Your father said, the repetition of deprivation.
هيهاتَfar from it هيهاتَfar from it ماnot منany طامعone hoping أبداever
هيهاتَ هيهاتَ ما من طامع أبدا
فيfor زادِthe provisions of زُهْمانَZuhman إلاexcept بطنُthe belly of زُهمانِZuhman
في زادِ زُهْمانَ إلا بطنُ زُهمانِ
Far from it, far from it! No one ever hopes
Alas, alas! There is no coveter ever
for Zuhman's provisions except Zuhman's belly.
In the provisions of Zu'man except the belly of Zu'man.
وأضربُand the most destructive الناسof people فيto قومٍa people بجائحةwith calamity
وأضربُ الناس في قومٍ بجائحة
شُؤماًin ill luck وأكثرand more منthan عمروAmr بنson of دهمانDahman
شُؤماً وأكثر من عمرو بن دهمان
And of all men, he strikes a people hardest with calamity,
And I strike the people in a tribe with calamities,
through ill luck—more so than Amr ibn Dahman.
Misfortune and most from Amr bin Duhman.
وإنand if رأىhe sees حيةًa snake تهتزُّwriggling فيin ركَبٍa pubic mound
وإن رأى حيةً تهتزُّ في ركَبٍ
هوىhe swoops لهاupon it بعصاwith the staff of موسىMoses بنson of عمرانImran
هوى لها بعصا موسى بن عمران
And if he sees a snake writhing in a pubic mound,
And if he saw a snake twisting in the riding animal
he swoops upon it with the staff of Moses son of Imran.
He fell upon it with the staff of Moses bin Imran.
لاno بلrather بكوَّةِwith the hole of وثَّابٍa leaper بكُوَّتهwith his hole
لا بل بكوَّةِ وثَّابٍ بكُوَّته
بلّاعةٍswallowing greedily كلevery تنِّينٍdragon وثعبانand serpent
بلّاعةٍ كل تنِّينٍ وثعبان
No—rather with the hole of one who leaps with his hole,
No, but with the club of an inconsistent inconsistent one,
a hole that swallows every dragon and serpent.
The loquacity of every dragon and snake.
أبصرتُهI saw him ساجداًprostrate للأيرto the cock مبتهلاًsupplicating
أبصرتُه ساجداً للأير مبتهلاً
فقلتُso I said أعظمتَyou made enormous كفراًunbelief بعدafter إيمانِfaith
فقلتُ أعظمتَ كفراً بعد إيمانِ
I saw him prostrate before the cock, praying fervently.
I saw him bowing to the idol, praying,
So I said: You have committed monstrous unbelief after faith!
So I said, you have increased disbelief after faith.
فقالso he said قدalready سجدتْprostrated قبليbefore me ملائكةٌangels
فقال قد سجدتْ قبلي ملائكةٌ
لمنto someone سوىother than اللَّهِGod دعوىa claim ذاتَpossessing برهانِproof
لمن سوى اللَّهِ دعوى ذاتَ برهانِ
He said: Angels prostrated before I did
He said, angels have bowed down before me
to someone other than God—a claim backed by proof.
To those other than God, the claim of evident proof.
فقلتso I said ذاكthat one أجلُّthe noblest of الخلقِcreatures كلهمُall of them
فقلت ذاك أجلُّ الخلقِ كلهمُ
أبوكyour father آدمAdam هلare هذانthese two سيانalike
أبوك آدم هل هذان سيان
I said: That was the noblest of all creatures,
I said, that is the greatest of all creation
your father Adam. Are these two alike?
Your father Adam, are these two alike?
فقالso he said آدمُAdam إنسانٌa human وإنand although عظُمتwas great
فقال آدمُ إنسانٌ وإن عظُمت
زُلفاهُhis favored rank والأيرُand the cock أيضاًalso بعضُpart of إنسانa human
زُلفاهُ والأيرُ أيضاً بعضُ إنسان
He said: Adam is human, however great
He said, Adam is a human being and even if
his favored rank; a cock, too, is part of a human.
His intimacy has been great, the idol is also part of a human being.
نهىforbade الكتابُthe Book عنagainst الأوثانthe idols نعبدهاwe worship them
نهى الكتابُ عن الأوثان نعبدها
وماand not الأيورُthe cocks إذاwhen قامتْthey become erect بأوثانidols at all
وما الأيورُ إذا قامتْ بأوثان
The Book forbids us to worship idols,
The Book has forbidden idols, we worship them
but cocks, when erect, are not idols.
And what are idols when they stood with idols?
ماnot جاءhas come فيconcerning الأيرthe cock نهيٌa prohibition عنagainst عبادتهِworshipping it
ما جاء في الأير نهيٌ عن عبادتهِ
لاneither فيin زَبورٍthe Psalms ولاnor تنزيلthe revelation of فُرقانthe Criterion (Qur'an)
لا في زَبورٍ ولا تنزيل فُرقان
No prohibition against worshipping a cock has come,
Nothing came in the idol forbidding its worship
neither in the Psalms nor in the revelation of the Criterion.
Neither in scripture nor in the revelation of the Criterion.
فامنحso give مَلامَكyour blame مَنْwhoever صَلَّىprayed إلىtoward وثنٍan idol
فامنح مَلامَك مَنْ صَلَّى إلى وثنٍ
وامنعand withhold ملامكyour blame منwhoever صَلَّىprayed لجرذانto rats
وامنع ملامك من صَلَّى لجرذان
So give your blame to whoever prays toward an idol,
So blame the one who prayed to an idol
and withhold your blame from whoever prays to rats.
And prevent blaming the one who prayed to mice.
ياoh لهفَthe grief of نفسيmy soul ولهفand the grief of الناسthe people كُلِّهمُall of them
يا لهفَ نفسي ولهف الناس كُلِّهمُ
علىfor سليمانَSolomon مُخزيwho disgraces كلِّevery شيطانdevil
على سليمانَ مُخزي كلِّ شيطان
Oh, my grief, and the grief of everyone,
Oh my keen soul and the keenness of all people
for Solomon, who put every devil to shame!
For Solomon, the disgracer of every devil.
لوif كانhe were حياًalive لهابwould fear الجنُّthe jinn سطوتَهhis might
لو كان حياً لهاب الجنُّ سطوتَه
وماand not تعاتواthey rebelled عليهagainst him بعدafter إذعانsubmission
وما تعاتوا عليه بعد إذعان
Were he alive, the jinn would fear his might,
If he were alive, the jinn would have seized his power
and would not defy him after submitting.
And they would not have rebelled against him after submission.
أبوfather of سليمانSulayman شيطانٌa devil وكنيتهand his byname
أبو سليمان شيطانٌ وكنيته
أبوfather of سليمانSulayman أَمْناًfor safety منfrom سليمانSolomon
أبو سليمان أَمْناً من سليمان
Abu Sulayman is a devil, and his byname
Abu Suleiman is a devil and his nickname
is Abu Sulayman, for safety from Solomon.
Abu Suleiman gives safety from Solomon.
خبَّرتُهI told him أنthat رأسthe head of الأيرِthe cock فيشلةٌa glans
خبَّرتُه أن رأس الأيرِ فيشلةٌ
فقالso he said كلاno ولكنbut رأسُthe head of خاقانKhaqan
فقال كلا ولكن رأسُ خاقان
I told him that the head of a cock is its glans,
I told him the idol's head is paralyzed,
so he said: No, but rather Khaqan's head.
He said no, but the head of the Khagan.
إنif يُشْقنيmakes me wretched اللَّهGod بعدafter المحسنينَthe benefactors بهthrough him
إن يُشْقني اللَّه بعد المحسنينَ به
فكمthen how often شقيتُI suffered بحُسنٍthrough Husn بعدafter بُستانBustan
فكم شقيتُ بحُسنٍ بعد بُستان
If God makes me suffer through him, after the benefactors,
If God afflicts me after the benefactors with it
then how often I have suffered through Husn after Bustan!
Then how afflicted was I with good after the garden.
Sol 6.1