ياAh! رُبَّmany a جَرِّيِّcatfish شَوّاءٍgrilled مررتُI passed بهِby it
يا رُبَّ جَرِّيِّ شَوّاءٍ مررتُ بهِ
كأنهas though it were فِدَرُpieces الفالوذِfālūdh (sweet starch pudding) مَشْوِيِّroasted
كأنه فِدَرُ الفالوذِ مَشْوِيِّ
Ah, many a grilled catfish have I passed,
O Lord, a roasted lamb passed me by
As though it were pieces of roasted fālūdh pudding.
As if it were a roasted watermelon
لاno فلسَscale فيهin it ولاnor شوكٌbone ينغّصُهspoils it
لا فلسَ فيه ولا شوكٌ ينغّصُه
كماas تكونoccur لشبّوطٍin shabbūṭ fish وبُنِّيّand bunnī fish
كما تكون لشبّوطٍ وبُنِّيّ
It has no scales, nor bones to spoil it,
Without thorns or pits to spoil it
As shabbūṭ and bunnī fish have.
As a lamb cooked whole can be
يفورُseethes فيin الوجهthe face فوراًin a surge منfrom حَرارتهِits heat
يفورُ في الوجه فوراً من حَرارتهِ
طُوبىblessedness لحلقٍfor a throat بذاكby that الحرِّheat مَكويِّseared
طُوبى لحلقٍ بذاك الحرِّ مَكويِّ
It seethes before one's face from its heat;
Its juices bursting forth from the heat
Blessed is the throat seared by that heat!
Happy is the throat graced by that hot morsel
نِعْمَexcellent is الطعامُthe food لأعمىfor a blind man جائعٍhungry ضَرِمٍravenous
نِعْمَ الطعامُ لأعمى جائعٍ ضَرِمٍ
مُعلِّمٍa schoolmaster عالمٍlearned بالشعرِin poetry نحويِّa grammarian
مُعلِّمٍ عالمٍ بالشعرِ نحويِّ
What fine food for a blind man, hungry and ravenous,
What excellent fare for a hungry blind pauper
A schoolmaster, learned in poetry, a grammarian,
A learned man versed in grammar and poetry
منamong شعيةthe partisans of الكهْلِthe middle-aged man خالِmaternal uncle of المؤمنينَthe believers علىin
من شعية الكهْلِ خالِ المؤمنينَ على
رَغْمِdefiance of ابنson of شيبةَShayba أوor رَغمdefiance of الدمشقيِّthe Damascene
رَغْمِ ابن شيبةَ أو رَغم الدمشقيِّ
A partisan of the middle-aged man, the believers' maternal uncle—in
From the Sheikh with white hair despite his youth
Defiance of Ibn Shayba or of the Damascene.
In spite of Ibn Shibah or Damascus’ rival
محمدMuhammad بنson of عليٍّAli إنهindeed, he is رجلa man
محمد بن عليٍّ إنه رجل
منpart of دينهhis religion أكلُeating زمَّارٍzammār fish وجرِّيِّand catfish
من دينه أكلُ زمَّارٍ وجرِّيِّ
Muhammad son of Ali—indeed, he is a man
Muhammad ibn Ali is a man
Whose religion includes eating zammār fish and catfish,
Who partakes in music though duty-bound
حتىuntil تخالyou would think سبالَmoustaches الشيخthe old man قدalready دُهِنَتْhad been oiled
حتى تخال سبالَ الشيخ قد دُهِنَتْ
منfrom ذاthis وذاكand that ببانٍwith ben oil أوor بخيريِّwith wallflower oil
من ذا وذاك ببانٍ أو بخيريِّ
Till you would think the old man's moustaches had been oiled
So much so that the Sheikh’s chin appears coated
From this and that, with ben oil or wallflower oil.
In this or that, milk or olive oil
فضلاًa bounty منfrom اللَّهِGod أعطاهُHe granted him وحرَّمهُand He forbade it
فضلاً من اللَّهِ أعطاهُ وحرَّمهُ
علىto شَقيٍّa wretch منamong الضُلّالِthe misguided شيعيِّa Shiite
على شَقيٍّ من الضُلّالِ شيعيِّ
A bounty from God, who gave it to him and forbade it
By God’s grace he was granted this and forbidden
To a wretched Shiite among the misguided.
To wretched misguided Shia heretics
Sol 6.1