وقائلةٍand a woman saying بالنُّصْحby way of counsel لمْwhy لاnot تَزوَّجُyou marry
وقائلةٍ بالنُّصْح لمْ لا تَزوَّجُ
فقلتso I said لهاto her غيريsomeone other than me إلىof القَرْنِthe horn أحوجُmore in need
فقلت لها غيري إلى القَرْنِ أحوجُ
And a woman said in counsel, “Why do you not marry?”
A woman advising me to marry
So I told her, “Someone else needs a horn more than I do—
I said to her, "Others need a spouse more than me"
كَشَيْخٍlike an old man رأيناهwe saw him تزوَّجhe married آنِفاًjust recently
كَشَيْخٍ رأيناه تزوَّج آنِفاً
فأمسىso by evening he was وماand not داناهrivaled him كسرىKisra المتوَّجُthe crowned one
فأمسى وما داناه كسرى المتوَّجُ
Like an old man we saw who married just recently.
Like an old man we saw recently married
By evening, not even crowned Kisra could rival him.
Yet by nightfall, his vigor was completely sapped
علاrose high قَرْنُهُhis horn فيin الجوِّthe air حَتَّىuntil كأنهas though it
علا قَرْنُهُ في الجوِّ حَتَّى كأنه
إلىtoward النجمthe star يرقىit climbs أوor إلىto اللهGod يَعْرجُit ascends
إلى النجم يرقى أو إلى الله يَعْرجُ
His horn rose high into the air, until it seemed
His horn shot high into the sky
To climb toward the star, or ascend to God—
As if reaching for the stars or ascending to God
علىdespite أنهthe fact that he is جَعْدُcurled (implying stinginess) البنانthe fingers دُحَيْدحٌa squat little man
على أنه جَعْدُ البنان دُحَيْدحٌ
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle مشىhe walks مستعجلاًin haste قيلit is said يَدْرُجُhe toddles
إذا ما مشى مستعجلاً قيل يَدْرُجُ
Though he is tight-fisted and a squat little man:
Though his curly hair bounced
When he walks in haste, they say, ‘He toddles.’”
When he walked quickly, it was said he waddled
أظنُّI think أباAbu (father of) حفصHafs سيَحْسَبُwill suppose أنهthat he
أظنُّ أبا حفص سيَحْسَبُ أنه
هوhe الرجلthe man المعْنيُّthe one intended والحقand the truth أبلجُplainly evident
هو الرجل المعْنيُّ والحق أبلجُ
I think Abu Hafs will suppose that he
I reckon Abu Hafs will think
Is the man intended—and the truth is plain.
He's the man I mean, but in truth, he's not the one
Sol 6.1