أرىI see العصفُورَthe sparrow يعبثُplays بالفِخَاخِwith the snares
أرى العصفُورَ يعبثُ بالفِخَاخِ
وماand no لِخِنَاقِهِfor its noose فيهاamong them مُرَاخِيloosener
وما لِخِنَاقِهِ فيها مُرَاخِي
I see the sparrow playing with the snares,
yet none among them will loosen its noose.
وقالand he recited الشعرَpoetry يُغْرِبuses outlandish language فيهin it حتىso much that
وقال الشعرَ يُغْرِب فيه حتى
لخيلَone would surely imagine منfrom اليمامةal-Yamamah أوor أُضَاخِUdakh
لخيلَ من اليمامة أو أُضَاخِ
He recited verse in such outlandish language
that one would think him from al-Yamamah or Udakh.
ولمand did not تجنِglean المسامعُthe ears منهfrom it معنىًa meaning
ولم تجنِ المسامعُ منه معنىً
وهلand can تُجْنَىbe harvested الثمارُthe fruits منfrom السِّبَاخُthe salt flats
وهل تُجْنَى الثمارُ من السِّبَاخُ
Yet ears gleaned no meaning from it—
and can fruit be gathered from salt flats?
وعرَّضَand he exposed عرضَهhis honor عمداًdeliberately لشعريto my poetry
وعرَّضَ عرضَه عمداً لشعري
ليغسلto wash عِرْضَهhis honor بعدafter اتِّساخِdefilement
ليغسل عِرْضَه بعد اتِّساخِ
He deliberately exposed his honor to my verse,
to wash his honor clean after its defilement.
ولمand not يكwas غاسلاًwashing ثوباًa garment بنارٍwith fire
ولم يك غاسلاً ثوباً بنارٍ
أخوone possessed of عقلٍreason يُعَدُّis reckoned ولاnor طَبَاخِgood sense
أخو عقلٍ يُعَدُّ ولا طَبَاخِ
No man who washes a garment with fire
is reckoned to possess reason or good sense.
تسامَىrose high الناسpeople فيon دَرَجthe steps of المعاليhigh distinction
تسامَى الناس في دَرَج المعالي
وماand not سَوَّارُSawwar إلاexcept فيin مَسَاخِdegradation
وما سَوَّارُ إلا في مَسَاخِ
People have climbed the steps of high distinction,
while Sawwar only degenerates.
وأنِّىand how بالسُّموِّto loftiness لذيfor one possessed of سَفالٍbaseness
وأنِّى بالسُّموِّ لذي سَفالٍ
مَسِيخِinsipid الطَّعمin taste منfrom نَفَرٍa band of men مِسَاخِinsipid ones
مَسِيخِ الطَّعم من نَفَرٍ مِسَاخِ
And how could one so base attain loftiness—
insipid in taste, from a band of insipid men?
لهhe has أنثىa female تَزِيفُstruts إلىtoward سواهsomeone other than him
له أنثى تَزِيفُ إلى سواه
وتأخُذُهand obliges him بِتَرْبِيةِto rear الفِرَاخِthe chicks
وتأخُذُه بِتَرْبِيةِ الفِرَاخِ
He has a female who struts toward another,
and makes him rear the chicks.
وقدand indeed شاعhas spread الحديثُthe talk بهاabout her ولكنbut
وقد شاع الحديثُ بها ولكن
إخَالI think النَّغْلthe bastard مسدودblocked الصِّمَاخِthe ear canal
إخَال النَّغْل مسدود الصِّمَاخِ
Word of her has spread, but
I think the bastard's ear is stopped.
تأمَّلْتُI examined الرجالthe men فلمand did not أجدهfind him
تأمَّلْتُ الرجال فلم أجده
منamong الشَّاهَاتِthe chess-kings ثَمَّthere ولاnor الرِّخَاخِthe rooks
من الشَّاهَاتِ ثَمَّ ولا الرِّخَاخِ
I have examined men and did not find him
among the kings there, nor among the rooks.
تُرَاحُare rested اليَعْمُلاَتُthe swift she-camels إذاwhen أنيختmade to kneel
تُرَاحُ اليَعْمُلاَتُ إذا أنيخت
وَكَدُّbut the toil of ابنthe son of المُنَاخَةِthe woman made to kneel فيin المُنَاخِbeing made to kneel
وَكَدُّ ابن المُنَاخَةِ في المُنَاخِ
Swift she-camels rest when made to kneel,
but the son of the woman made to kneel toils in kneeling.
يبيتhe spends the night إذاwhen أنِيخhe is made to kneel قَعُودَa young riding-camel of عبدٍa slave
يبيت إذا أنِيخ قَعُودَ عبدٍ
يَهُبُّleaps عليهupon him كالفَحْلِlike a bull-camel القُلاخِbellowing
يَهُبُّ عليه كالفَحْلِ القُلاخِ
When made to kneel, he spends the night as a slave's young riding-camel;
the slave leaps upon him like a bellowing bull-camel.
تُعَاهِرُwhores عِرْسُهُhis wife فيin كلevery بيتٍhouse
تُعَاهِرُ عِرْسُهُ في كل بيتٍ
وماand not شَبَقُthe lust of الخَبيثَةِthe vile woman بالمُبَاخِto be quenched
وما شَبَقُ الخَبيثَةِ بالمُبَاخِ
His wife whores in every house,
and the vile woman's lust is never quenched.
وَلَوْand even if فيin بيتِهhis house نِيكَتْshe were fucked جِهَاراًopenly
وَلَوْ في بيتِه نِيكَتْ جِهَاراً
لكانhe would surely be كأنهas though he were رَجُلٌa man بِخَاخِin Khakh
لكان كأنه رَجُلٌ بِخَاخِ
And even if she were fucked openly in his house,
he would be like a man off in Khakh.
نعمyes ولظلand he would keep يرفعraising نَائِكيهاthe men who fuck her
نعم ولظل يرفع نَائِكيها
هناكthere إلىto الصدورthe seats of honor عنfrom النِّخَاخِthe rugs
هناك إلى الصدور عن النِّخَاخِ
Yes, and he would keep raising the men who fuck her
there, from the rugs to the seats of honor.
وإنيand indeed I قائلwill utter فيهabout him مقالاًsome words
وإني قائل فيه مقالاً
يُغِصُّmakes choke الحلقَthe throat بالماءon water النُّقَاخِpure
يُغِصُّ الحلقَ بالماء النُّقَاخِ
And I shall indeed speak of him in words
that make the throat choke on pure water.
أباO father of الفياضal-Fayyad دونكtake these مُحْكَمَاتٍwell-wrought verses
أبا الفياض دونك مُحْكَمَاتٍ
نُظِمْنَwere strung together علىwith التشاكلsymmetry والتَّواخيand harmony
نُظِمْنَ على التشاكل والتَّواخي
O Abu al-Fayyad, take these well-wrought verses,
strung together in symmetry and harmony,
سَوَائرَfar-circulating ليسnot يَعْرُوbefalls منشِديهاtheir reciters
سَوَائرَ ليس يَعْرُو منشِديها
فتورٌweariness فيin النشيدrecitation ولاnor تراخِيslackening
فتورٌ في النشيد ولا تراخِي
far-traveling, whose reciters suffer no
weariness in recitation, nor any slackening.
يَطُولُwill be long لهاbecause of them صُراخُكyour screaming مستغيثاًcrying for help
يَطُولُ لها صُراخُك مستغيثاً
وأهْوَنُand least regarded ماwhen تكونyou are علىby الصراخِthose who answer cries for help
وأهْوَنُ ما تكون على الصراخِ
Long will you scream for help because of them,
and then you will matter least to those who answer cries.
Sol 6.1