لوif كنتyou were أنتyou yourself حُنيناًḤunayn فيin حذاقتهhis skill
لو كنت أنت حُنيناً في حذاقته
أوor مَعْبداًMaʿbad رأسَforemost منthose who غنىsang منamong البشرِhumankind
أو مَعْبداً رأسَ من غنى من البشرِ
If you yourself were Ḥunayn in his skill,
If you were yearning in its peak
Or Maʿbad, foremost of all mortals who sang,
Or a temple whose head is rich with people
أوor كنتyou were كابنlike Ibn سُريجٍSurayj فيin تقادُمهhis long standing
أو كنت كابن سُريجٍ في تقادُمه
أوor الغريضal-Gharīḍ ففيهمfor in them منتهىthe utmost العبرthe instructive examples
أو الغريض ففيهم منتهى العبر
Or were like Ibn Surayj in his long standing,
Or if you were like Ibn Sarij in his antiquity
Or al-Gharīḍ—for they are the finest exemplars—
Or al-Ghurayz, in whom lessons culminate
هلquestion marker كنتyou were تُطرِبyou delight إلاexcept مَنanyone whom تشاكلهُyou resemble him
هل كنت تُطرِب إلا مَن تشاكلهُ
ولوeven if أعانكhelped you صوتthe sound الدفthe frame drum والوترand the string
ولو أعانك صوت الدف والوتر
Would you delight anyone but someone you resemble,
Would you be delighted except by one who resembles you?
Even if the sound of frame drum and string helped you?
Even if the voice of tambourine and strings assist you
إنindeed الكلابthe dogs مغنيهاtheir singer ومطربهاand their charmer
إن الكلاب مغنيها ومطربها
فيin صوتهhis voice عمرʿUmar فاسلحso shit علىon عمرʿUmar
في صوته عمر فاسلح على عمر
Indeed, the dogs' singer and charmer
Dogs have singers and ones who delight them
Is ʿUmar, with his voice—so shit on ʿUmar.
In their voices lives waste, so prepare against waste
والقحطبيand al-Qaḥṭabī إذاwhen غناكhe sings to you مرتجلاًimprovising
والقحطبي إذا غناك مرتجلاً
فقلthen say خريتyou have shat وقمand get up عنaway from مُطَّلٍa smeared man بخرfoul-breathed
فقل خريت وقم عن مُطَّلٍ بخر
And al-Qaḥṭabī, when he sings to you, improvising—
And if the firewood seller sings you extempore
Say, 'You've shat!' and rise from beside a smeared, foul-breathed fellow.
Say "you have chosen" and get up from the delayed ruins
لوif كانhe were فيin سُعُرٍblazing fires والناسُand the people فيin سَقرٍSaqar (Hell)
لو كان في سُعُرٍ والناسُ في سَقرٍ
لماتhe would surely die سامعهhis listener منfrom شدةthe intensity الخصرthe cold
لمات سامعه من شدة الخصر
If he were amid blazing fires, and the people in Saqar,
If there was an inferno and people in hellfire
His listener would die from the bitter cold.
Its listener would die from intense grief
إنif جاءhe comes يفخرboasting بالعباسof al-ʿAbbās والدهhis father
إن جاء يفخر بالعباس والده
فقلthen say فخرتyou have boasted بشيخٍof an old man أرملٍwidowed ذكرmale
فقل فخرت بشيخٍ أرملٍ ذكر
If he comes boasting of al-ʿAbbās, his father,
If he comes boasting of al-Abbas his father
Then say, 'You've boasted of an old man—a male widow.'
Say "I have boasted of a bereaved senior man"
Sol 6.1