ياO ابنson of أبيAbu الجهمal-Jahm احتقبstow as baggage هذاthis اللطفْkindness
يا ابن أبي الجهم احتقب هذا اللطفْ
فإنfor indeed فيهin it طرفاa portion منof الطُرَفْcuriosities
فإن فيه طرفا من الطُرَفْ
O son of Abu al-Jahm, stow away this kindness;
O son of Abu al-Jahm, beware of this kindness
For it contains a sampling of curiosities.
For in it there is a hint of flirtation
ياO جُثَّةbulk التلthe hill وياand O وجهface الهدفْthe target
يا جُثَّة التل ويا وجه الهدفْ
ياO روثةdung-pat الفيلthe elephant وياand O لحمflesh الصدَفْshellfish
يا روثة الفيل ويا لحم الصدَفْ
O bulk of a hill, O face of a target;
O rubble of the hill and O face of the target
O elephant dung, O shellfish flesh;
O elephant's dung and O flesh of oysters
ياO أجرةrent البيتthe house قضاءin settlement وسلفand in advance
يا أجرة البيت قضاء وسلف
ياO ليلةnight الخانthe inn ذاwhen الخانthe inn وكفleaks
يا ليلة الخان ذا الخان وكف
O house-rent, paid in arrears and in advance;
O rent of the house, payment and loan
O night at the inn, when the inn leaks;
O night of the inn with its inn and palm
ياO غمَّstifling oppression آبAugust عندamong سكانdwellers الغرفupper rooms
يا غمَّ آب عند سكان الغرف
ياO بردcold كانونKanun لعارfor a naked man بالنَجَفin Najaf
يا برد كانون لعار بالنَجَف
O August's stifling heat for those dwelling in upper rooms;
O sorrow of clouds over the dwellers of the room
O Kanun's cold for a naked man in Najaf;
O cold of January, disgraceful in Najaf
ياO ثلجice ماءwater مالحsalty فيهin it جِيَفcarcasses
يا ثلج ماء مالح فيه جِيَف
ياO خزفearthenware التنورthe oven ياO شرworst of الخزفearthenware
يا خزف التنور يا شر الخزف
O ice of salty water with carcasses in it;
O icy salty water with corpses in it
O earthenware of the oven, O worst of earthenware;
O pottery of the oven, O evil pottery
ياO سوءbadness كيلmeasuring وغلاءand high prices وحشفand shriveled dates
يا سوء كيل وغلاء وحشف
ياO نوبةbout الفقرpoverty وياand O سنَّage الخرفsenility
يا نوبة الفقر ويا سنَّ الخرف
O short measure, high prices, and shriveled dates;
O bad measuring and high prices and cheating
O bout of poverty, O age of senility;
O onset of poverty and O old age senility
ياO طِيرةill omen الشؤمbad luck وياand O فألgood omen التلفruin
يا طِيرة الشؤم ويا فأل التلف
ياO سُدَّةًa blockage فيin المنخرينboth nostrils منfrom نَغَفmaggots
يا سُدَّةً في المنخرين من نَغَف
O ill omen of misfortune, O good omen of ruin;
O bird of ill omen and O omen of ruin
O blockage of maggots in both nostrils;
O plugs in the nostrils from mucus
منwhoever كانwas يشكوcomplaining of فرطexcess حبlove وشغفand passion
من كان يشكو فرط حب وشغف
فإنthen indeed بيin me منكfrom you لبغضاًsurely hatred وشنفand loathing
فإن بي منك لبغضاً وشنف
If anyone complains of excessive love and passion,
Whoever complains of excessive love and passion
Then I surely suffer hatred and loathing for you,
I have for you hatred and aversion
أدناهماthe milder of the two مثلlike السقامsickness والدنفand wasting illness
أدناهما مثل السقام والدنف
بيتكyour house بيتa house نَطِفٌfilthy كلَّall النطفfilth
بيتك بيت نَطِفٌ كلَّ النطف
The milder of the two is like sickness and wasting.
The least of which is like disease and lice
Your house is a house of utter filth;
Your house is a house of vileness completely
لاnot يلتقيmeet فيهin it العفافchastity والشرفand honor
لا يلتقي فيه العفاف والشرف
بلrather تلتقيmeet فيهin it بظورclitorises وقلفand foreskins
بل تلتقي فيه بظور وقلف
Chastity and honor do not meet within it;
Where chastity and honor do not meet
Rather, clitorises and foreskins meet within it.
But indecent singing girls gather in it
كمhow many a طائرbird أغفلتهyou neglected it حتىuntil جدفcursed ungratefully
كم طائر أغفلته حتى جدف
أحسنُthe best ماwhat هرَّit snarled بهat it سوءُbadness العلفthe fodder
أحسنُ ما هرَّ به سوءُ العلف
How many a bird have you neglected until it cursed!
How many birds have I neglected until they flew away
Its mildest snarl was at the wretched fodder.
The best thing scared away by bad food
لاmay not زلتyou cease منof دهركyour lifetime فيin شرworst كنفshelter
لا زلت من دهرك في شر كنف
يليكcomes to you منهfrom it جنفinjustice بعدafter جنفinjustice
يليك منه جنف بعد جنف
May you remain, all your days, in the worst shelter,
I have remained in the evil care of your time
With wrong upon wrong coming to you from it.
Following it one aversion after another
مالكyou have no فيin بغضكhatred of you إنif متyou die خلفa successor
مالك في بغضك إن مت خلف
إلاexcept بنيكyour sons الخلفthe offspring منfrom شرthe worst سلفforebear
إلا بنيك الخلف من شر سلف
If you die, you have no successor in being hated,
You have of my hatred, if you die later
Except your sons, offspring of the worst forebear.
Nothing but your offspring, bad legacy of an evil ancestor
Sol 6.1