لناwe have صديقٌa friend كلاlike no صديقٍfriend
لنا صديقٌ كلا صديقٍ
غثٌّworthless علىdespite أنهthat he is سَمِينُfat
غثٌّ على أنه سَمِينُ
We have a friend who is no friend,
We have a friend, though no true friend is he,
Worthless, though he is fat.
A worthless man who feigns prosperity,
منamong أقبحthe ugliest الناسpeople لاnot أُحاشِيI exempt
من أقبح الناس لا أُحاشِي
منthose who كانhave been منهمof them ومنand those who يكونُwill be
من كان منهم ومن يكونُ
Among the ugliest of people—I exempt none,
Among the ugliest of men, none can deny,
Of those who have been and those who will be.
Of those who are, and those who are to be.
إذاwhenever بداappears وجهُهhis face لقومbefore a group
إذا بدا وجهُه لقوم
لاذتsought refuge بأجفانهاbehind their eyelids العيونُthe eyes
لاذت بأجفانها العيونُ
Whenever his face appears before people,
When his face is seen by a gathering,
Their eyes take refuge behind their eyelids.
Their eyes take cover beneath their lids.
كأنهas though he were عندهمto them غريمٌa debtor
كأنه عندهم غريمٌ
حلَّتْfell due عليهowed by him لهمto them ديونُdebts
حلَّتْ عليه لهم ديونُ
As though, to them, he were a debtor
As though he were a foe they were cradling,
Whose debts to them have fallen due.
On him their debts and wrongs they did.
وهوand he علىin addition to ماwhat وصفتْI described منهof him
وهو على ما وصفتْ منه
مُتَّهمٌsuspect وُدُّهُhis affection ظنينُuntrustworthy
مُتَّهمٌ وُدُّهُ ظنينُ
And, besides what I have described of him,
Yet he, as I described him, still appears
He is suspect; his affection is untrustworthy.
Suspected, his affection insincere.
خانتbetrayed بهthrough him أمُّهhis mother أباهُhis father
خانت به أمُّه أباهُ
فعينُهso his eye عينُهاher eye الخَؤونُtreacherous
فعينُه عينُها الخَؤونُ
In bearing him, his mother betrayed his father;
His mother and father he did betray,
So his eye is her treacherous eye.
So sadness cloaks his devious eyes.
مُعتزليٌّa Muʿtazilite مُسِرُّconcealing كُفرٍunbelief
مُعتزليٌّ مُسِرُّ كُفرٍ
يُبديhe displays ظُهوراًoutward surfaces لهاbelonging to them بطونُinteriors
يُبدي ظُهوراً لها بطونُ
A Muʿtazilite who conceals unbelief,
A heretic, indulging blasphemy,
He displays outward surfaces with hidden interiors.
Whose inner thoughts belie his courtesy.
أأرِفضshould I reject? الاعتزَالMuʿtazilism رأياًas a doctrine
أأرِفض الاعتزَال رأياً
كلّاno indeed لَهنِّيindeed I am بهof it ضنينُjealously protective
كلّا لَهنِّي به ضنينُ
Should I reject Muʿtazilism as a doctrine?
Shall I reject his views, for I disdain
No! I am indeed unwilling to part with it.
This man, though quietly I contain?
لوif صَحَّwere established عنديto me لهhe held اعتقادٌa belief
لو صَحَّ عندي له اعتقادٌ
ماnot دِنتُI worshipped ربيmy Lord بماaccording to what يدينُhe professes as faith
ما دِنتُ ربي بما يدينُ
If I were sure he truly held a belief,
If I believed him true in his creed,
I would not worship my Lord by the creed he follows.
I would not serve my Lord as He decreed.
ياO ابنson of حُريثٍḤurayth أفيكَis there in you? بُقياanything worth sparing
يا ابن حُريثٍ أفيكَ بُقيا
فأكتُمُso I conceal الناسَfrom people ماwhat أبينُI reveal
فأكتُمُ الناسَ ما أبينُ
O son of Ḥurayth, is there anything in you worth sparing,
O Ibn Hurayth, does life in you still linger?
That I should conceal from people what I reveal?
That I may hide from men what I make clear.
Sol 6.1