بؤساًwoe لقومto people تحدَّونيthey challenged me بجهلهمُin their ignorance
بؤساً لقوم تحدَّوني بجهلهمُ
والجهلُand ignorance يُورطُentangles قوماًpeople شرَّthe worst إيراطِentanglement
والجهلُ يُورطُ قوماً شرَّ إيراطِ
Woe to people who challenged me in their ignorance!
Woe to a people who challenged me in their ignorance,
And ignorance plunges people into the worst of predicaments.
And ignorance implicates people in grave error.
هبهمْgrant that they أدلُّواthey presumed علىupon حلميmy forbearance أماdid ... not علِمُواthey knew
هبهمْ أدلُّوا على حلمي أما علِمُوا
أنthat القوافيthe rhymes لاnot ترضىaccept بإسخاطيwith angering me
أن القوافي لا ترضى بإسخاطي
Grant that they presumed upon my forbearance—did they not know
They showed me their forbearance - did they not know
That the rhymes will not tolerate my being angered?
That rhymes do not tolerate inelegance?
قالواthey said أتشتمُdo you revile? مجنوناًa madman فقلتُso I said لهمْto them
قالوا أتشتمُ مجنوناً فقلتُ لهمْ
لاno بدّescape للمسِّfor possession منfrom كيٍّcautery وإسعاطand nasal medication
لا بدّ للمسِّ من كيٍّ وإسعاط
They said, 'Do you revile a madman?' I said to them:
They said, "Do you insult a madman?" I said to them,
Possession requires cautery and nasal medication.
"A toucher must be reproached and pushed away."
عنديI have دواءُthe remedy أبيAbu (father of) حفصٍHafs ورُقيتُهُand his healing incantation
عندي دواءُ أبي حفصٍ ورُقيتُهُ
إنif كانwas ذلكthat أعياbaffled طبّmedicine بُقراطِHippocrates
إن كان ذلك أعيا طبّ بُقراطِ
I have the cure and healing incantation for Abu Hafs,
I have the cure of Abi Hafs and his prescription
Even if that has baffled Hippocrates' medicine.
If that task wearies even Buqrat.
كمhow many مثلهِlike him منof شقيٍّa wretch قدindeed وصلتُI have joined لهfor him
كم مثلهِ من شقيٍّ قد وصلتُ له
فيin حلبةِthe arena of الكدِّtoil أشواطاًlaps بأشواطِto laps
في حلبةِ الكدِّ أشواطاً بأشواطِ
For many a wretch like him I have joined
How many like him, wretched, to whom I have reached
Lap upon lap in the arena of toil.
Lengths within lengths in the arena of toil -
شغلْتُهُI occupied him بالهواهيwith calamities عنaway from معيشتِهhis livelihood
شغلْتُهُ بالهواهي عن معيشتِه
وذاكand that أنِّيbecause I عليهfor him غيرُnot مُحتاطtaking care
وذاك أنِّي عليه غيرُ مُحتاط
I kept him occupied with calamities, away from his livelihood,
I distracted him from his livelihood with passions
And that is because I take no care for him.
Since I had little care for him.
دعنيleave me وإيّاand with أبيAbu (father of) حفصٍHafs سأتركهI shall leave him
دعني وإيّا أبي حفصٍ سأتركه
حجَّامa cupper ساباطSabat بلrather ورَاقa bookseller ساباطِSabat
حجَّام ساباط بل ورَاق ساباطِ
Leave me with Abu Hafs; I shall leave him
Leave me and Abi Hafs - I will let him go,
A cupper of Sabat—rather, a bookseller of Sabat.
A barber, a bleeder, even a quack.
قدindeed كانwould have been أجدىmore profitable عليهfor him منthan مُشاتمتيtrading insults with me
قد كان أجدى عليه من مُشاتمتي
شُغلٌwork يردُّbrings in عليهto him فضلa profit of قِيراطa qirat
شُغلٌ يردُّ عليه فضل قِيراط
More profitable for him than trading insults with me would have been
Better for him than my insults
Work that brought him a qirat's profit.
A preoccupation that restores his surplus dirham.
Sol 6.1