قولاsay, you two لطوطٍto Ṭūṭ أبيAbū (father of) عليٍّʿAlī
قولا لطوطٍ أبي عليٍّ
بصريِّناour Basran الشاعرthe poet المنجِّمْthe astrologer
بصريِّنا الشاعر المنجِّمْ
You two, say to Ṭūṭ, Abū ʿAlī,
Tell Abu Ali's parrot,
Our Basran, the poet and astrologer,
Our astrologer poet,
المنذرthe warner المُضحكِthe jester المُغنِّيthe singer
المنذر المُضحكِ المُغنِّي
الكاتبthe scribe الحاسبthe reckoner المعلِّمْthe teacher
الكاتب الحاسب المعلِّمْ
The warner, the jester, the singer,
Entertainer, singer,
The scribe, the reckoner, the teacher,
Writer, mathematician, teacher,
الفيلسوفِthe philosopher العظيمِgreat شأناin stature
الفيلسوفِ العظيمِ شأنا
العائفِthe bird-augur القائفthe tracker المُعزِّمْthe incantation-caster
العائفِ القائف المُعزِّمْ
The philosopher of mighty stature,
The great philosopher,
The bird-augur, the tracker, the spell-caster,
Rambler, wanderer, determined,
الماهِنِthe menial الكاهِنٍthe soothsayer المُعاديthe enemy of
الماهِنِ الكاهِنٍ المُعادي
فيin نصرِchampioning إبليسَIblis كلَّevery مسلمْMuslim
في نصرِ إبليسَ كلَّ مسلمْ
The menial, the soothsayer, the enemy—
Soothsayer, priest, opponent,
In Iblis's cause—of every Muslim;
Supporting Iblis against all Muslims,
الأعورthe one-eyed المُعورthe nakedness-barer الملاقيthe one meeting
الأعور المُعور الملاقي
بمؤخرwith the backside of السوءevil كلَّevery مقدمْcomer
بمؤخر السوء كلَّ مقدمْ
The one-eyed, the nakedness-barer, who meets
The one-eyed, blind, meeting
Every comer with his foul backside.
Evil's backside at every fore,
ياO وجهface of طوطٍṬūṭ رأىsaw قُمُدَّاًa hulking man
يا وجه طوطٍ رأى قُمُدَّاً
فسالthen stretched طولاًlengthwise وقالand said قحِّمْthrust in!
فسال طولاً وقال قحِّمْ
O face of Ṭūṭ, which saw a hulking man,
O parrot face that saw a cloud
Then stretched lengthwise and said, 'Thrust in!'
So urinated lengthwise and said "burst!"
وجهٌa face زكاincreased قُبحُهits ugliness برأسٍwith a head
وجهٌ زكا قُبحُه برأسٍ
قَمْقَمَcompacted (uncertain) منfrom قحفهits skull المُقَمقمْthe shaper (uncertain)
قَمْقَمَ من قحفه المُقَمقمْ
A face whose ugliness was heightened by a head
A face purer than a head
Compacted from its skull by the shaper;
Crunching from its cracked skull,
ماnot إنemphatic particle بداappeared فيin النديِّthe assembly يوماًone day
ما إن بدا في النديِّ يوماً
إلاexcept that اشتهتْهdesired him يداthe two hands of مُقرقِمْa batterer (uncertain)
إلا اشتهتْه يدا مُقرقِمْ
Never once did he appear in the assembly
No sooner did it appear one day
But a batterer's two hands longed for him.
Than a destroying hand desired it,
وقالand said قومٌsome people وماand did not تعدَّواoverstep
وقال قومٌ وما تعدَّوا
كأنهas though he were رأسُthe head of شِيقبرقمْShīqbarqam (obscure name)
كأنه رأسُ شِيقبرقمْ
Some folk said—and did not go too far—
And some said, more than a few,
'He looks like Shīqbarqam's head:
As if it were Sheeqbarqum's head,
رأسُhead of ابنson of عرسٍʿirs (ibn ʿirs: weasel) ووجهُand the face of نمسٍa mongoose
رأسُ ابن عرسٍ ووجهُ نمسٍ
فاصفعso slap his nape بشرwith the worst of النعالthe sandals والْطِمْand slap his face
فاصفع بشر النعال والْطِمْ
A weasel's head and a mongoose's face.'
Ibn 'Arus' head and Numus' face
So smack his nape with the worst sandals, and slap his face!
So slap the soles and stomp!
ياO ابنson of الزيوفthe strutting woman التيwhom أراهاI see her
يا ابن الزيوف التي أراها
طارتshe flew فصيدتْthen was caught بكَفِّin the palm of قِرْطِمْQirṭim
طارت فصيدتْ بكَفِّ قِرْطِمْ
O son of the strutting woman who, I see,
O son of crickets I saw
Has flown off, then been caught in Qirṭim's palm;
Flying, caught in a palm,
ولمand did not تزلcease to be قبلbefore ذاكthat وقْفاًan endowment
ولم تزل قبل ذاك وقْفاً
للرجلfor the man فيin بيتthe house of كلِّevery مجرمْevildoer
للرجل في بيت كلِّ مجرمْ
And before that she had always been an endowment
Still standing before that for the man
For men, in every evildoer's house.
In every criminal's house,
بخراءُfoul-breathed ذفراءُrank-smelling ذاتُpossessing قبحٍugliness
بخراءُ ذفراءُ ذاتُ قبحٍ
محلَّلٌpermitted نيكُهاfucking her محرّمْforbidden
محلَّلٌ نيكُها محرّمْ
Foul-breathed, rank-smelling, possessed of ugliness:
Dung beetle, dung frequenter, ugly one
Fucking her is lawful—yet forbidden.
Whose filth is prohibited,
تعرضُshe is offered عرضَas the offering of الطعامfood جهراًopenly
تعرضُ عرضَ الطعام جهراً
فيat كلevery وقتtime علىto مسلِّمْone offering a greeting
في كل وقت على مسلِّمْ
She is openly offered as food is offered,
Who offers food in public
At every hour, to anyone offering a greeting.
At all times to Muslims,
وكلهمْand all of them قائلٌsaying هنيئاًmay it do you good!
وكلهمْ قائلٌ هنيئاً
لاnot يرتضىconsents to وطأهاtreading on her بمنسمِwith a hoof
لا يرتضى وطأها بمنسمِ
And all of them say, 'May it do you good!'
And all say "Congratulations!"
None would consent to tread on her even with a hoof.
None would accept mounting her with intent,
إنif كنتَyou are كلباًa dog أراكshowed you حربيmy war
إن كنتَ كلباً أراك حربي
حينُكyour doom فاركبso mount هواكyour desire واعزمْand resolve
حينُك فاركب هواك واعزمْ
If you are a dog, my war has been shown to you
If you're a dog I see you noble
By your doom; so mount your desire and resolve!
When you ride your passion and commit,
وأسرِجِand saddle المركبَthe mount المعرَّىthe bare-backed
وأسرِجِ المركبَ المعرَّى
قبلَbefore ورودِentering الوغىbattle وألجِمْand bridle it
قبلَ ورودِ الوغى وألجِمْ
And saddle the bare-backed mount
And saddle the honored ship
Before entering battle, and bridle it.
Before the coming of calamity and persist,
واكتبand write علىupon عرضكَyour honor المُلقَّىthe exposed
واكتب على عرضكَ المُلقَّى
قواصدthe well-aimed ones النبلthe arrows ربِّmy Lord سلِّمْgrant safety!
قواصد النبل ربِّ سلِّمْ
And write upon your honor, laid open
And write upon your outstretched self
To well-aimed arrows: 'Lord, keep me safe!'
The purposes of nobility, Lord of Peace,
فليسfor it is not سهميmy arrow بسهمِan arrow of رامٍan archer
فليس سهمي بسهمِ رامٍ
لكنbut سهميmy arrow شهابُa meteor مُضرِمْfire-kindling
لكن سهمي شهابُ مُضرِمْ
For my arrow is not an archer's arrow,
For my arrow is no stray arrow
But my arrow is a fire-kindling meteor.
Rather my arrow is a kindling flame,
افتحbegin بسوءwith the badness of الثناءِpraise واختمand end
افتح بسوء الثناءِ واختم
فيconcerning ابنson of أبيAbī (father of) قرَّةَQurra المُزَمزِمْthe mutterer
في ابن أبي قرَّةَ المُزَمزِمْ
Begin with dispraise and end with it,
Begin with the ill praise and end
Concerning Ibn Abī Qurra, the mutterer.
In Ibn Abi Qura's Zamzam.
Sol 6.1