تَحَسَّسُshe inquires عَنّيabout me أُمُّmother of سَكنٍSakan وَأَهوَنُand the easiest الشthe… (fragment of ‘complaint’)
تَحَسَّسُ عَنّي أُمُّ سَكنٍ وَأَهوَنُ الش
شَكاةِcomplaint شِفاءًto cure ظِنَّةُsuspicion المُتَحَسِّسِthe inquirer
شَكاةِ شِفاءً ظِنَّةُ المُتَحَسِّسِ
Umm Sakan inquires about me, and the easiest
complaint to cure is the inquirer’s suspicion.
وَلَيسَتand she is not بوَكباءِa bulky woman الصِدارِthe bodice إِذاwhen مَشَتshe walks
وَلَيسَت بوَكباءِ الصِدارِ إِذا مَشَت
تَوَكَّنُshe plods مَشيَthe gait of الكَودَنِthe crossbred horse المُتَحَبِّسِthat keeps stopping
تَوَكَّنُ مَشيَ الكَودَنِ المُتَحَبِّسِ
She is no bulky-bodiced woman who, when she walks,
plods like a crossbred horse that keeps stopping,
لَهاshe has وَلجَةٌa going-in فيinto كُلِّevery بَيتٍhouse وَخَرجَةٌand a going-out
لَها وَلجَةٌ في كُلِّ بَيتٍ وَخَرجَةٌ
تَحَكُّكَthe scratching of جَنبِthe flank of الأَجرَبِthe mangy beast المُتَمَرِّسِrubbing itself
تَحَكُّكَ جَنبِ الأَجرَبِ المُتَمَرِّسِ
going into every house and coming out,
like a mangy beast rubbing and scratching its flank.
وَلَكِنَّهاbut she زَهواءُproud جُمٌّwell fleshed عِظامُهاher bones
وَلَكِنَّها زَهواءُ جُمٌّ عِظامُها
كَحٌقِّيَّةِlike a folded bundle الرَيطِfine cloth الَّتيthat لَمhas not تُدَنَّسِbeen soiled
كَحٌقِّيَّةِ الرَيطِ الَّتي لَم تُدَنَّسِ
But she is proud, her frame well fleshed,
like a folded bundle of fine cloth that has never been soiled.
مِنَamong المُمسِكاتِwomen who keep to themselves لاnot تُرىshe is seen غَيرَexcept أَنَّهُthat it is the case
مِنَ المُمسِكاتِ لا تُرى غَيرَ أَنَّهُ
مَتّىwhenever حانَcomes due يَوماًone day زينَةُthe finery of الناسِthe people تَلبَسِshe dresses up
مَتّى حانَ يَوماً زينَةُ الناسِ تَلبَسِ
She keeps to herself, unseen—except that
whenever a day for people’s finery comes, she dresses up.
Sol 6.1