وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said حينَwhen أَقفَرَgrew empty بَيتيmy house
وَلَقَد قُلتُ حينَ أَقفَرَ بَيتي
مِنof جِرابِthe sack of الدَقيقِflour وَالفُخّارَةِand the earthenware jar
مِن جِرابِ الدَقيقِ وَالفُخّارَةِ
And indeed I said, when my house grew bare
I spoke out when my house became a barren land,
of the flour sack and the earthenware jar:
Void of the flour sack and the clay pot at hand.
وَلَقَدand indeed كانَit had been آهِلاًinhabited غَيرَnot قَفرِdesolate
وَلَقَد كانَ آهِلاً غَيرَ قَفرِ
مُخصِباًwell supplied خَيرُهُits bounty كَثيرُabundant in العِمارَةِinhabitation
مُخصِباً خَيرُهُ كَثيرُ العِمارَةِ
It had indeed been inhabited, not deserted,
Yet once it was populated, never bare,
rich in bounty and bustling with life.
Fertile, with goodness and life everywhere.
فَأَرىso I see الفَأرَthe mice قَدalready تَجَنَّبنthey have shunned بَيتيmy house
فَأَرى الفَأرَ قَد تَجَنَّبن بَيتي
عائِذاتٌseeking refuge مِنهُfrom it بِدارِin the residence of الإِمارَةِthe governorship
عائِذاتٌ مِنهُ بِدارِ الإِمارَةِ
Now I see the mice have shunned my house,
Now I see that the rats have abandoned my door,
seeking refuge from it in the governor’s residence.
Seeking refuge at the Palace, to return no more.
وَدَعاand called بِالرَحيلِfor departure ذِبابُthe flies of بَيتيmy house
وَدَعا بِالرَحيلِ ذِبابُ بَيتي
بَينَbetween مَقصوصَةٍa clipped-winged one إِلىto طَيارَةِa flying one
بَينَ مَقصوصَةٍ إِلى طَيارَةِ
And the flies in my house called for departure,
And the flies of my household called out to take flight,
from the wing-clipped to those that could fly.
Both the clipped-wing walkers and those of great height.
وَأَقامَand stayed السِنَورُthe cat فيin البَيتِthe house حَولاًfor a year
وَأَقامَ السِنَورُ في البَيتِ حَولاً
ماnot يَرىhe sees فيin جَوانِبِthe corners of البَيتِthe house فارَةِa mouse
ما يَرى في جَوانِبِ البَيتِ فارَةِ
The cat stayed in the house a year,
The cat has remained in the house for a year,
never seeing a mouse in its corners.
Seeing never a mouse in the corners appear.
يَنفَضُhe shakes الرَأسَthe head مِنهُof his مِنfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity of الجوhunger (continued next line)
يَنفَضُ الرَأسَ مِنهُ مِن شِدَّةِ الجو
عcompletion of ‘hunger’ وَعَيشٌand a life فيهِin it أَذىsuffering وَمَرارَةِand bitterness
ع وَعَيشٌ فيهِ أَذى وَمَرارَةِ
He shakes his head from the pangs of hunger
He shakes his poor head from the hunger's sharp sting,
and a life of suffering and bitterness.
Living a life that only bitterness can bring.
قُلتُI said لَمّاwhen رَأَيتُهُI saw him ناكِسَhanging الرَأسhis head
قُلتُ لَمّا رَأَيتُهُ ناكِسَ الرَأس
كَئيباdejected فيin الجَوفِthe belly مِنهُof his حَرارَةِa burning
كَئيبا في الجَوفِ مِنهُ حَرارَةِ
I said, when I saw him hanging his head,
I spoke when I saw him with head bowing low,
dejected, with a burning in his belly:
Depressed, with his belly burning in woe.
وَيَكُalas for you! صَبراًbe patient! فَأَنتَfor you are مِنamong خيرَةِthe finest سَنَورٍa cat
وَيَكُ صَبراً فَأَنتَ مِن خيرَةِ سَنَورٍ
رَأَتهُhave seen him عَينايmy two eyes قطّever بَحّارَةِin a neighborhood
رَأَتهُ عَيناي قطّ بَحّارَةِ
“Patience, poor fellow! You are among the finest cats
"Woe to you! Have patience, for you are the best cat,"
my eyes have ever seen in any quarter.”
"That my eyes have ever seen prowling where the alleys are at."
قالَhe said لاno صَبرَpatience ليfor me وَكَيفَand how مَقاميmy staying
قالَ لا صَبرَ لي وَكَيفَ مَقامي
بِبُيوتِin houses قَفرٍdesolate كَجَوفِlike the belly of الحِمارَةِthe she-ass
بِبُيوتِ قَفرٍ كَجَوفِ الحِمارَةِ
He said, “I have no patience—how can I stay
He said, "I have no patience! How can I stay,"
in houses as empty as a she-ass’s belly?”
"In homes of desolation, empty and gray?"
قُلتُI said سِرgo راشِداًrightly guided إِلىto بَيتِthe house of جارٍa neighbor
قُلتُ سِر راشِداً إِلى بَيتِ جارٍ
مُخصِبٍwell supplied رَحلُهُhis household عَظيمُgreat in التِجارَةِtrade
مُخصِبٍ رَحلُهُ عَظيمُ التِجارَةِ
I said, “Go safely to a neighbor’s house,
I said, "Go then, guided, to the neighbor's estate,"
whose household is well supplied, whose trade is thriving.”
"Where the pantry is full and the commerce is great."
وَإِذاand behold العَنكَبوتُthe spider تَغَزَّلَspins its web فيin دَفّيmy tambourine
وَإِذا العَنكَبوتُ تَغَزَّلَ في دَفّي
وَحُبّيand my storage jar وَالكوزُand the mug وَالقِرقارَةِand the pitcher
وَحُبّي وَالكوزُ وَالقِرقارَةِ
And behold, the spider spins its web in my tambourine,
Now the spider is spinning its web on my lyre,
and my storage jar, the mug, and the pitcher.
On my jar, and my mug, and the pot by the fire.
وَأَصابَand got at الحِجامُthe bloodletter كَلبيmy dog فَأَضحىso he became
وَأَصابَ الحِجامُ كَلبي فَأَضحى
بَينَbetween كَلبٍa male dog وَكَلبَةٍand a bitch عَيّارَةِroaming
بَينَ كَلبٍ وَكَلبَةٍ عَيّارَةِ
And the bloodletter got at my dog, leaving him
And a stupor has seized my dog, leaving him prone,
halfway between a male dog and a roaming bitch.
Between a stray cur and a bitch on the roam.
Sol 6.1