أبنexplain clearly ليto me إنif سئلتyou are asked أباO Abu (father of) عطاءʿAṭāʾ
أبن لي إن سئلت أبا عطاء
يقيناًwith certainty كيفhow علمكyour knowledge بالمعانيof the meanings
يقيناً كيف علمك بالمعاني
Tell me clearly, if asked, Abu ʿAṭāʾ,
Tell me, if asked, the father of 'Ata'
with certainty: how well do you know meanings?
Surely how your knowledge of meanings has taught you
خبيرٌexpert عالمٌlearned فأسألso ask تجدنيyou will find me
خبيرٌ عالمٌ فأسأل تجدني
بهاin them طباadept وآياتand the verses المثانيthe oft-repeated ones
بها طبا وآيات المثاني
An expert, learned—so ask, and you will find me
An expert, learned one, so ask and you'll find me
adept in them and in the oft-repeated verses.
With it as remedy and verses of prose
فماthen what اسمthe name of حديدةٍa piece of iron فيat رأسthe end of رمحa spear
فما اسم حديدةٍ في رأس رمح
دوينjust below الكعبthe shaft’s joint ليستit is not بالسنانthe spearhead
دوين الكعب ليست بالسنان
Then what is the name of an iron piece at a spear’s end,
What is the name of an iron blade on spearhead
just below the shaft’s joint, but not the spearhead?
Thundering strikes not by fangs
هوit is الزرthe iron stud (spear fitting) الذيwhich إنif باتspends the night ضيفاًas a guest
هو الزر الذي إن بات ضيفاً
بصدركin your chest لمnot تزلcease لكfor you عولتانtwo laments
بصدرك لم تزل لك عولتان
It is the iron stud: if it spends the night as a guest
It is the button which if hosted overnight
in your chest, two laments for you will never cease.
In your chest you'll always have two crutches
فماthen what صفراءa yellow female creature تدعىis called أمUmm (mother of) عوفʿAwf
فما صفراء تدعى أم عوف
كأنas though رجيلتيهاher two little legs منجلانtwo sickles
كأن رجيلتيها منجلان
Then what is the yellow creature called Umm ʿAwf,
What is the yellow one called Umm 'Auf
whose two little legs are like two sickles?
As if its two legs are sickles
أردتyou meant زرادةa locust (nonstandard pronunciation) وازنand I suspect (nonstandard pronunciation) زناa suspicion (nonstandard pronunciation)
أردت زرادة وازن زنا
بأنكthat you ماnot أردتyou wanted سوىother than لسانيmy tongue
بأنك ما أردت سوى لساني
You meant a locust, and I suspect
I wanted an armor and balance the scale
that you wanted nothing but my tongue.
That you wanted nothing but my tongue
أتعرفdo you know مسجداًa mosque لبنيbelonging to the sons of تميمTamīm
أتعرف مسجداً لبني تميم
فويقjust above الميلthe mile-marker دونthis side of بنيthe sons of أبانAbān
فويق الميل دون بني أبان
Do you know a mosque belonging to Banu Tamīm,
Do you know a mosque for Bani Tamim
just above the mile-marker, this side of Banu Abān?
Above the inclination below Bani Aban
بنوthe sons of سيطانSayṭān دونthis side of بنيthe sons of أبانAbān
بنو سيطان دون بني أبان
كقربlike the nearness of أبيكyour father منto عبدʿAbd (servant of) المدانal-Madān
كقرب أبيك من عبد المدان
Banu Sayṭān are this side of Banu Abān,
Bani Sa'ytan below Bani Aban
as near as your father is to ʿAbd al-Madān.
Like your father's proximity from Abdul Mudan
Sol 6.1