وَأَشعَثَand a disheveled man مالَهُhis wealth فَضَلاتُleavings ثَولٍa swarm of bees
وَأَشعَثَ مالَهُ فَضَلاتُ ثَولٍ
عَلىon أَركانِledges مَهلَكَةٍa perilous place زَهوقِdeadly
عَلى أَركانِ مَهلَكَةٍ زَهوقِ
And a disheveled man whose wealth is a bee-swarm's leavings,
His unkempt hair is strewn with crumbs
on the ledges of a deadly precipice,
In the corners of a ruinous tavern
قَليلٍscant لَحمُهُhis flesh إِلّاexcept بَقاياremnants
قَليلٍ لَحمُهُ إِلّا بَقايا
طَفاطِفِthin scraps لَحمِflesh مَمحوصٍwasted away مَشيقِlean
طَفاطِفِ لَحمِ مَمحوصٍ مَشيقِ
his flesh scant, save for remnants:
Little is his flesh but remnants
thin scraps of flesh, wasted away and lean.
Of shredded meat, peeled and sliced
تَأَبَّطَtucked under his arm خافَةًa leather honey-bag فيهاinside it مِسابٌa honey-skin
تَأَبَّطَ خافَةً فيها مِسابٌ
فَأَضحىthen he began يَقتَريfollowing مَسَداًa fiber rope بِشيقِthrough a mountain cleft
فَأَضحى يَقتَري مَسَداً بِشيقِ
He tucked a honey-bag under his arm, with a honey-skin inside,
He grabbed a worn out robe in which are lice
then began following a fiber rope through a mountain cleft,
So he now borrows a pillow to rest his cheek
عَلىtoward فَتخاءَa broad-winged one يَعلَمُhe knows حَيثُwhere تَنجوit finds refuge
عَلى فَتخاءَ يَعلَمُ حَيثُ تَنجو
وَماand there is no فيin حَيثُwhere تَنجوit finds refuge مِنany طَريقِpath
وَما في حَيثُ تَنجو مِن طَريقِ
toward the broad-winged one, whose refuge he knows,
On a rug he knows where it’s protected
though where it finds refuge there is no path.
And nowhere it's protected from fate
وَكانَتand it was وَقبَةًa hollow فيin رَأسِthe summit نيقٍa crag
وَكانَت وَقبَةً في رَأسِ نيقٍ
دُوَينَjust beneath الشَمسِthe sun ذاتَbearing جَنىًa harvest أَنيقِlovely
دُوَينَ الشَمسِ ذاتَ جَنىً أَنيقِ
And it was a hollow atop a crag,
It was once a dome on an elegant pillar
just beneath the sun, bearing a lovely harvest.
Sheltering from the heat of the sun
فَيَمَّمَthen he made for وَقبَةًa hollow أَعياhad proved too difficult جَناهاits gathering
فَيَمَّمَ وَقبَةً أَعيا جَناها
عَلىfor ذيone possessing النِيقَةِdiscernment اللَبِقِdeft الرَفيقِskillful
عَلى ذي النِيقَةِ اللَبِقِ الرَفيقِ
He made for a hollow whose harvest had proved too difficult
So he fancied a dome whose protection has faded
for a discerning man, deft and skillful.
Upon the owner of elegance, subtlety and grace
فَجاءَthen he came بِهاwith it سُلافاًpure first-drawn honey لَيسَthere is no فيهاin it
فَجاءَ بِها سُلافاً لَيسَ فيها
قَذىًa speck of dirt صَهباءَtawny تَسبِقُsurpassing كُلَّevery ريقِchoice extract
قَذىً صَهباءَ تَسبِقُ كُلَّ ريقِ
He brought it back as pure first-drawn honey, with no
He brought it as plunder with nothing in it
speck in it—tawny, surpassing every choice extract.
But gray ash outpacing all other plunder
فَذاكَso that تِلادُهُhis long-held wealth وَمُسَلجَماتٌand turnip-headed arrows
فَذاكَ تِلادُهُ وَمُسَلجَماتٌ
نَظائِرُmatching one another كُلُّeach خَوّارٍslender and pliant بَروقِgleaming
نَظائِرُ كُلُّ خَوّارٍ بَروقِ
That is his long-held wealth, along with turnip-headed arrows,
That is his lineage and chains
matched, each slender, pliant, and gleaming.
Similar to every roaming ostrich
لَهُhe has مِنfrom كَسبِهِنَّtheir gains مُعَذلَجاتٌbulging
لَهُ مِن كَسبِهِنَّ مُعَذلَجاتٌ
قَعائِدُprovision-bags قَدalready مُلِئنَthey have been filled مِنَwith الوَشيقِdried meat
قَعائِدُ قَد مُلِئنَ مِنَ الوَشيقِ
From what they bring him, he has bulging
From them he has manacled servant girls
provision-bags, already filled with dried meat.
Necks filled with necklaces
وَبِكرٌand a virgin bow كُلَّماwhenever مُسَّتit is touched أَصاتَتit sounds
وَبِكرٌ كُلَّما مُسَّت أَصاتَت
تَرَنُّمَthe trilling نَغمِof notes ذيof one with الشَرعِstrings العَتيقِancient
تَرَنُّمَ نَغمِ ذي الشَرعِ العَتيقِ
And a virgin bow: whenever touched, it gives voice
And an untouched maiden whenever touched
to the trilling notes of an ancient stringed instrument.
She hums to the tune of ancient canon
لَهاit has مِنfrom غَيرِهاsomething unlike itself مَعَهاwith it قَرينٌa companion
لَها مِن غَيرِها مَعَها قَرينٌ
يَرُدُّrestrains مِراحَthe exuberance عاصِيَةٍof an unruly one صَفوقِhard-striking
يَرُدُّ مِراحَ عاصِيَةٍ صَفوقِ
With it is a companion unlike itself,
She has, other than her, a companion
that checks the exuberance of an unruly, hard-striking bow.
Who returns the touch of a flirtatious and unruly girl
Sol 6.1