أَمُوَيسُO Muways كَيفَhow رَأَيتَyou found نَصبَthe laying of حَبائِليmy snares
أَمُوَيسُ كَيفَ رَأَيتَ نَصبَ حَبائِلي
أَوَلَيسَand is not خَتليmy guile فَوقَabove خَتلِthe guile of الخاتِلِthe deceiver
أَوَلَيسَ خَتلي فَوقَ خَتلِ الخاتِلِ
O Muways, how did you find the laying of my snares?
And does my guile not surpass the deceiver's guile?
أَعمَلتُI employed فيكَon you قَصائِديmy poems وَوَسائِليand my means of approach
أَعمَلتُ فيكَ قَصائِدي وَوَسائِلي
فَحَرَمتَنيyet you deprived me فَلَبِئسَso wretched indeed is أَجرُthe wage of العامِلِthe worker
فَحَرَمتَني فَلَبِئسَ أَجرُ العامِلِ
I put my poems and my pleas to work on you,
yet you deprived me—wretched indeed is the worker's wage!
هَذاthis جَزائيmy recompense إِذsince أُدَنِّسُI sully هِمَّتيmy ambition
هَذا جَزائي إِذ أُدَنِّسُ هِمَّتي
بِكَwith you جاهِلاًignorantly وَكَذاand such جَزاءُthe recompense of الجاهِلِthe ignorant man
بِكَ جاهِلاً وَكَذا جَزاءُ الجاهِلِ
This is my recompense for sullying my ambition
with you in ignorance—and such is the ignorant man's recompense.
كَمhow many مِنof لَئيمٍa base man قَدindeed فَدَتهُransomed him قَصائِديmy poems
كَم مِن لَئيمٍ قَد فَدَتهُ قَصائِدي
وَدَأَبنَand they toiled فيهِon his behalf فَماyet not ظَفِرنَthey gained بِطائِلِanything worthwhile
وَدَأَبنَ فيهِ فَما ظَفِرنَ بِطائِلِ
How many a base man have my poems ransomed,
and toiled for, yet won nothing worthwhile!
لاmay not خَفَّفَgrant relief الرَحمَنُthe Merciful عَنّيto me إِنَّنيindeed I
لا خَفَّفَ الرَحمَنُ عَنّي إِنَّني
أَرتَعتُI let graze ظَنّيmy expectation فيin رِياضِthe meadows of الباطِلِfalsehood
أَرتَعتُ ظَنّي في رِياضِ الباطِلِ
May the Merciful grant me no relief, for I
have let my hopes graze in the meadows of falsehood.
ماnever أَنسَلَتbore offspring حَوّاءُEve أَحمَقَmore foolish لِحيَةًa beard
ما أَنسَلَت حَوّاءُ أَحمَقَ لِحيَةً
مِنthan سائِلٍa beggar يَرجوhopes for الغِنىwealth مِنfrom سائِلِa beggar
مِن سائِلٍ يَرجو الغِنى مِن سائِلِ
Eve never bore a more foolish bearded man
than a beggar who hopes for wealth from a beggar.
ذاكَthat man الَّذيwho أَحصىtallied الشُهورَthe months وَعَدَّهاand counted them
ذاكَ الَّذي أَحصى الشُهورَ وَعَدَّها
طَمَعاًin hope لِيُنتِجَto produce سَقبَةًa female camel calf مِنfrom حائِلِa she-camel not in foal
طَمَعاً لِيُنتِجَ سَقبَةً مِن حائِلِ
Such is the man who tallied the months and counted them,
hoping to obtain a female calf from a camel not in foal.
بَهَرَتكَoverpowered you شيمَتُكَyour nature الشَحاحُstingy زِنادُهاits flints
بَهَرَتكَ شيمَتُكَ الشَحاحُ زِنادُها
لَمّاwhen اِحتَثَثتُكَI urged you on فيin اِتِّقاءِwarding off النائِلِbounty
لَمّا اِحتَثَثتُكَ في اِتِّقاءِ النائِلِ
Your nature, whose flints are stingy, overpowered you
in keeping bounty at bay when I urged you on.
أَحرَزتُI secured مِنfrom جَدواكَyour bounty أَكثَرَthe greatest مُحرَزٍgain
أَحرَزتُ مِن جَدواكَ أَكثَرَ مُحرَزٍ
فيin ظاهِرٍappearance وَأَقَلَّهُand the least of it فيin حاصِلِactual yield
في ظاهِرٍ وَأَقَلَّهُ في حاصِلِ
I secured from your bounty the greatest gain
in appearance, and the least in actual yield.
ماnot زِلتُI ceased أَعلَمُI know أَنَّthat بَحرَكَyour sea مِلحَةٌa salt flat
ما زِلتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَّ بَحرَكَ مِلحَةٌ
وَاِزدَدتُand I grew more certain لَمّاwhen صِرتُI came to be نَصبَfacing الساحِلِthe shore
وَاِزدَدتُ لَمّا صِرتُ نَصبَ الساحِلِ
I have always known that your sea is a salt flat,
and was surer still when I stood facing the shore.
وَكَذاكَand likewise مَنwhoever قَصَدَsought out اللِئامَthe base بِعاجِلٍwith haste
وَكَذاكَ مَن قَصَدَ اللِئامَ بِعاجِلٍ
فيin المَدحِpraise سُوِّدَwas blackened وَجهُهُhis face فيin الآجِلِthe future
في المَدحِ سُوِّدَ وَجهُهُ في الآجِلِ
And so, whoever is quick to court the base
with praise will have his face blackened in the end.
Sol 6.1