أَماnow وَالَّذيby Him who غَشّىcovered المُبارَكَal-Mubarak خِزيَةًa disgrace
أَما وَالَّذي غَشّى المُبارَكَ خِزيَةً
يُغَنّيsings عَلىthroughout الأَيّامِthe ages رَكبٌa band of riders بِهاof it رَكَباa band of riders
يُغَنّي عَلى الأَيّامِ رَكبٌ بِها رَكَبا
Now, by Him who covered al-Mubarak with disgrace,
By Him who blessed the revered sanctuary
of which one band of riders sings to another through the ages,
A group rides upon the days though riding them is difficult
لَقَدindeed ظَلَّkept مُقرانٌMuqran يَحُكُّrubs بِعِرضِهِwith his honor
لَقَد ظَلَّ مُقرانٌ يَحُكُّ بِعِرضِهِ
قَوافِيَrhymes شِعرٍof verse لَوif تَدَبَّرَهاhe pondered them جُرباscabby
قَوافِيَ شِعرٍ لَو تَدَبَّرَها جُربا
Muqran has indeed kept rubbing his honor against
Alas! Muqiran remains fettered, reciting with his honor
rhymes of verse that, if he pondered them, he would find scabby.
The rhyming prose of poetry, which if examined, brings shame
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle عَصَتdefied مَنwhoever رامَهاsought them وَسَماand aspired لَهاto them
إِذا ما عَصَت مَن رامَها وَسَما لَها
أَطاعَتobeyed فَتىًa young man عَضباًkeen يَسوسُgoverns حِجاًan intellect عَضباkeen
أَطاعَت فَتىً عَضباً يَسوسُ حِجاً عَضبا
When they defied whoever sought them and aspired to them,
When she disobeys the one who desires her and travels to him
they obeyed a keen young man who governs a keen mind.
She obeys an angry man who angrily leads pilgrims on hajj
رَجاhe hoped أَنthat يُنَجّيهِsave him خَساسَةُthe baseness قَدرِهِof his worth
رَجا أَن يُنَجّيهِ خَساسَةُ قَدرِهِ
وَلَمand did not يَدرِknow أَنَّthat اللَيثَthe lion يَفتَرِسُpreys upon الكَلباthe dog
وَلَم يَدرِ أَنَّ اللَيثَ يَفتَرِسُ الكَلبا
He hoped his paltry worth would save him,
He hoped his lowly status would deliver him
and did not know that the lion preys upon the dog.
Yet he knew not that the lion preys upon the dog
أَمُقرانُO Muqran كَمhow many قِرنٍa rival لَقيتَyou met بِمَشهَدٍat a gathering
أَمُقرانُ كَم قِرنٍ لَقيتَ بِمَشهَدٍ
فَكانَso he was بِهِin it رَفعاًnominative (raised) وَكُنتَand you were بِهِin it نَصباaccusative (set up)
فَكانَ بِهِ رَفعاً وَكُنتَ بِهِ نَصبا
O Muqran, how many a rival have you met at a gathering,
O Muqiran, how many companions have you met at public gatherings
so he was in the nominative there, and you in the accusative!
Bringing you glory while they suffered shame?
تَراهُyou see him إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle جِئتَهُyou came to him مُتَهَلِّلاًbeaming
تَراهُ إِذا ما جِئتَهُ مُتَهَلِّلاً
إِلَيكَtoward you وَمَسروراًand delighted كَأَنas though قَدalready رَأىhe saw زُبّاa cock
إِلَيكَ وَمَسروراً كَأَن قَد رَأى زُبّا
You see him, whenever you come to him, beaming
When you approach him happy and joyous
toward you and delighted, as though he had seen a cock.
As if you have seen rain after a drought
غَليظٌthick مَجاريthe channels فِكرِهِof his thought لَوif ضَرَبتُهُI struck him
غَليظٌ مَجاري فِكرِهِ لَو ضَرَبتُهُ
عَلىjudging by ماwhat بَداappeared ليto me مِنهُof him لَمdid not يَفهَمِunderstand الضَرباthe blow
عَلى ما بَدا لي مِنهُ لَم يَفهَمِ الضَربا
Thick are the channels of his thought; were I to strike him,
Rough are the ways of his thinking - if I reproached him
judging by what I have seen of him, he would not understand the blow.
For what I see of him, he would not understand the rebuke
إِذاif كانَis وَجهُthe face المَرءِof the man يَبساًdry فَإِنَّهُthen indeed he
إِذا كانَ وَجهُ المَرءِ يَبساً فَإِنَّهُ
يُقاسيhe suffers عِجاناًa perineum لاno اِمتِراءَdoubt بِهِabout it رَطباwet
يُقاسي عِجاناً لا اِمتِراءَ بِهِ رَطبا
If a man's face is dry, then he
When a man's face is stern, he will experience
suffers a wet perineum—there is no doubt about it.
Animosity, not amenable to gentleness while angry
Sol 6.1