قلsay للمؤيدto al-Mu’ayyad ماwhat دهاكbefell you
قل للمؤيد ما دهاك
يدكyour hand التيwhich صفعتslapped قفاكthe back of your neck
يدك التي صفعت قفاك
Say to al-Mu’ayyad: What has befallen you?
Tell the supporter what led you
Your own hand slapped the back of your neck.
Your hand that slapped your neck
فلمthen why التغطرسarrogance والغروand conceit (continued)
فلم التغطرس والغرو
ر(completes 'conceit') ألستare you not تذكرremembering مبتداكyour beginning
ر ألست تذكر مبتداك
Then why this arrogance and conceit?
Why the arrogance and pride
Do you not remember your beginnings?
Didn't you remember your beginnings
أيامthe days كنتyou were ولستand you did not تمـpossess (continued)
أيام كنت ولست تمـ
ـلك(completes 'possess') كسرةa crust of bread لتسدّto fill فاكyour mouth
ـلك كسرة لتسدّ فاك
The days when you did not possess
Days when you had nothing
a crust of bread to fill your mouth.
Not even a crust to fill your mouth
تلجyou slip into الثيابthe clothes وكلهاand all of them
تلج الثياب وكلها
فرجholes يضيقis distressed لهاby them سواكanyone but you
فرج يضيق لها سواك
You slipped into clothes, all of them
You wore ripped clothes and everything was narrow except your pores
holes that would distress anyone but you.
From right to left, forward and backward
فمنso from اليمينthe right إلىto اليساthe left (continued)
فمن اليمين إلى اليسا
ر(completes 'left') إلىto الأمامthe front إلىto وراكbehind you
ر إلى الأمام إلى وراك
From the right to the left,
The winds wear out their lines
to the front, to behind you.
And your scratching increases the wearing out
تبلىwear away الرياحthe winds خطوطهاtheir lines
تبلى الرياح خطوطها
ويزيدand adds فيto البلوىthe misery حذاكyour shoe
ويزيد في البلوى حذاك
The winds wore away their lines,
You walk in the morning to the evening
and your shoe added to the misery.
Perhaps a generous evening will see you
تمشىyou walk الصباحthe morning إلىuntil المساthe evening (continued)
تمشى الصباح إلى المسا
ء(completes 'evening') عسىin hope that أخوبِرّa charitable man يراكsees you
ء عسى أخوبِرّ يراك
You walked from morning until evening,
You visit homes seeking
hoping a charitable man would see you.
Sustenance for poetry that has no end
تغشىyou frequent المنازلthe houses طالباseeking
تغشى المنازل طالبا
رزقاa livelihood لشعرfor poetry لاnot يُلاكis mouthed
رزقا لشعر لا يُلاك
You frequented houses, seeking
The ruins of houses cured him
a living for verse no tongue would mouth.
And so did the valley of Al-Arak
عافتهshunned it أطلالthe ruins الدياthe dwellings (continued)
عافته أطلال الديا
ر(completes 'dwellings') ومجهand spat it out وادىthe valley of الأراكal-Arāk
ر ومجه وادى الأراك
The ruins of dwellings rejected it,
You didn't forget all that
and Wadi al-Arāk spat it out.
You didn't forget your grandfather or father
لمdid not تنسyou forget ذلكthat كلهall of it
لم تنس ذلك كله
لمdid not تنسyou forget جدّكyour grandfather أوor أباكyour father
لم تنس جدّك أو أباك
You did not forget all that;
But the inattention of a nation
you did not forget your grandfather or your father.
That worshipped calves before that
لكنbut غفلةheedlessness أمّةof a nation
لكن غفلة أمّة
عبدتworshipped عجولاcalves قبلbefore ذاكthat
عبدت عجولا قبل ذاك
But a nation's heedlessness—
Forgot your past which
a nation that had worshipped calves before—
If told, would make you ashamed and regretful
نسيتforgot لكfor you الماضيthe past الذيwhich
نسيت لك الماضي الذي
لوif قيلit were told تَبهتwould blanch وجنتاكyour cheeks
لو قيل تَبهت وجنتاك
forgot for you the past which,
You thought your vices and immorality
if told, would blanch your cheeks.
And naivety in your lifetime were from wisdom
حسبتit reckoned خدائعكyour deceptions الفضاscandals (continued)
حسبت خدائعك الفضا
ئح(completes 'scandals') والبساطةand simplicity فيin دهاكyour cunning
ئح والبساطة في دهاك
It reckoned your deceptions scandals,
Your mentor was a temple of wisdom
and saw simplicity in your cunning.
Where knowledge was folded in your arms
خالتكit imagined you هيكلa temple حكمةof wisdom
خالتك هيكل حكمة
تطوىis folded المعارفlearning رداكyour cloak
تطوى المعارف رداك
It fancied you a temple of wisdom,
Religion and the redeemed nation
all learning folded in your cloak.
Bear witness to your shepherding
والدينand religion والوطنand the homeland المفدّىworth sacrificing for
والدين والوطن المفدّى
يشهدانboth testify علىto رياكyour hypocrisy
يشهدان على رياك
And religion and the cherished homeland
You describe majesty and occupation
both testify to your hypocrisy.
From here or from there
تصفyou describe الجلالmajesty والاحتلاand occupation (continued)
تصف الجلال والاحتلا
ل(completes 'occupation') ومنand whoever هناhere أوor منwhoever هناكthere
ل ومن هنا أو من هناك
You describe majesty and occupation,
And you say, my Master told me
and whoever is here or there.
Conceal it, do not reveal it
وتقولand you say قلتI said وقالand he said ليto me
وتقول قلت وقال لي
مولىa patron تواريهconceals him ولاكyour loyalty
مولى تواريه ولاك
And you say, 'I said, and he said to me'—
It's all lies, by your Lord
a patron whom your loyalty conceals.
A trap you set up
كذبlies وربكby your Lord كلهall of it
كذب وربك كله
غشfraud نصبتyou set بهwith it الشراكthe snares
غش نصبت به الشراك
Lies, by your Lord, all of it!
It is what made you great
Fraud with which you set the snares.
And made you sit on the throne
هيit أكبرتكmade you great وعظمتـand exalted (continued)
هي أكبرتك وعظمتـ
ـكyou (completes 'exalted you') فأجلستكand so seated you علىupon السماكal-Simāk
ـك فأجلستك على السماك
It made you great and exalted you,
It amassed for you a lineage
then seated you upon al-Simāk.
That before had no known father
جمعتit assembled لكfor you النسبthe pedigree الذيwhich
جمعت لك النسب الذي
منfrom قبلbefore لمhad not يعرفknown أباكyour father
من قبل لم يعرف أباك
It assembled for you the pedigree that
The ample gift became your cloak
had never known your father before.
And trash became your crown
أضحىbecame الوثيرthe luxurious لكfor you الوِطاbedding (continued)
أضحى الوثير لك الوِطا
ء(completes 'bedding') وصارand became منof خزsilken cloth غِطاكyour covering
ء وصار من خز غِطاك
Luxurious bedding became yours,
Until you were swollen and announced
and your covering was made of silken cloth.
The Saud's separation from you
حتىuntil بطرتyou grew insolent وآذنتand announced
حتى بطرت وآذنت
عنكfrom you السعودgood fortunes بالانفكاكtheir breaking away
عنك السعود بالانفكاك
Until you grew insolent, and warning came
You rode the back of ignorance
that good fortune was breaking away from you.
And fell, stumbling in your blindness
فعلوتso you mounted متنthe back of جهالةignorance
فعلوت متن جهالة
ووقعتand you fell تخبطfloundering فيin عماكyour blindness
ووقعت تخبط في عماك
So you mounted the back of ignorance,
The house of Al-Mu'ayyad, do you know
and fell, floundering in your blindness.
What the sheikh Jak brought of shame
بيتO house of المؤيدal-Mu’ayyad هلhave you علمـlearned (continued)
بيت المؤيد هل علمـ
ـت(completes 'you learned') بماof what جناهhe perpetrated الشيخthe sheikh جاكJāk
ـت بما جناه الشيخ جاك
House of al-Mu’ayyad, have you learned
All the scandals and disgraces
what Sheikh Jāk has perpetrated?
Noble from your pots
كلall الفضائحscandals والقباand disgraces (continued)
كل الفضائح والقبا
ئح(completes 'disgraces') مشرفاتlooming منfrom ذراكyour heights
ئح مشرفات من ذراك
All scandals and disgraces
Why didn't you collapse from the foundation
loom from your heights.
And go cry because of your daughters
هلاّwhy did you not انقضضتَcollapse منfrom الأساthe foundations (continued)
هلاّ انقضضتَ من الأسا
س(completes 'foundations') ورحتand you went تبكىweeping for منthe one who بناكbuilt you
س ورحت تبكى من بناك
Why did you not collapse from the foundations,
For the law of Muhammad
and go weeping for the one who built you?
Has drawn a sword for demise
فعليهfor against him شرعthe law of محمدMuhammad
فعليه شرع محمد
قدhas سلdrawn سيفاa sword للهلاكfor destruction
قد سل سيفا للهلاك
For against him Muhammad's law
It takes the necks that want
has drawn a sword of destruction,
To violate the freedom of religion
يستلplucking out أعناقاnecks تريـthat seek (continued)
يستل أعناقا تريـ
ـد(completes 'seek') لحريةagainst the freedom of الدينreligion انتهاكa violation
ـد لحرية الدين انتهاك
severing necks that seek
Enough O Sheikh Al-Mu'ayyad of what has passed or is enough for you
to violate the freedom of religion.
A ruler made you taste bitterness
أكفاكhas it sufficed you ياO شيحsheikh (apparent typo) المؤيـal-Mu’ayyad (continued)
أكفاك يا شيح المؤيـ
ـد(completes 'al-Mu’ayyad') ماwhat جرىhappened أمor ماnot كفاكsufficed you
ـد ما جرى أم ما كفاك
Has it been enough, O sheikh of al-Mu’ayyad—
And muted him, giving him a drink
what happened—or has it not been enough?
Evil, carrying the wrath
حكمa judgment أذاقكmade you taste مرّهits bitterness
حكم أذاقك مرّه
عدلاjustly وعلقمهand its colocynth سقاكgave you to drink
عدلا وعلقمه سقاك
A judgment made you taste its bitterness,
Of the One who destined the fall of your likes
justly, and made you drink its colocynth.
Glory to the One who apportioned livelihoods
بؤreturn حاملاbearing غضبthe wrath of الذيthe One who
بؤ حاملا غضب الذي
قَدَرdecreed السقوطdownfall لأخرياكfor your latter end
قَدَر السقوط لأخرياك
Return, bearing the wrath of Him
Your beginnings and no endings
who decreed downfall for your latter end.
سبحانglory be to منthe One who قسمapportioned الحظوfortunes (continued)
سبحان من قسم الحظو
ظ(completes 'fortunes') ابتداكyour beginning ولاand not انتهاكyour end
ظ ابتداك ولا انتهاك
Glory to Him who allotted fortunes
to your beginning, but not your end!
Partial English translation: 61 of 64 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1