أميرCommander of المؤمنينthe faithful بلاwithout إمارهauthority
أمير المؤمنين بلا إماره
وصاحبand the commander of جيشهhis army خلقworn-out العيارهroguery
وصاحب جيشه خلق العياره
The Commander of the Faithful is without authority.
The Commander of the Faithful without command
And his army’s commander is a threadbare rogue.
And his army's leader created trouble
ولابنand for Ibn قريعةQurayʿa القاضيthe judge حديثa tale
ولابن قريعة القاضي حديث
تصفعنbecame a buffoon وهوand he is أبردcolder منthan خيارهa cucumber
تصفعن وهو أبرد من خياره
And there is a tale of Ibn Qurayʿa the judge:
And Ibn Quray'ah the judge has a story
He has turned buffoon, and is colder than a cucumber.
That would make even vegetables shiver
وفيand in قاضيthe judge of القضاةthe judges عيوبfaults سوءevil
وفي قاضي القضاة عيوب سوء
تمعزلwithdrew into seclusion واستحلand deemed lawful المالthe money غارهplunder
تمعزل واستحل المال غاره
And the chief judge has shameful faults:
As for the Chief Justice, he has terrible flaws
He withdrew into seclusion and deemed money lawful plunder.
He was dismissed and money was made lawful for him
وأمّاand as for ذاthis الوزيرthe vizier فمنthen from أواناAwānā
وأمّا ذا الوزير فمن أوانا
وحسبكand it suffices you إنif فطنتyou were alert إلىto الإشارةthe allusion
وحسبك إن فطنت إلى الإشارة
And as for this vizier, he is from Awānā.
And this minister from way back when
And that suffices you, if you grasp the allusion.
It's enough if you understand my hint
فإنso if تكنis الوزارةthe vizierate فيin أواناAwānā
فإن تكن الوزارة في أوانا
خطناهاwe stitched it لشيخfor the chief of بنيthe sons of حرارهḤarāra
خطناها لشيخ بني حراره
So if the vizierate is in Awānā,
If the ministry is from our time
We would stitch it for the chief of Banū Ḥarāra.
We've reserved it for the Sheikh of Banu Hararah
وقلناand we said ياO بنيsons of إسحاقIsḥāq ضرطاfarting
وقلنا يا بني إسحاق ضرطا
تواضعتbecame lowly الإمارةrulership والوزارهand the vizierate
تواضعت الإمارة والوزاره
And we said: O sons of Isḥāq, fart away!
And we said, O Sons of Isaac, relax
Rulership and the vizierate have sunk low.
Humility has come upon authority and ministry
وأشراطand the portents of القيامةJudgment Day قدalready توافتhave come together
وأشراط القيامة قد توافت
وأعطىand paid الفارةthe mouse الهرّthe cat الخفارهthe protection fee
وأعطى الفارة الهرّ الخفاره
And the portents of Judgment Day have already gathered,
And the portents of the Hour have come together
And the cat has paid the mouse protection money.
The poor hyena has scared the young lion
وماand not بقيتremained منof الآياتthe signs إلاexcept
وما بقيت من الآيات إلا
صعودascent الكركدنthe rhinoceros علىonto المنارهthe minaret
صعود الكركدن على المناره
And none of the signs remains except
And of the signs, there remains only
The rhinoceros’s climb up the minaret.
The ascent of the little bull onto the minaret
Sol 6.1