حبسيmy imprisonment وحبسand the imprisonment of أبيAbū (father of) عُلَيْʿUlay- (name fragment)
حبسي وحبس أبي عُلَيْ
يةَ-ya (completes ʿUlayya) منamong أعاجيبmarvels الزمانtime
يةَ من أعاجيب الزمان
My imprisonment and Abū ʿUlayya’s imprisonment
My imprisonment and my father Ali's
are among the marvels of time.
Are among the wonders of time
أعمىa blind man يقادis led ومقعدand a cripple
أعمى يقاد ومقعد
لاneither الرجلthe leg منهof his ولاnor اليدانthe two hands
لا الرجل منه ولا اليدان
A blind man led along, and a cripple
A blind man being led and a lame man
with no use of his leg or either hand.
With neither legs nor hands to use
هذاthis one بلاwithout بصرٍsight هناthere (first part of hunāka)
هذا بلا بصرٍ هنا
كcompletes 'there' وبيand carrying me يخبtrot الحاملانthe two bearers
ك وبي يخب الحاملان
This one is there, without sight,
This one has no sight, that one here
and two bearers trot along carrying me.
Carries me while both our feet fail
ياO! منwho رأىhas seen ضبa spiny-tailed lizard الفلاthe wilderness (first part)
يا من رأى ضب الفلا
ةcompletes 'wilderness' قرينpaired with حوتa fish فيin مكانone place
ة قرين حوت في مكان
Who has seen a desert lizard
O you who saw a whale swallowing fish
paired with a fish in one place?
While its mate was left in place
طرفيmy steed وطرفand the steed of أبيAbū (father of) عليʿUlay- (name fragment)
طرفي وطرف أبي علي
يَة-ya (completes ʿUlayya) دهرناthroughout our lifetime متوافقانboth well matched
يَة دهرنا متوافقان
My steed and Abū ʿUlayya’s steed
My eyes and my father Ali's
are well matched throughout our lives.
Our lifetime's misfortune is shared
منwhoever يفتخرboasts بجوادهof his steed
من يفتخر بجواده
فجيادناso our steeds عكازتانtwo crutches
فجيادنا عكازتان
Whoever boasts of his steed—
Let him who boasts of his steed know
our steeds are two crutches.
That our rides are two crutches
طرفانtwo steeds لاnot علفاهماtheir two fodder-rations
طرفان لا علفاهما
بشرىby purchase ولاand not يتصاولانfight each other
بشرى ولا يتصاولان
Two steeds whose fodder is not
Two feet that no food can heal
bought, and who never fight each other.
No glad tidings or hopes at all
هبنيsuppose me وإياهand him الحريْthe fire (first part)
هبني وإياه الحريْ
قcompletes 'fire' أكانwould it? يسطعsend up بالدخانwith smoke
ق أكان يسطع بالدخان
Suppose that he and I were fire—
Prison took me and him whether
would it send up smoke?
Fate's fire smoldered or burned bright
Sol 6.1