ياO أَباfather of جَعفرٍJaʿfar لَعاًa lifting up مِنfrom عِثارstumbling
يا أَبا جَعفرٍ لَعاً مِن عِثار
وَغَياثاًand succor فَماfor not يقرُّsettles قَراريmy repose
وَغَياثاً فَما يقرُّ قَراري
O Abu Jaʿfar, lift me from my stumble,
O Abu Ja'far, a curse on misfortune
and give me succor, for I can find no rest.
And relief, for my heart knows no peace
سَيديmy lord اسمعlisten لعبدكto your servant القنthe bondslave يحيىYahya
سَيدي اسمع لعبدك القن يحيى
خَبَراًa tale مضحكاًamusing مِنamong الأَخبارthe tales
خَبَراً مضحكاً مِن الأَخبار
My lord, hear from your bondslave Yahya
My master, hear your servant Yahya's tale
an amusing tale among tales.
Of amusing news and events
كانَthere was ليfor me والدa father وَكانand he was لعمريby my life
كانَ لي والد وَكان لعمري
فيamong بَنيsons of العصرthe age بِالفلاحةin farming داريknowledgeable
في بَني العصر بِالفلاحة داري
I had a father, and, by my life, he was
My father was a man
versed in farming among his contemporaries.
Who in our time farmed for his living
ناقصdeficient in الرايjudgment تاجرَa trader البرthe land وَالبحand the sea (continued)
ناقص الراي تاجرَ البر وَالبح
رcompletion of 'sea' وناهيكand enough for you فارِسٌa knight فيamong التجارthe merchants
ر وناهيك فارِسٌ في التجار
Lacking judgment, a trader on land and sea,
Lacking in wisdom, trading goods by land and sea
and quite the knight among merchants—
Yet a skilled horseman in business
مثلlike ماthe way that سيميwas called اللديغthe venom-bitten man سَليماًsound
مثل ما سيمي اللديغ سَليماً
وَأَناand I بَعدهafter him عَلىon ذاكthat جارproceeding
وَأَنا بَعده عَلى ذاك جار
just as a venom-bitten man is called 'sound.'
As the ardent pursues the peaceful
And after him, I follow that same course.
And I after him follow his way
وَكَذاand thus يَسلكproceeds النَجيبthe well-born وَيَقفوand follows
وَكَذا يَسلك النَجيب وَيَقفو
نَهجَthe path of آبائهhis forefathers عَلىalong آثارfootsteps
نَهجَ آبائه عَلى آثار
Thus the well-born proceeds and follows
So does the noble walk, following
his forefathers' path, in their footsteps.
In the footsteps of his forebears
لَوif وَردتI approached for water البِحارthe seas أَطلبseeking ماءًwater
لَو وَردت البِحار أَطلب ماءً
جَفَwould dry up قَبلbefore الوَردarrival for water ماءwater of البِحارthe seas
جَفَ قَبل الوَرد ماء البِحار
If I went to the seas in search of water,
Had the seas poured forth, I'd seek water
the seas' water would dry up before my arrival.
Though before pouring the seas ran dry
أَوor لَمستI touched العودthe branch النَضيرfresh بِكَفيwith my palm
أَو لَمست العود النَضير بِكَفي
لِذَويit would wither بَعدafter نَضرةfreshness وَاِخضِرارand greenness
لِذَوي بَعد نَضرة وَاِخضِرار
Or if I touched a fresh branch with my palm,
Had I grasped tender wood in my palm
it would wither after its freshness and greenness.
Where later grew lush greenery
أَوor رَمىstruck بَأسيmy misery النُجومَthe stars الدراريthe glittering ones
أَو رَمى بَأسي النُجومَ الدراري
لانزوىwould withdraw ضوؤهاtheir light عَنfrom الأَبصارsight
لانزوى ضوؤها عَن الأَبصار
Or if my misery struck the glittering stars,
Had my power cast stars from the sky
their light would withdraw from sight.
Their light would not dim for eyes to see
وَلَوand if أَنيthat I بعتُI sold القَناديلthe lamps يَوماًone day
وَلَو أَني بعتُ القَناديل يَوماً
أُدغمwould be merged اللَيلthe night فيinto ضِياءlight of النَهارthe day
أُدغم اللَيل في ضِياء النَهار
And if one day I sold lamps,
Had I sold lamps in the market one day
night would be merged into the light of day.
I'd meld the night into daylight's glow
اِكتَراهاhe rented it وَلَمand not يَكُنwas مُستَخيراًseeking guidance
اِكتَراها وَلَم يَكُن مُستَخيراً
وَقتَat a time of شُؤمٍill omen بِطالعunder the ascendant of الأَدبارill fortune
وَقتَ شُؤمٍ بِطالع الأَدبار
He rented it without seeking guidance,
He bought without consulting the heavens
at an ill-omened time, under misfortune's ascendant.
In an inauspicious rising sign
جُدبَةٌbarren بَعضَهاpart of it مِنfrom الشُؤمill fortune أَضحىcame to be
جُدبَةٌ بَعضَها مِن الشُؤم أَضحى
فيon عُلوٍhigh ground وَبَعضَهاand part of it فيon اِنحِدارa downward slope
في عُلوٍ وَبَعضَها في اِنحِدار
Barren it was: through ill fortune, part of it lay
A barren field, some plots thrived
on high ground, and part on a downward slope.
While others declined into fallow debris
لَمnot يَزَلcease زارِعاًsowing بِهاin it حَملa load بَغلٍa mule
لَم يَزَل زارِعاً بِها حَمل بَغلٍ
رافِعاًharvesting مِنهُfrom it نصفَhalf of حَملa load حِمارa donkey
رافِعاً مِنهُ نصفَ حَمل حِمار
He kept sowing a mule-load there,
Long has he sowed it with a donkey's load
reaping from it half a donkey-load.
And from it reaped but half a mule's yield
ساءَنيdistressed me ماwhat أَصَبتI obtained فيهاin it وَلَكنbut
ساءَني ما أَصَبت فيها وَلَكن
سَرَنيpleased me مِنهُfrom it خَيبةdisappointment of العَشارthe tithe collector
سَرَني مِنهُ خَيبة العَشار
What I obtained there distressed me, but
I'm saddened by what befell it, but
the tithe collector's disappointment over it pleased me.
Its tax collector's loss delights me
ماnot أُباليI care وَقَدand now غَداhas become ليfor me رُكناًa pillar of support
ما أُبالي وَقَد غَدا لي رُكناً
صاحبchief of الشُرطةthe police الكَريمnoble النَجارlineage
صاحب الشُرطة الكَريم النَجار
I care not, now that I have a pillar of support—
What care I, for it's now become
the chief of police, noble of lineage.
A pillar for the kind master builder
Sol 6.1