أقولI say وربّماand perhaps نفعَhelped المَقالُspeech
أقول وربّما نفعَ المَقالُ
إليكstand aside سُهَيْلُSuhayl إذnow that طَلَعَhas risen الهلالُthe crescent
إليك سُهَيْلُ إذ طَلَعَ الهلالُ
I speak, and speech may sometimes help:
I say, and perhaps my words may benefit you,
Stand aside, Suhayl: the crescent has risen.
Suhayl, when the crescent moon rose,
تُكاثرنيyou rival me in abundance بآلاتwith the tools المعانيof meaning
تُكاثرني بآلات المعاني
وكيفand how يُكاثرrivals in abundance البحرَthe sea الهلالُthe scant well-water
وكيف يُكاثر البحرَ الهلالُ
You vie with me in the resources of meaning;
You overwhelm me with meanings,
And how can scant well-water rival the sea?
How can the crescent overwhelm the sea?
أتطمَعُdo you hope أنto تنالattain المجدَglory قبليbefore me
أتطمَعُ أن تنال المجدَ قبلي
وأنّىand how تَسْبِقُoutstrips النُّجْبَthe well-bred camels الهلالُthe gaunt camel
وأنّى تَسْبِقُ النُّجْبَ الهلالُ
Do you hope to attain glory before me?
Do you hope to attain glory before me?
And how can a gaunt camel outstrip the well-bred camels?
How can the star precede the crescent moon?
وَتَبْسِمُand you smile حينwhen تُبصِرُنيyou see me نِفاقاًhypocritically
وَتَبْسِمُ حين تُبصِرُني نِفاقاً
وَشَخْصيand my person فيin جَوانِحِكَyour breast الهلالُthe spearhead
وَشَخْصي في جَوانِحِكَ الهلالُ
And you smile hypocritically when you see me,
You smile when you see me, hypocritically,
While my person is a spearhead within your breast.
While your inner self hides ill-will like a crescent,
وتُبْطنُand you conceal شِرَّةًmalice فيin لِينِthe softness of مَسٍّa touch
وتُبْطنُ شِرَّةً في لِينِ مَسٍّ
كماjust as لانتwas soft معwith اللَّمسthe touch الهلالُthe snake
كما لانت مع اللَّمس الهلالُ
And you hide malice beneath a gentle touch,
You pretend softness while nursing evil,
Just as the snake is soft to the touch.
As the crescent slides smoothly at touch,
وتنتظرand you await الدوائرَcalamities بيbefalling me ولكنbut
وتنتظر الدوائرَ بي ولكن
عليكagainst you تدورturns بالشرّwith harm الهلالُthe millstone
عليك تدور بالشرّ الهلالُ
And you await calamities to befall me, but
You await my downfall, but it is you
Against you the millstone turns with harm.
Upon whom misfortune revolves like the crescent.
كأنّas though وُجوههمtheir faces فيin ذُلّthe lowliness of مَثْوَىa dwelling
كأنّ وُجوههم في ذُلّ مَثْوَى
وفَرطِand the excess of صَلابةٍhardness فيهاin them الهلالُthe sandal soles
وفَرطِ صَلابةٍ فيها الهلالُ
It is as though their faces, in their lowly station
Their faces seem to dwell in humiliation,
And in their utter hardness, were sandal soles;
And unyielding hardness, like the crescent.
وأعراضاًand reputations أُذِيلَتْwere debased للأهاجيfor lampoons
وأعراضاً أُذِيلَتْ للأهاجي
كماas يبدوappears علىwith القِدَمage الهلالُthe crescent-shaped sole-iron
كما يبدو على القِدَم الهلالُ
And reputations laid low for lampoons,
Ignorance appended to vanities,
As a sole-iron shows through with age.
As the crescent appears on the foot.
وماand what تُغنيavail الكثائفُthe thick patches عنagainst صُدوعٍfissures
وما تُغني الكثائفُ عن صُدوعٍ
بهاin them أنthat يَرْأَبَmend الصَّدعَthe crack الهلالُthe dust
بها أن يَرْأَبَ الصَّدعَ الهلالُ
And what use are thick patches against fissures
Thick clouds are useless to mend cracks
In them, that dust should mend the crack?
That the crescent cannot fix.
وأعجَبand I wonder كيفhow يَلْزَمُكُمbinds you كِتابٌa book
وأعجَب كيف يَلْزَمُكُم كِتابٌ
وَأَعْقَلُand wiser منthan لَبيبكمُyour sage الهلالُthe child
وَأَعْقَلُ من لَبيبكمُ الهلالُ
And I wonder how a book can bind you,
I wonder how a book binds you,
When a child is wiser than your sage.
When the crescent is wiser than you.
Sol 6.1