طوىfolded away ودهhis affection الملحيal-Milḥī عنيaway from me فانطوىso it folded away
طوى وده الملحي عني فانطوى
وقدand indeed كانhad been ليto me خلاa close friend فأعرضthen he turned away والتوىand twisted aside
وقد كان لي خلا فأعرض والتوى
Al-Milḥī folded his affection away from me, and it lay folded away.
He folded away his salty wit from me, so I folded away,
He had been a close friend to me, but turned away and twisted aside.
Though he had been intimate, I turned aside and withdrew.
دعانيhe invited me فغدانيthen fed me lunch بإنشادby reciting شعرهhis poetry
دعاني فغداني بإنشاد شعره
فلولاso, had it not been for انصرافيmy departure عنهfrom him بتI would have spent the night علىin الطوىhunger
فلولا انصرافي عنه بت على الطوى
He invited me, then fed me his recited verse for lunch.
He called me over, so I spent time with his verse reciting,
Had I not left him, I would have spent the night hungry.
Else, had I not humored him, I would have kept to seclusion.
وقالand he said أتاكhas come to you الحليthe jewelry قلتI said مداعياcountering his claim
وقال أتاك الحلي قلت مداعيا
أتانيcame to me النوىdate stones (also estrangement) منfrom بائعa seller الملحof salt بالنوىfor date stones
أتاني النوى من بائع الملح بالنوى
He said, “Jewels have come to you.” I said, countering,
He said "Did the trinkets reach you?" I responded evasively,
“Date stones came to me from a seller of salt for date stones.”
"The purpose came to me from the seller of salt with purpose."
وناولنيand he handed me مسودةa rough draft لوif قرنتهاI paired it
وناولني مسودة لو قرنتها
إلىwith القارpitch كاناthe two would have been فيin سوادهماtheir blackness سواequal
إلى القار كانا في سوادهما سوا
And he handed me a rough draft: had I placed it
And he offered me a draft - if I had appended it
Beside pitch, the two would have been equal in their blackness.
To tar, they would have matched in their blackness.
وقالand he said أرىI find هذاthis الشرابdrink لصفوهfor its clarity
وقال أرى هذا الشراب لصفوه
ورقتهand its delicacy كالنجمlike a star قلتI said إذاwhen هوىit falls
ورقته كالنجم قلت إذا هوى
And he said, “I find this drink, for its clarity
He said "I see this drink is pure for its clarity
And delicacy, like a star.” I said, “When it falls.”
And smoothness like a star." I said "Yes, when it descends."
وفضلand he favored فيin الشعرpoetry آمرأًa man غيرnot فاضلdistinguished
وفضل في الشعر آمرأً غير فاضل
فقلتso I said لهto him أمسكstop نطقتyou have spoken عنout of الهوىbias
فقلت له أمسك نطقت عن الهوى
He favored in poetry a man without distinction.
And he praised a man's poetry though he was no poet,
So I said to him, “Stop! You have spoken out of bias.”
So I said to him "Hold your words - I have turned from passion."
ولوand if أننيthat I أحميI heat الثقافthe spear-straightener لميلهfor his crookedness
ولو أنني أحمي الثقاف لميله
وأعملand I apply فيهto him الغمزpressure لانصاتhe would yield واستوىand straighten
وأعمل فيه الغمز لانصات واستوى
And were I to heat the spear-straightener for his crookedness
Had I guarded my bowling for his leaning,
And apply pressure to him, he would yield and straighten.
Working in some winks, he would have listened and calmed.
Sol 6.1