سأحتجُّI shall argue للمِلحيِّfor al-Milhi أَقْوَمَthe soundest حُجَّةٍargument
سأحتجُّ للمِلحيِّ أَقْوَمَ حُجَّةٍ
وإنand though كانَwas شِعْريmy verse منfrom ظُباهُhis blade-edges جَريحاwounded
وإن كانَ شِعْري من ظُباهُ جَريحا
I shall make the soundest case for al-Milhi,
I will make the strongest case for the salty one
and though my verse is wounded by his blade-edges.
Even if my poetry is wounded by rawness
يقولونَthey say قُفْصيٌّa Qafsi عَساgrew hard بَظرُclitoris أمِّهِhis mother
يقولونَ قُفْصيٌّ عَسا بَظرُ أمِّهِ
وسالَمَهand made peace with it المُوسىthe razor فراحَso it went away صَحيحاintact
وسالَمَه المُوسى فراحَ صَحيحا
They say: “A Qafsi—his mother's clitoris grew hard,
They say he is from Al-Qusayr, maybe the vulva of his mother
and the razor made peace with it, so it went away intact.”
Has made him well, and he went off healthy
وماand what ضَرَّهharmed him أنthat صافحَshook hands with البَظْرْthe clitoris وَجْهَهُhis face
وما ضَرَّه أن صافحَ البَظْرْ وَجْهَهُ
إذاif كانwas مختونَcircumcised اللسانِthe tongue فَصيحاeloquent
إذا كان مختونَ اللسانِ فَصيحا
And what harm did it do him that the clitoris shook hands with his face,
It did not harm him to kiss the vulva on its face
if he had a circumcised tongue and was eloquent?
If his tongue is eloquent and articulate
Sol 6.1