عَجبْتُI marveled وقدand already جئْتُI came ابنَa son of لُؤْمٍbaseness أزَورُهto visit him
عَجبْتُ وقد جئْتُ ابنَ لُؤْمٍ أزَورُه
فوافَيتُهso I met him والدهرُand time جَمٌّabundant عجائبُهits wonders
فوافَيتُه والدهرُ جَمٌّ عجائبُه
I marveled when I came to visit a son of baseness
I'm surprised, for I came to visit the son of meanness,
and met him—time’s wonders are many.
And found him with a face full of strange expressions.
وسَلمتُand I greeted منfrom قُرْبٍnearby عليهto him فلمbut not يكُنْwas
وسَلمتُ من قُرْبٍ عليه فلم يكُنْ
جوابيَthe reply to me إلاexcept ماwhat أشَارتْsignaled حَواجِبهhis eyebrows
جوابيَ إلا ما أشَارتْ حَواجِبه
And I greeted him from close by, but there was
I greeted him at close range, but his only response
no answer to me except what his eyebrows signaled.
Was what his eyebrows silently expressed.
وماand no شامِخٌtowering peak لاdoes not تُنِصِفُreach halfway up العَينُthe eye طُولَهُits height
وما شامِخٌ لا تُنِصِفُ العَينُ طُولَهُ
بأثقلَheavier منهthan him حينwhen يَزْوَرُّturns away جانبهhis side
بأثقلَ منه حين يَزْوَرُّ جانبه
And no towering peak, too high for the eye to reach halfway up,
He's so tall the eye can't take his full height in,
is heavier than he when he turns his side away.
Yet he seems weighed down when you stand by his side.
مِنَamong المُقْتضيِwhat calls for لَعْنَcursing الضّرورةِnecessity وَجْهُهhis face
مِنَ المُقْتضيِ لَعْنَ الضّرورةِ وَجْهُه
إذاwhen ماfor emphasis أتَيْناwe come فيon مُهمٍّimportant business نُخاطبهwe address him
إذا ما أتَيْنا في مُهمٍّ نُخاطبه
His face is among the things that make us curse necessity,
His face merits cursing necessity itself,
when we come on important business to address him.
When we come to him with an important issue to discuss.
Sol 6.1