مُغَنّيكَyour singer لِلبُغضِof loathing فيهِin him سِمَهa mark
مُغَنّيكَ لِلبُغضِ فيهِ سِمَه
تَلوحُappears عَلىupon خِلقَةٍa form مُبهَمَهill-defined
تَلوحُ عَلى خِلقَةٍ مُبهَمَه
Your singer bears a mark of loathsomeness,
Your singer of hatred has poison in him
visible upon an ill-defined form.
Displaying an ambiguous nature
تَزيدُincreases الإِهانَةُhumiliation فيin شَأنِهِhis condition
تَزيدُ الإِهانَةُ في شَأنِهِ
صَلاحاًimprovement وَتُفسِدُهُand corrupts him التَكرِمَهhonor
صَلاحاً وَتُفسِدُهُ التَكرِمَه
Humiliation makes his condition
Insult increases his worth
better, while honor corrupts him.
Goodness corrupts and honor debases him
يُرَعِّشُmakes tremble لَحيَيهِhis two jaws عِندَduring الغِناءِsinging
يُرَعِّشُ لَحيَيهِ عِندَ الغِناءِ
كَأَنَّas though بِهِafflicting him النافِضَthe shaking fever المُؤلِمَهpainful
كَأَنَّ بِهِ النافِضَ المُؤلِمَه
He makes his jaws quiver when he sings,
His beard quivers during singing
as though afflicted with a painful ague.
As if stung by a painful scorpion
كَأَنَّas though الكَشوتَdodder عَلىupon شَوكِهِits thorns
كَأَنَّ الكَشوتَ عَلى شَوكِهِ
تَعَقُّفُthe curling لِحيَتِهِof his beard المُجرِمَهwicked
تَعَقُّفُ لِحيَتِهِ المُجرِمَه
As though dodder upon its thorns
As if thistles prick his cheeks
were the curling of his wicked beard.
His villainous beard bristling
وَأَنفٌand a nose إِذاwhen اِحمَرَّreddens فيon وَجهِهِhis face
وَأَنفٌ إِذا اِحمَرَّ في وَجهِهِ
وَقامَand sticks up تَوَهَّمتَهُyou would take it for مِحجَمَهa cupping glass
وَقامَ تَوَهَّمتَهُ مِحجَمَه
And a nose that, when it reddens on his face
His nose flares red when angry
and sticks up, you would take for a cupping glass.
You'd think it was a wine flask
وَمُنتَشِرُand gaping الحَلقِthe throat واهيslack اللَهاةِthe uvula
وَمُنتَشِرُ الحَلقِ واهي اللَهاةِ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle شَداhe sings فاحِشُgrotesquely large الغَلصَمَهthe gullet
إِذا ما شَدا فاحِشُ الغَلصَمَه
And his throat gapes, his uvula is slack;
His gaping throat and feeble voice
when he sings, his gullet is grotesquely large.
When the vulgar singer strains his vocal chords
إِذاwhen صاحَhe bellows سالَتflows لَهُfrom him مَخطَةٌa dribble of snot
إِذا صاحَ سالَت لَهُ مَخطَةٌ
عَلىonto العودِthe lute وَاِنقَلَعَتand breaks loose بَلغَمَهa lump of phlegm
عَلى العودِ وَاِنقَلَعَت بَلغَمَه
When he bellows, a dribble of snot runs from him
As he wails, spittle flies from his mouth
onto the lute, and a lump of phlegm breaks loose.
And phlegm splatters on the lute
فَكَمand how many شَذرَةٍa gem ثَمَّthere مَنسِيَّةٍforgotten
فَكَم شَذرَةٍ ثَمَّ مَنسِيَّةٍ
أُطيحَتwas cast away وَكَمand how many نَغمَةٍa note مُدغَمَهslurred
أُطيحَت وَكَم نَغمَةٍ مُدغَمَه
And how many a forgotten gem there
How many notes tossed then forgotten
has been cast away, and how many a note slurred!
How many melodies muffled and mute
يُبَظرِمُهُrevile him القَومُthe people مِنout of بُغضِهِhatred of him
يُبَظرِمُهُ القَومُ مِن بُغضِهِ
جَهاراًopenly وَقَلَّتand is too little لَهُfor him البَظرَمَهthe abuse
جَهاراً وَقَلَّت لَهُ البَظرَمَه
The people revile him out of hatred,
People glare at him with loathing
openly, yet abuse is too little for him.
Scowls and frowns scarcely concealed
عَرابِدُهُhis brawls أَبَداًalways جَمَّةٌnumerous
عَرابِدُهُ أَبَداً جَمَّةٌ
وَأَخلاقُهُand his manners كَزَّةٌharsh مُظلِمَهgloomy
وَأَخلاقُهُ كَزَّةٌ مُظلِمَه
His brawls are forever many,
Boorish always, spirits darkened
and his manners harsh and gloomy.
Restless and nervous, unstable and unreal
كَثيرُmuch given to التَلَفُّتِlooking about وَالاِعتِراand object- (continued)
كَثيرُ التَلَفُّتِ وَالاِعتِرا
ضِ-ing (completes 'objecting') شَديدُintense in التَفَلُّتِbreaking loose وَالهَمهَمَهand muttering
ضِ شَديدُ التَفَلُّتِ وَالهَمهَمَه
Much given to looking about and object-
If we restrain him from a friend
ing, incessantly breaking loose and muttering.
He recoils, trying to worm free
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle حَجَرناهُwe restrain him عَنfrom صاحِبٍa companion
إِذا ما حَجَرناهُ عَن صاحِبٍ
تَجَنّىmakes false accusations وَحاوَلَand tries أَنthat نُسلِمَهwe surrender him
تَجَنّى وَحاوَلَ أَن نُسلِمَه
Whenever we restrain him from a companion,
We tend to our needs
he makes false accusations and tries to have us hand him over.
With the pure or the unclean
كَأَنّاas though we نَمُتُّwe appeal بِحاجاتِناwith our needs
كَأَنّا نَمُتُّ بِحاجاتِنا
إِلىto طاهِرٍTahir أَوor إِلىto هَرثَمَهHarthama
إِلى طاهِرٍ أَو إِلى هَرثَمَه
As though we were appealing with our needs
A bothersome fool we suffer all day
to Tahir or to Harthama.
Our gathering with him a nightmare scene
هِراشٌdoglike brawling نُعانيهِwe endure it طولَthroughout النَهارِthe day
هِراشٌ نُعانيهِ طولَ النَهارِ
فَمَجلِسُناso our gathering مَعَهُwith him مَلحَمَهa pitched battle
فَمَجلِسُنا مَعَهُ مَلحَمَه
A dogfight we endure all day;
He brings what is sweet to him
so our gathering with him is a pitched battle.
If not for manners we'd shut his mouth clean
يَجيءُhe comes بِماwith what هُوَit طَهلٌpermissible لَهُfor him
يَجيءُ بِما هُوَ طَهلٌ لَهُ
فَلَولاbut were it not for الحَياءُmodesty كَسَرناwe would break فَمَهhis mouth
فَلَولا الحَياءُ كَسَرنا فَمَه
He comes out with what is permissible for him;
but for shame, we would smash his mouth.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1