قَدindeed لَعَمريby my life ياO اِبنَson of المُغيرَةِal-Mughira أَصبَحbecame (verb stem)
قَد لَعَمري يا اِبنَ المُغيرَةِ أَصبَح
تَyou (verb ending) مُغيراًa raider عَلىupon القَوافيthe rhymes جَميعاall
تَ مُغيراً عَلى القَوافي جَميعا
Indeed, by my life, O son of al-Mughira, you have become
Forsooth, O son of Mughirah, you have become
a raider upon all the rhymes.
A pauper in rhymes, all of them,
شَرَفاًhonor! ياO أَخاbrother of جَديلَةَJadila أَبياverses (first part)
شَرَفاً يا أَخا جَديلَةَ أَبيا
تُكَyour (completes 'your verses') رَدَّتturned قايظَscorching summer العِراقِIraq رَبيعاspring
تُكَ رَدَّت قايظَ العِراقِ رَبيعا
Honor to you, O brother of Jadila! Your verses
An honor, O brother of Judaylah's father abounding,
have turned Iraq's scorching summer into spring.
The summer heat of Iraq has returned in spring for you,
ماwhat لِعَينَيكَwith your two eyes تَغزِلانِthey both flirt إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic)
ما لِعَينَيكَ تَغزِلانِ إِذا ما
رَأَتاthey both saw فيamong الرُؤوسِthe heads رَأساًa head صَليعاbald
رَأَتا في الرُؤوسِ رَأساً صَليعا
Why do your eyes flirt whenever
Why do your eyes flirt whenever they see
they see, among the heads, a bald head?
A bald head among heads?
إِنَّindeed حُبَّlove of الصُلعانِthe bald men يُبديreveals مِنَfrom المَرthe man (first part)
إِنَّ حُبَّ الصُلعانِ يُبدي مِنَ المَر
ءِcompletion of 'the man' لِأَهلِto the people of التَكشيفِlaying bare أَمراًa matter فَظيعاdreadful
ءِ لِأَهلِ التَكشيفِ أَمراً فَظيعا
Indeed, love of bald men reveals in a man
Verily, loving bald men reveals in a man
something dreadful to those who lay things bare.
A dreadful matter for the bareheaded,
لَستَyou are not عِنديin my view الوَضيعَthe base one بَلrather أَنتَyou ياوَغO scoundrel (first part)
لَستَ عِندي الوَضيعَ بَل أَنتَ ياوَغ
دُcompletion of 'scoundrel' وَضيعٌbase عَنbeneath أَنthat تَكونَyou should be وَضيعاbase
دُ وَضيعٌ عَن أَن تَكونَ وَضيعا
You are not base in my eyes; rather, you, O scoundrel,
You are not despicable in my view, but you, O Wadud, are
are too base even to be base.
Too abject to be despicable,
زُحَلِيٌّSaturnian قَدِindeed اِستَفادَhe has gained مِنَfrom الشُؤill fortune (first part)
زُحَلِيٌّ قَدِ اِستَفادَ مِنَ الشُؤ
مِcompletion of 'ill fortune' جَليساًa companion وَمُؤنِساًand a comforter وَضَجيعاand a bedfellow
مِ جَليساً وَمُؤنِساً وَضَجيعا
Saturnian, he has found in ill fortune
A Saturnian who has gained from winter
a companion, a comforter, and a bedfellow.
A companion, friend, and bedmate,
مُدبِرٌill-fated حُرفُهُhis ill luck يُصِمُّdeafens وَيُعميand blinds
مُدبِرٌ حُرفُهُ يُصِمُّ وَيُعمي
عَنهُto him رِزقاًa livelihood يَغدوgoes forth بَصيراًseeing سَميعاhearing
عَنهُ رِزقاً يَغدو بَصيراً سَميعا
Ill-fated, his ill luck makes deaf and blind
A manager whose craft makes him deaf and blind
to him a livelihood that goes forth seeing and hearing.
To sustenance, though he starts out hearing and seeing,
لَكَfor you مِنfrom لَفظِهِhis words بَديعُingenious مُحالٍnonsense
لَكَ مِن لَفظِهِ بَديعُ مُحالٍ
كُلَّevery يَومٍday إِذاwhen تَعاطىhe undertakes البَديعاrhetorical ornament
كُلَّ يَومٍ إِذا تَعاطى البَديعا
From his words you get ingenious nonsense
Your words have, each day you engage in rhetorical flair,
each day, whenever he attempts ornate rhetoric.
A wondrous eloquence that is simply absurd,
لَيسَhe does not يَنفَكُّcease هاجِياًsatirizing مَضروباًbeing beaten
لَيسَ يَنفَكُّ هاجِياً مَضروباً
أَلفَa thousand حَدٍّprescribed punishment أَوor مادِحاًpraising مَصفوعاbeing slapped
أَلفَ حَدٍّ أَو مادِحاً مَصفوعا
He is forever satirizing and being beaten
You never stop being a buttress, lashed
with a thousand floggings, or praising and being slapped.
A thousand times, or a poet covered in bruises.
Sol 6.1