بِشاةِin a ewe سَعيدٍSa‘id وَهيَand she is روحٌa spirit بِلاwithout جِسمِa body
بِشاةِ سَعيدٍ وَهيَ روحٌ بِلا جِسمِ
تَمَثَّلَتِtook shape الأَمثالُthe proverbs فيin شِدَّةِseverity السُقمِsickness
تَمَثَّلَتِ الأَمثالُ في شِدَّةِ السُقمِ
In Sa‘id’s ewe—a spirit without a body—
With Sa'id's sheep, which is a soul without a body,
the proverbs of grievous sickness took shape.
Proverbs took form in the severity of sickness.
يَقولُsay ليto me الإِخوانُthe companions لَمّاwhen طَبَختُهاI cooked her
يَقولُ لي الإِخوانُ لَمّا طَبَختُها
أَتُطبَخُis she being cooked? شِطرَنجاًchessmen عِظاماًbones بِلاwithout لَحمِmeat
أَتُطبَخُ شِطرَنجاً عِظاماً بِلا لَحمِ
When I cooked her, my companions said to me:
When I cooked it, the brothers said to me,
“Is she being cooked as chessmen—bones without meat?”
"Do you cook a chess game - bones without meat?"
فَقُلتُso I said كُلواeat, all of you مِنهاof her فَقالواthen they said تَجَمُّزاًjokingly
فَقُلتُ كُلوا مِنها فَقالوا تَجَمُّزاً
أَتُطعِمُناare you feeding us? ناووسَa burial vault قَومٍa people مِنَamong العُجمِthe non-Arabs
أَتُطعِمُنا ناووسَ قَومٍ مِنَ العُجمِ
So I said, “Eat of her,” and they replied jokingly:
I said, "Eat from it," but they recoiled in disgust,
“Are you feeding us the burial vault of some non-Arab folk?”
"Do you feed us a peacock of a foreign people?"
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُمto them كانَتshe was لَدَيهِمin their keeping أَسيرَةًa captive
فَقُلتُ لَهُم كانَت لَدَيهِم أَسيرَةً
تَرىshe sees القَتَّalfalfa hay فيin أَيديhands العَدُوِّthe enemy وَفيand in الحُلمِdreaming
تَرى القَتَّ في أَيدي العَدُوِّ وَفي الحُلمِ
So I told them: she had been a captive in their keeping,
I said to them, "They had a captive among them
seeing alfalfa hay in the enemy’s hands and in dreams.
Who saw slaughter in the hands of the enemy, even in dreams."
وَكَمand how often قَدindeed تَغَنَّتshe sang إِذas تَطاوَلَdragged on جوعُهاher hunger
وَكَم قَد تَغَنَّت إِذ تَطاوَلَ جوعُها
وَلَمand did not تَرَsee عِندَamong القَومِthe people شَيئاًanything مِنَof الطَعمِfood
وَلَم تَرَ عِندَ القَومِ شَيئاً مِنَ الطَعمِ
And how often she sang, as her hunger dragged on,
And how often she sang when her hunger intensified,
and she saw no food at all among those people:
And saw nothing edible with the people.
أَلاlisten! أَيُّهاO you الغَضبانُangry one بِاللَهِby God ماwhat جُرميmy crime
أَلا أَيُّها الغَضبانُ بِاللَهِ ما جُرمي
إِلَيكَagainst you فَقَدfor indeed أَبلَيتَyou have worn away لَحميmy flesh عَلىupon عَظميmy bones
إِلَيكَ فَقَد أَبلَيتَ لَحمي عَلى عَظمي
“O angry one, by God, what is my crime
O angry one, by Allah I have no crime against you,
against you? For you have worn away my flesh upon my bones.”
For you have wasted my flesh upon my bones.
Sol 6.1