شاةُewe سَعيدٍSaʿīd فيin أَمرِهاher affair عِبَرُlessons
شاةُ سَعيدٍ في أَمرِها عِبَرُ
لَمّاwhen أَتَتناshe came to us قَدalready مَسَّهاafflicted her الضَرَرُharm
لَمّا أَتَتنا قَد مَسَّها الضَرَرُ
There are lessons in the tale of Saʿīd’s ewe.
The sheep of Sa'id is a lesson in her plight
When she came to us, harm had already befallen her.
When she came to us, already stricken by harm
وَهيَand she تُغَنّيwas singing مِنbecause of سوءِthe wretchedness حالَتِهاher condition
وَهيَ تُغَنّي مِن سوءِ حالَتِها
حَسبيenough for me بِماwith what قَدalready لَقيتُI have suffered ياO عُمَرُʿUmar
حَسبي بِما قَد لَقيتُ يا عُمَرُ
And in her wretched plight she sang:
And she sings of her miserable state
“What I have suffered is enough for me, O ʿUmar!”
Enough for me is what I have endured, O Life!
مَرَّتshe passed بِقُطفٍpast plush coverlets خُضرٍgreen يُنَشِّرُهاthey were spreading them out
مَرَّت بِقُطفٍ خُضرٍ يُنَشِّرُها
قَومٌsome people فَظَنَّتso she thought بِأَنَّهاthat they were خُضَرُgreens
قَومٌ فَظَنَّت بِأَنَّها خُضَرُ
She passed green plush coverlets being spread out
She passed by a green bud that enticed her
by some people, and thought they were greens.
With men who thought it lush and green
فَأَقبَلَتso she approached نَحوَهاtoward them لِتَأكُلَهاto eat them
فَأَقبَلَت نَحوَها لِتَأكُلَها
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَبَيَّنَbecame clear الخَبَرُthe truth
حَتّى إِذا ما تَبَيَّنَ الخَبَرُ
So she headed toward them to eat them,
So she approached to eat it
until, when the truth became clear,
Until the truth was made clear
وَأَبدَلَتهاand gave her in exchange الظُنونُthe suppositions مِنin place of طَمَعِhope
وَأَبدَلَتها الظُنونُ مِن طَمَعِ
يَأساًdespair تَغَنَّتshe sang وَالدَمعُand the tears مُنحَدِرُstreaming down
يَأساً تَغَنَّت وَالدَمعُ مُنحَدِرُ
and her suppositions had replaced her hope with
And hopes of greed turned within her
despair, she sang, her tears streaming down:
To despair, she sang while tears streamed
كانواthey were بَعيداًfar away فَكُنتُso I was آمُلُهُمhoping for them
كانوا بَعيداً فَكُنتُ آمُلُهُم
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَقَرَّبواthey drew near هَجَرواthey deserted
حَتّى إِذا ما تَقَرَّبوا هَجَروا
“They were far away, so I had hopes of them,
They were distant, so I hoped for them
until, when they drew near, they deserted me.”
Until when they drew near, they abandoned me
Sol 6.1