كَأَنَّماas though دُنياكَyour world وَحشِيَّةٌa wild she-beast
كَأَنَّما دُنياكَ وَحشِيَّةٌ
نَظَرَتshe gazed فيat آثارِtracks أَظلافِهاher cloven hooves
نَظَرَت في آثارِ أَظلافِها
It is as though your world were a wild beast
That gazed at the tracks of her cloven hooves.
ماnot بَقِيَremains الواحِدُone part مِنof أَلفِهاher thousand
ما بَقِيَ الواحِدُ مِن أَلفِها
بَلrather هُوَit مِنof سِتَّةِsix آلافِهاher thousands
بَل هُوَ مِن سِتَّةِ آلافِها
Not a thousandth of her remains—
Rather, a six-thousandth.
تَطلُبُyou seek أَريَّhoney النَحلِthe bees مِنfrom خِلفِهاher teat
تَطلُبُ أَريَّ النَحلِ مِن خِلفِها
وَذائِبُwhile liquid السَمِّpoison بِأَخلافِهاin her teats
وَذائِبُ السَمِّ بِأَخلافِها
You seek the bees’ honey from her teat,
While liquid poison is in her teats.
إِنif أَخلَفَتكَshe fails you اليَومَtoday مَوعِدَهاher promise
إِن أَخلَفَتكَ اليَومَ مَوعِدَها
فَعُرفُهاfor her custom جارٍprevailing بِإِخلافِهاin her promise-breaking
فَعُرفُها جارٍ بِإِخلافِها
If today she breaks her promise to you,
For breaking promises is her established custom.
حَلَفتُI swore ماnot حالَفَهاmade a pact with her عاقِلٌa wise man
حَلَفتُ ما حالَفَها عاقِلٌ
وَشَأنُهاwhile her way الغَدرُtreachery بِأَحلافِهاtoward her allies
وَشَأنُها الغَدرُ بِأَحلافِها
I swear, no wise man has made a pact with her,
While her way is treachery toward her allies.
أَتلِفsquander إِذاwhen أَعطَتكshe gives you أَعراضَهاher worldly goods
أَتلِف إِذا أَعطَتك أَعراضَها
فَإِنَّهاfor they are رَهنٌpledged بِإِتلافِهاto their destruction
فَإِنَّها رَهنٌ بِإِتلافِها
Squander her worldly goods when she gives them to you,
For they are pledged to destruction.
تِلكَthat one عَجوزٌan old woman أَلَّفَتshe devised شَرَّهاher evil
تِلكَ عَجوزٌ أَلَّفَت شَرَّها
قَبلَbefore بَنيthe sons of فِهرٍFihr وَإيلافِهاand their pact
قَبلَ بَني فِهرٍ وَإيلافِها
That is an old woman who devised her evil
Before the sons of Fihr and their pact.
Sol 6.1