أَصابَstruck الأَخفَشَينِthe two Akhfashes بَصيرُkeen-eyed خَطبٍa calamity
أَصابَ الأَخفَشَينِ بَصيرُ خَطبٍ
أَعادَleft الأَعشَيَينِthe two dim-sighted Aʿshās بِلاwithout حِوارِa reply
أَعادَ الأَعشَيَينِ بِلا حِوارِ
A keen-eyed calamity struck the two Akhfashes;
The two linguists were struck by an eloquent address,
It left the two dim-sighted Aʿshās without a reply.
Bringing back the two poets without any dialogue.
وَغيلَand was treacherously slain المازِنِيُّal-Māzinī مِنَby اللياليthe nights
وَغيلَ المازِنِيُّ مِنَ الليالي
بِزِندٍwith a fire-stick مِنfrom خُطوبِcalamities الدَهرِtime واريsparking
بِزِندٍ مِن خُطوبِ الدَهرِ واري
And al-Māzinī was treacherously slain by the nights,
And the wine of nights intoxicated Al-Mazini,
With a sparking fire-stick from the calamities of time.
With a cup of life's vicissitudes flowing and fleeting.
وَلِلجَرميُّand to al-Jarmī ماwhat اِجتَرَمَتearned يَداهُhis two hands
وَلِلجَرميُّ ما اِجتَرَمَت يَداهُ
وَحَسبُكَand enough for you مِنof فَلاحٍsuccess أَوor بَوارِruin
وَحَسبُكَ مِن فَلاحٍ أَو بَوارِ
And al-Jarmī has what his two hands have earned,
And enough of Al-Jurmi and what his hands did in crime,
And success or ruin is enough for you.
Whether in success or failure and fickleness.
فَأَمّاbut as for فَرخُهُhis fledgling فَبِلاthen without جَناحٍa wing
فَأَمّا فَرخُهُ فَبِلا جَناحٍ
يَطيرُit flies بِحَملِborne by أَقلامٍpens جَواريrunning
يَطيرُ بِحَملِ أَقلامٍ جَواري
But as for his fledgling, though wingless,
As for his chick, it has no wings,
It flies, borne by running pens.
Flying with the burden of dancing slave girls' pens.
وَلَمand did not يَهمُمintend بِلَقطِto gather الحَبِّgrain يَوماًever
وَلَم يَهمُم بِلَقطِ الحَبِّ يَوماً
فَيوجَدَand thus be found رَهنَcaptive to أَشراكٍsnares دَواريcunning
فَيوجَدَ رَهنَ أَشراكٍ دَواري
And never once did it intend to gather grain,
And it never cared to gather grains of love one day,
And so be found captive in cunning snares.
To be held hostage in the traps of fickle horses.
وَلاand does not يَرِدُvisit المِياهَthe waters إِذاwhen هَوافٍparched ones
وَلا يَرِدُ المِياهَ إِذا هَوافٍ
مِنَamong الأَفراخِthe fledglings مُتنَhave died مِنَfrom الأَوارِscorching heat
مِنَ الأَفراخِ مُتنَ مِنَ الأَوارِ
Nor does it visit the waters when parched ones
Nor does it drink water when it's surrounded,
Among the fledglings have died of scorching heat.
By chicks, lean from starvation.
أَتَمُّmore complete مِنَthan النُسورِthe vultures بَقاءَduration عُمرٍof life
أَتَمُّ مِنَ النُسورِ بَقاءَ عُمرٍ
نُسورُvultures الطَيرِthe birds لاnot الشُهُبِthe bright stars السَواريcoursing by night
نُسورُ الطَيرِ لا الشُهُبِ السَواري
Longer-lived than the vultures—
It lives longer than eagles,
The vultures among birds, not the stars that course by night.
Eagles of birds, not of adorned wrists.
وَأَكثَرُand most ماشَكاهُwhat it lamented مِنَof الرَزاياthe calamities
وَأَكثَرُ ماشَكاهُ مِنَ الرَزايا
عَواريٌّloans لِضَيعَتِهِto its loss عَواريafflictions
عَواريٌّ لِضَيعَتِهِ عَواري
And most of the calamities it lamented
And most of its complaints of troubles,
Were loans—afflictions bringing about its loss.
Is a nakedness of its nakedness.
فُطوراًso at times بِالمَغارِبِin the western lands مُستَشاراًconsulted
فُطوراً بِالمَغارِبِ مُستَشاراً
وَطَوراًand at times بِالمَشارِقِin the eastern lands فيin غِرارِsacks
وَطَوراً بِالمَشارِقِ في غِرارِ
Now consulted in the western lands,
Sometimes counseling the sunsets,
And now in the eastern lands, in sacks.
Other times hiding in the caves at daybreak.
وَلَمand did not يَخِفِfear الحِمامَdeath فَأَلجَأتُهُyet drove it
وَلَم يَخِفِ الحِمامَ فَأَلجَأتُهُ
مُطِلّاتُthe looming ones الصُقورِthe falcons إِلىinto تَواريhiding
مُطِلّاتُ الصُقورِ إِلى تَواري
And it feared no death, yet it was driven
And it did not fear the doves, so I made it hide,
By the looming falcons into hiding.
From the attacking falcons in concealment.
أَجَلُّmore precious مِنَthan الفَريدِthe choice pearl لِخازِنيهِto its keepers
أَجَلُّ مِنَ الفَريدِ لِخازِنيهِ
وَأَبقىand more lasting فيin الأَكُفِّthe hands مِنَthan السِوارِthe bracelet
وَأَبقى في الأَكُفِّ مِنَ السِوارِ
More precious than a choice pearl to its keepers,
More precious to its treasuries than the unmatched,
And more lasting in the hands than a bracelet.
And more lasting in palms than bracelets.
وَماand no نَفَعَbenefited المُبَرِّدَal-Mubarrid مِنany حَميمٍclose friend
وَما نَفَعَ المُبَرِّدَ مِن حَميمٍ
وَصادَتand hunted down ثَعلَباًThaʿlab نُوَبٌturns of fate ضَواريsavage
وَصادَت ثَعلَباً نُوَبٌ ضَواري
And no close friend availed al-Mubarrid,
And the heated love of Al-Mubarrad was of no use,
And savage turns of fate hunted down Thaʿlab.
As crafty hyenas hunted prey.
Sol 6.1