لَولاwere it not for الحَوادِثُmisfortunes لَمnot أَركُنI rely إِلىon أَحَدٍanyone
لَولا الحَوادِثُ لَم أَركُن إِلى أَحَدٍ
مِنَamong الأَنامِhumankind وَلَمand not أَخلُدI settle إِلىin وَطَنِa homeland
مِنَ الأَنامِ وَلَم أَخلُد إِلى وَطَنِ
But for misfortunes, I would lean on no one
among humankind, nor settle in any homeland.
وَكُنتُand I would be فيin كُلِّevery تيهٍtrackless wilderness صاحِباًa companion لِقَطاًto sandgrouse
وَكُنتُ في كُلِّ تيهٍ صاحِباً لِقَطاً
فيat الوِردِthe watering قَطنِيَenough for me مِنin place of سَعدٍSaʿd وَمِنand in place of قَطَنِQaṭan
في الوِردِ قَطنِيَ مِن سَعدٍ وَمِن قَطَنِ
And in every trackless wilderness I would be a companion to sandgrouse;
at the watering, they would suffice me in place of Saʿd and Qaṭan.
حَليفُa close companion of وَجناءَa sturdy she-camel تَرميshe flings بِالوَجينِonto stony ground شَفاًan extremity
حَليفُ وَجناءَ تَرمي بِالوَجينِ شَفاً
مِنهاof hers وَتَجهَلُand she knows not مَعنىthe meaning of الحَوضِthe trough وَالعَطَنِand the camels' resting-place by water
مِنها وَتَجهَلُ مَعنى الحَوضِ وَالعَطَنِ
Companion to a sturdy she-camel that flings onto stony ground an extremity
of hers, knowing nothing of trough or camels' resting-place.
وَغَيَّضَand hollowed السَيرُtravel عَينَيهاher two eyes فَلَوso if وَرَدَتcame to drink
وَغَيَّضَ السَيرُ عَينَيها فَلَو وَرَدَت
جُمَّيهِماtheir two pools الطَيرُthe birds لَمnot تَشرَبwould drink بِلاwithout شَطَنِa well-rope
جُمَّيهِما الطَيرُ لَم تَشرَب بِلا شَطَنِ
And travel has hollowed her eyes; should there come to drink
birds at their two pools, they could not drink without a well-rope.
وَهَلand should أَلومُI blame غَبِيّاًa dullard فيfor غَباوَتِهِhis dullness
وَهَل أَلومُ غَبِيّاً في غَباوَتِهِ
وَبِالقَضاءِand by fate أَتَتهُcame to him قِلَّةُa lack of الفِطَنِwits
وَبِالقَضاءِ أَتَتهُ قِلَّةُ الفِطَنِ
And should I blame a dullard for his dullness,
when fate has given him so little wit?
Sol 6.1