لَولاwere it not for الحَوادِثُmisfortunes لَمnot أَركُنI lean إِلىon أَحَدٍanyone
لَولا الحَوادِثُ لَم أَركُن إِلى أَحَدٍ
مِنَamong الأَنامِhumankind وَلَمand not أَخلُدI settle إِلىin وَطَنِa homeland
مِنَ الأَنامِ وَلَم أَخلُد إِلى وَطَنِ
Were it not for misfortunes, I would lean on no one
Among humankind, nor settle in any homeland.
وَكُنتُand I would be فيin كُلِّevery تيهٍwilderness 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 wilderness I would be a companion to sandgrouse;
At the watering, they would suffice me in place of Saʿd and Qaṭan.
حَليفُa companion وَجناءَa sturdy she-camel تَرميshe casts بِالوَجينِupon hard ground شَفاًa small remnant
حَليفُ وَجناءَ تَرمي بِالوَجينِ شَفاً
مِنهاof herself وَتَجهَلُand she does not know مَعنىthe meaning of الحَوضِthe trough وَالعَطَنِand the waterside resting-place
مِنها وَتَجهَلُ مَعنى الحَوضِ وَالعَطَنِ
A companion of a sturdy she-camel, casting upon hard ground a remnant
Of herself, and knowing nothing of trough or waterside resting-place.
وَغَيَّضَand depleted السَيرُtravel عَينَيهاher two eyes فَلَوso if وَرَدَتcame to drink
وَغَيَّضَ السَيرُ عَينَيها فَلَو وَرَدَت
جُمَّيهِماtheir two pools الطَيرُthe birds لَمnot تَشرَبdrink بِلاwithout شَطَنِa long rope
جُمَّيهِما الطَيرُ لَم تَشرَب بِلا شَطَنِ
And travel has drained her eyes; should there come
Birds to their pools, they could not drink without a long rope.
وَهَلand do ...? أَلومُI blame غَبِيّاًa fool فيfor غَباوَتِهِhis foolishness
وَهَل أَلومُ غَبِيّاً في غَباوَتِهِ
وَبِالقَضاءِand by fate أَتَتهُcame to him قِلَّةُa lack of الفِطَنِdiscernment
وَبِالقَضاءِ أَتَتهُ قِلَّةُ الفِطَنِ
And should I blame a fool for his foolishness,
When fate has brought him scant understanding?
Sol 6.1