أيّwhat كلابٍdogs بلاwithout سواجيرِcollars
أيّ كلابٍ بلا سواجيرِ
وأيّand what فُدْنٍoxen بغيرwithout ماany (emphatic) نِيْرِa yoke
وأيّ فُدْنٍ بغير ما نِيْرِ
What dogs without collars!
What hounds that are unmuzzled,
And what oxen without any yoke!
What sheaths that have no swords,
وأيّand what عيرٍan ass لوif كنتI were آلفُam accustomed أنْto
وأيّ عيرٍ لو كنت آلفُ أنْ
أجوبَtraverse عرضَthe breadth الفلاةِthe wilderness بالعيرon the ass
أجوبَ عرضَ الفلاةِ بالعير
And what an ass—if I were accustomed to
What camels if I were to befriend,
crossing the breadth of the wilderness on an ass!
That I may roam the expanse of desolation with camels.
قلْtell لأبيto Abu طالبٍTalib وقلand tell لأبيto Abu
قلْ لأبي طالبٍ وقل لأبي
إِدريسَIdris قَوْلاًwords حليفَallied with تحبيرeloquent composition
إِدريسَ قَوْلاً حليفَ تحبير
Tell Abu Talib, and tell Abu
Say to Abu Talib and say to
Idris, in words allied with eloquence:
Idris words of true alliance,
كمَlike (uncertain reading) الزوارقِthe boats ماnot يكونُcan be كذاlike this
كمَ الزوارقِ ما يكونُ كذا
بغيرwithout قِيْرٍpitch ولاnor مَساميرnails
بغير قِيْرٍ ولا مَسامير
Like boats—such a thing cannot be
How many boats can it be so,
without pitch or nails.
Without resin or nails.
إِنْif كنتُمyou are فيin حسابكمyour reckoning عرباًArabs
إِنْ كنتُم في حسابكم عرباً
عندَaccording to المقاييسِthe measures والمقاديرand the proportions
عندَ المقاييسِ والمقادير
If, by your own reckoning, you are Arabs,
If you were Arabs in your reckoning,
according to measures and proportions,
By standards and measures,
فليسَthen there is not بينbetween النبيطِthe Nabataeans والعَرَبٍand the Arabs الthe (continued next line)
فليسَ بين النبيطِ والعَرَبٍ ال
خلَّصِpure-blooded إلاexcept قطعُcutting off الزنانيرthe girdles
خلَّصِ إلا قطعُ الزنانير
then between the Nabataeans and the Arabs—the
Then between Nabit and Arabs there is only,
pure-blooded—there is only the cutting off of girdles.
The cutting off of the wristbands.
لاmay not درَّflow درُّbounty الفلوسِthe copper coins كمhow often ضُرِبَتْthey have been minted
لا درَّ درُّ الفلوسِ كم ضُرِبَتْ
ظلماًunjustly علىon سكَّةِthe minting die الدنانيرthe gold dinars
ظلماً على سكَّةِ الدنانير
May copper coins yield no bounty! How often they are struck
No lesson learned, the lesson of coins, how many
unjustly with the die of gold dinars.
Were unjustly minted on the path of dinars.
تاللهby God لنwill never يُقْدِمِapproach الفَراشُthe moth علىtoward الthe (continued next line)
تالله لن يُقْدِمِ الفَراشُ على ال
مقباسِfirebrand إلاexcept إقدامَdaring تغريرreckless self-endangerment
مقباسِ إلا إقدامَ تغرير
By God, the moth will never approach the
By Allah, the moth will never dare against
firebrand except with reckless daring.
The trivet, except daring delusion,
ولوand even if هفاstumbled الليثُthe lion هفوةًa lapse فُدِيَتْit would be ransomed
ولو هفا الليثُ هفوةً فُدِيَتْ
بألفِwith a thousand كلبٍdog وألفِand a thousand خنزيرpig
بألفِ كلبٍ وألفِ خنزير
And even if the lion should stumble, that lapse would be ransomed
And if the lion roared weakly, it would be ransomed
with a thousand dogs and a thousand pigs.
By a thousand dogs and a thousand pigs.
فلاso do not تغرَّنَّكَdeceive you الجسومَbodies إذاwhen
فلا تغرَّنَّكَ الجسومَ إذا
أَتتكthey come to you مثلَlike النخلِthe palm trees المواقيرِheavily fruit-laden
أَتتك مثلَ النخلِ المواقيرِ
So do not let bodies deceive you when
So do not be fooled by the bodies if
they come to you like heavily laden palm trees.
They come to you like the towering date palms,
عليكyou should make for بابَthe door الحمَّامِthe bathhouse تلقَyou will find بهat it
عليك بابَ الحمَّامِ تلقَ به
منsome of كلِّevery صنفٍkind منof التصاويرthe pictures
من كلِّ صنفٍ من التصاوير
Make for the bathhouse door: there you will find
Take care of the bathroom door, receive through it
pictures of every kind.
Every kind of painting.
جئتَyou have come إلىto صخرةٍa rock تناطحهاyou butt against it
جئتَ إلى صخرةٍ تناطحها
ويكَwoe to you بعِرْضٍwith a body منmade of القواريرglass vessels
ويكَ بعِرْضٍ من القوارير
You have come to a rock, butting against it—
You came to a rock you butt heads with
woe to you—with a body of glass vessels!
While I am with a barrage of cans,
وكيفand how يرجوhopes بلوغَreaching شَطِّيَmy shore مَنْone whom
وكيف يرجو بلوغَ شَطِّيَ مَنْ
غَرَّقْتُهُI have drowned him فيin بحارِseas تدميريmy devastation
غَرَّقْتُهُ في بحارِ تدميري
And how can he hope to reach my shore—the one
And how can one who I have drowned
I have drowned in the seas of my devastation?
In the seas of my destruction, hope to reach the shore of my realm,
بينَbetween قفاهُhis nape وبيمand between (apparent typo) كفِّيَmy palm ماwhat
بينَ قفاهُ وبيم كفِّيَ ما
بينbetween المضاريبِthe plectra والطنابيرand the lutes
بين المضاريبِ والطنابير
Between his nape and my palm lies what
Between his skull and the palm of my hand what is
lies between plectra and lutes.
Between the buildings and drums.
إِنْif أَهْجُI lampoon أمثالَكُمْthe likes of you فربَّماthen sometimes
إِنْ أَهْجُ أمثالَكُمْ فربَّما
تَطَرَّبَtakes delight البازُthe hawk للعصافيرin sparrows
تَطَرَّبَ البازُ للعصافير
If I lampoon the likes of you, then sometimes
If I stir the likes of you, perhaps
the hawk takes delight in sparrows.
The ducks will chirp for the little birds.
Sol 6.1