أَنَاI مِنfrom أَينَwhere والعِمارَةُand building مِنfrom أَيwhere (first part)
أَنَا مِن أَينَ والعِمارَةُ مِن أَي
نَwhere (completion) لَقَدْindeed دَقَّgrew slender مِعْصَمِيmy wrist عَنfor سِوَارِيmy bracelet
نَ لَقَدْ دَقَّ مِعْصَمِي عَن سِوَارِي
What have I to do with building?
Where am I from, and where is this building from?
My wrist has indeed grown too slender for my bracelet.
My wrist has been worn out from my bracelet.
كُلَّevery يَومٍday أَقُولُI say قَدalready تُبْتُI have repented عَنهاof it
كُلَّ يَومٍ أَقُولُ قَد تُبْتُ عَنها
لَوْif only تَهَيَّتْwere ready إرادَةُthe will الأَقْدارِfate's decrees
لَوْ تَهَيَّتْ إرادَةُ الأَقْدارِ
Every day I say, 'I have repented of it—
Every day I say I have repented from it,
if only fate's will were favorable.'
If only the will of fate would settle down.
آفةُthe bane الدِّرْهَمِthe dirham العِمارَةُbuilding عَافَىmay He grant protection اللَّGod (first part)
آفةُ الدِّرْهَمِ العِمارَةُ عَافَى اللَّ
هُGod (completion) مِنهاfrom it وَآفَةُand the bane الدِّينارِthe dinar
هُ مِنها وَآفَةُ الدِّينارِ
Building is the bane of the dirham—may God grant deliverance
The affliction of the dirham is building, may God protect
from it—and the bane of the dinar.
Him from it and the affliction of the dinar.
وَهْيَand it تُشْلِيincites الحُسَّادَthe envious حتِّىuntil يَثورواthey rise up
وَهْيَ تُشْلِي الحُسَّادَ حتِّى يَثوروا
أَوْor يُثِيرُواthey kindle بِسَعْيهِمْthrough their efforts كُلَّevery نَارِfire
أَوْ يُثِيرُوا بِسَعْيهِمْ كُلَّ نَارِ
And it incites the envious until they rise up,
It makes the envious boil until they erupt
or, through their efforts, kindle every fire.
Or their efforts ignite every fire.
وَيَقولواand they say فيin الدَّارِthe house مَطْلَبُa place to seek مَالٍmoney
وَيَقولوا في الدَّارِ مَطْلَبُ مَالٍ
كَذَبُواthey lied أَيُّwhat a مََهْلِكٍsource of ruin فيin الدَّارِthe house
كَذَبُوا أَيُّ مََهْلِكٍ في الدَّارِ
And say, 'There is money to be found in the house.'
And they say at home it is a desire for money,
They lied! What a source of ruin lies in the house!
They lied, oh how destructive in the home!
وَنِزَاعُand the quarrel الجِيرانِthe neighbors ذاthis البابُthe door بَابيmy door
وَنِزَاعُ الجِيرانِ ذا البابُ بَابي
وَطَرِيقيand my passageway وَذاand this الجِدارُthe wall جِدَاريmy wall
وَطَرِيقي وَذا الجِدارُ جِدَاري
And the neighbors quarrel: 'This door is my door,
And the quarrel of neighbors, this door is my door
and my passageway; and this wall is my wall!'
And my path, and this wall is my wall.
كُلُّevery يَومٍday كأَنَّنيas though I أَناI myself والبَنَّاand the builder (first part)
كُلُّ يَومٍ كأَنَّني أَنا والبَنَّا
ءُbuilder (completion) حِلْفَاtwo allies شَكِيَّةٍcomplaint وَنِفَارِand discord
ءُ حِلْفَا شَكِيَّةٍ وَنِفَارِ
Every day, it is as though I myself and the builder
Every day it is as if I and the builder
were allies in complaint and discord.
Are sworn enemies and estrangement.
حَيثُwhen يَأتيhe comes وَخَلْفَهُand behind him كُلُّevery نَغَّاnuisance (first part)
حَيثُ يَأتي وَخَلْفَهُ كُلُّ نَغَّا
صٍnuisance (completion) مِنfrom الطِّينِthe mud مُكْتَسٍclad وَهْوَand he عَارِnaked
صٍ مِن الطِّينِ مُكْتَسٍ وَهْوَ عَارِ
When he comes, behind him is every nuisance,
Wherever he comes and behind him every
clad in mud, though he is naked.
Plasterer with mud plastered and it is shameful.
وَاحِدٌone مِنهُمُof them يُرَتِّبُarranges لِلماfor the water (first part)
وَاحِدٌ مِنهُمُ يُرَتِّبُ لِلما
ءِwater (completion) وَلَمْand did not يَدْرِknow غَيْرَanything but كَسْرِbreaking الجِرارِthe jars
ءِ وَلَمْ يَدْرِ غَيْرَ كَسْرِ الجِرارِ
One of them arranges for the water,
One of them organizes for the water
but knows nothing except how to break the jars.
And did not know except breaking the jars.
والذيand the one who مِنهُمُof them يُرَتِّبُarranges لِلطِّيfor the clay (first part)
والذي مِنهُمُ يُرَتِّبُ لِلطِّي
نِclay (completion) قُصَاراهُhis utmost ثَمَّthere كَسْرُbreaking القَصَارِيthe earthenware basins
نِ قُصَاراهُ ثَمَّ كَسْرُ القَصَارِي
And the one among them who arranges for the clay
And the one who organizes for the mud
can do no more there than break the basins.
His job ends then breaking the pots.
وَإذاand when مَاever (emphasis) قَامُواthey set about لِنَصْبِto set up الأَسافِيthe foundations (first part)
وَإذا مَا قَامُوا لِنَصْبِ الأَسافِي
لِfoundations (completion) تَقَضَّىwas spent فيin النَّصْبِthe setting up نِصْفُhalf النَّهارِthe day
لِ تَقَضَّى في النَّصْبِ نِصْفُ النَّهارِ
And whenever they set about laying the foundations,
And when they stand to install the foundations
half the day passes in setting them up.
Half the day passes in the installation.
وَأَقَامُواand they kept up الحَدِيثَthe conversation بَينُهُمُamong themselves واندَand they plunged (first part)
وَأَقَامُوا الحَدِيثَ بَينُهُمُ واندَ
فَعُواplunged (completion) فيinto غَرائبِthe curiosities الأَخْبارِthe tales
فَعُوا في غَرائبِ الأَخْبارِ
And they keep up conversation among themselves and plunge
And they strike up conversation amongst themselves and talk
into the strangest tales.
Of strange news.
وَتَرَىand you see كُلَّهُمْall of them مُشِيراًgesturing بِكَفَّيْwith both palms
وَتَرَى كُلَّهُمْ مُشِيراً بِكَفَّيْ
هِhis فَيمَضِيso passes نَهارُناour day فيin النَِثارِscattering
هِ فَيمَضِي نَهارُنا في النَِثارِ
And you see every one of them gesturing with both
And you see all of them gesturing with their hands
his hands; our day passes in scattering things about.
So our day passes in waste.
كَسَرُواthey broke الطُّوبَةَthe brick الطَّوِيلةَthe long والصُّغْرَand the small one (first part)
كَسَرُوا الطُّوبَةَ الطَّوِيلةَ والصُّغْرَ
ىsmall one (completion) لَدَيْهِbeside him مَطْرُوحَةٌcast aside فيin انكِسَارِbrokenness
ى لَدَيْهِ مَطْرُوحَةٌ في انكِسَارِ
They broke the long brick, and the small one
They broke the long brick and the small one
lies beside him, cast aside and broken.
Is strewn before him in pieces.
ذاthis وَبَطْرُand the insolence النَّشَّارِthe sawyer أَصلَحكَmay He set you right اللَّGod (first part)
ذا وَبَطْرُ النَّشَّارِ أَصلَحكَ اللَّ
هُGod (completion) فَلاso do not تَنْسَforget قِصَّةَthe tale النَّشَّارِthe sawyer
هُ فَلا تَنْسَ قِصَّةَ النَّشَّارِ
All this, and the sawyer's insolence—may God set you right—
This and the ax of the carpenter, may God fix you,
so do not forget the tale of the sawyer.
So do not forget the story of the carpenter.
وَيَرانيand he sees me منهُbecause of him علَىon الجَمْرِthe live coals غَيْظاًwith rage
وَيَراني منهُ علَى الجَمْرِ غَيْظاً
وَهْوَand he لاهِidly occupied بالبَرْدِwith filing فيon المِنْشارِthe saw
وَهْوَ لاهِ بالبَرْدِ في المِنْشارِ
And he sees me, because of him, on live coals with rage,
And he sees me angry over the embers
while he idles away at filing the saw.
While he is indifferent with the saw.
وَقَدُومٌand an adze يَسُنُّhe sharpens شَهْراًfor a month ولاand does not يقْcut (first part)
وَقَدُومٌ يَسُنُّ شَهْراً ولا يقْ
طَعُcut (completion) شِبْراًa handspan كَأَنَّهُas though it were أفكارِيmy thoughts
طَعُ شِبْراً كَأَنَّهُ أفكارِي
And an adze he sharpens for a month, yet it does not
And the newcomer takes a month and does not
cut a handspan, as though it were my thoughts.
Cut an inch, as if he is my thoughts.
وَلَعَمْرِىand by my life الحَدَّادُthe blacksmith أَنْحَسُmore ill-omened مِنهُthan he
وَلَعَمْرِى الحَدَّادُ أَنْحَسُ مِنهُ
أُحَاشيI except الأَدِيبَthe man of letters عَبْدَAbd (servant of) البارِيal-Bari (the Creator)
أُحَاشي الأَدِيبَ عَبْدَ البارِي
And by my life, the blacksmith is more ill-omened than he—
By my life, the blacksmith is more fortunate than him
I make an exception for the man of letters Abd al-Bari.
The writer's servant, Abdel Bari.
وَحَدِيثُand the tale المُبلّطِينَthe tile-layers كَفَانيhas sufficed me
وَحَدِيثُ المُبلّطِينَ كَفَاني
مِنهُof it ذاthis الإسْمُthe name فاقْتَنِعْso be content باحتِضَارِيwith my death-throes
مِنهُ ذا الإسْمُ فاقْتَنِعْ باحتِضَارِي
As for the tale of the tile-layers, enough for me
And the talk of the plasterers was enough for me
is this name alone—so be content with my death-throes.
From this name, so be content with my demise.
Sol 6.1