أَبيعُكَI sell you بَيعَthe sale of الأَديمِthe hide النَغِلrotten
أَبيعُكَ بَيعَ الأَديمِ النَغِل
وَأَطويand I roll up وِدادَكَyour friendship طَيَّthe rolling up of السِجِلthe scroll
وَأَطوي وِدادَكَ طَيَّ السِجِل
I sell you as one sells a rotten hide,
I sell you for the price of worthless leather,
and roll up your friendship as one rolls a scroll,
And fold up my love for you like a scroll.
وَأَنفُضُand I shake off ثِقلَكَyour weight عَنfrom عاتِقيmy shoulder
وَأَنفُضُ ثِقلَكَ عَن عاتِقي
فَقَدfor indeed طالَhas lasted long ماthat أُدتَنيyou burdened me ياO جَبَلmountain
فَقَد طالَ ما أُدتَني يا جَبَل
and shake your weight off my shoulder,
I shake off your burden from my shoulders,
for long have you burdened me, O mountain.
For long has your mountain weighed upon me.
قَوارِصُstinging barbs لَفظٍspeech كَحَزِّlike the slicing of المَدىknives
قَوارِصُ لَفظٍ كَحَزِّ المَدى
وَشَذّانُand scattered flashes لَحظٍglances كَوَقعِlike the impact of الأَسَلspears
وَشَذّانُ لَحظٍ كَوَقعِ الأَسَل
Stinging words, like the slicing of knives,
Your words snap like the cracking of a whip,
and scattered glances, like the thrust of spears.
Your glances sting like the blow of a cane.
تَبَدَّلتَyou took a replacement مِنّيin place of me وَلوand had ساءَنيit grieved me
تَبَدَّلتَ مِنّي وَلو ساءَني
لَقُلتُI would have said إِذاًthen لاmay not هُناكَbring you joy البَدَلthe replacement
لَقُلتُ إِذاً لا هُناكَ البَدَل
You took another in my place; and had that grieved me,
You changed against me, though it pained me;
I would then have said, “May the replacement bring you no joy!”
I'd have said then: "There is no changing this."
فَكَيفَhow, then وَكُنتَwhile you were عَلىon الساعِدَيthe forearms (continued next line)
فَكَيفَ وَكُنتَ عَلى الساعِدَي
نِdual ending completing 'forearms' جامِعَةًa shackle وَعَلىand on الجيدِthe neck غُلa fetter
نِ جامِعَةً وَعَلى الجيدِ غُل
How could it grieve me, when you were on both my forearms
But you had been an adornment on my arms,
a shackle, and about my neck a fetter?
A necklace about my neck, a ring on my hand.
وَماand not عَطَلَlack of adornment المَرءِa man يُزريdetracts بِهِfrom him
وَما عَطَلَ المَرءِ يُزري بِهِ
إِذاif كانَis طَوقُthe collar of وَريدَيهِhis two jugular veins صِلa viper
إِذا كانَ طَوقُ وَريدَيهِ صِل
Nor does being unadorned diminish a man,
No man is hindered by what does not fetter him;
if the collar round his jugular veins is a viper.
If the veins of his wrists are unbound.
نَصَبتَyou set الحِبالَةَthe snare ليfor me طامِعاًgreedily
نَصَبتَ الحِبالَةَ لي طامِعاً
لَقَدindeed خابَfailed ظَنُّكَyour expectation ياO مُحتَبَلensnared one
لَقَد خابَ ظَنُّكَ يا مُحتَبَل
You set the snare for me, greedily;
You set up the pole of love to entrap me,
indeed, your expectation failed, O ensnared one.
Vainly did you hope, O contriver of snares!
وَلَمand not تَدرِyou knew أَنّيthat I جَرِيُّbold الوُثوبِleaping
وَلَم تَدرِ أَنّي جَرِيُّ الوُثوبِ
إِذاwhen الحَبلُthe rope مَرَّpassed بِجَنبيby my side نَصَلslipped away
إِذا الحَبلُ مَرَّ بِجَنبي نَصَل
And you did not know that I am bold in leaping:
You did not know that I am like the wild ox,
when the rope brushes my side, it slips away.
Who splits the rope if it touches his side.
وَأَمَّلتَand you hoped for ماwhat عَكَسَتهُoverturned it الخُطوبُcalamities
وَأَمَّلتَ ما عَكَسَتهُ الخُطوبُ
سَفاهاًfoolishly أَجَرَّكَhas silenced you هَذاthis الأَمَلhope
سَفاهاً أَجَرَّكَ هَذا الأَمَل
And you hoped for what calamities overturned,
And you imagined what difficulty had altered,
foolishly; this hope has struck you dumb.
Foolishly led on by this fancy of yours.
لَقَدindeed كِدتَyou nearly أَنto تَستَزِلَّmake stumble الأَديبَthe man of letters
لَقَد كِدتَ أَن تَستَزِلَّ الأَديبَ
وَلَكِنbut تَحامَلَrallied سِمعٌa wolf–hyena hybrid أَزَلlean-rumped
وَلَكِن تَحامَلَ سِمعٌ أَزَل
Indeed, you nearly made the man of letters stumble,
You nearly made the man of letters stumble,
but a lean-rumped wolf–hyena hybrid rallied.
But a heart from error evermore free saved him.
أَفَخراًboasting? فَحَسبيthen enough for me بِماwith what قَدindeed أَطاlengthened (continued next line)
أَفَخراً فَحَسبي بِما قَد أَطا
لَcompletes 'lengthened' باعيmy reach وَأَنزَلَنيand set me فيamong القُلَلthe summits
لَ باعي وَأَنزَلَني في القُلَل
Boasting? Enough for me is what has lengthened
Boastfully did my vanity garb me,
my reach and set me among the summits.
And abased me and brought me low.
وَإِنَّand indeed أَذَلَّthe most abased الأَذَلّينَthe abased مَنone who
وَإِنَّ أَذَلَّ الأَذَلّينَ مَن
يُريعُenriches بِبِضعِthrough the private parts of النِساءِwomen الدُوَلdynasties
يُريعُ بِبِضعِ النِساءِ الدُوَل
And surely the lowest of the low is one
The most abject of the abject is he,
who enriches dynasties through women's private parts.
Who panders to the dalliance of women.
حَمَلتُI carried away بِقَلبِيَmy heart with me حِملَthe carrying of الجُموحِthe bolting steed
حَمَلتُ بِقَلبِيَ حِملَ الجُموحِ
كَماjust as قَطَعَsnapped الصَعبَthe unruly horse ليَّthe twisted strands of الطِوَلthe tether
كَما قَطَعَ الصَعبَ ليَّ الطِوَل
I carried my heart away like a bolting steed,
I carried in my heart the courage of heroes,
as an unruly horse snaps its twisted tether.
As I cut my way through impenetrable mountains.
نَجَوتُI escaped وَمَنand whoever يَنجُescapes مِنfrom مِثلِهاthe like of it
نَجَوتُ وَمَن يَنجُ مِن مِثلِها
يَعِشlives آمِناًsafe بَعدَهاafter it مِنfrom زَلَلstumbling
يَعِش آمِناً بَعدَها مِن زَلَل
I escaped; and whoever escapes the like of it
He who escapes from the like of her,
lives thereafter safe from stumbling.
Lives secure afterward safe from all legions.
وَغادَرتُand I left غَيرِيَsomeone other than me تَحتَbeneath الهَواhumiliation (continued next line)
وَغادَرتُ غَيرِيَ تَحتَ الهَوا
نِcompletes 'humiliation' يَضرُبُthrashes ضَربَthe thrashing of عِرابِpurebred الإِبِلcamels
نِ يَضرُبُ ضَربَ عِرابِ الإِبِل
And I left another beneath humiliation,
I left behind me the others subject to love,
thrashing as purebred camels thrash.
To strike with the stroke of driving camels.
Sol 6.1