وَجاهِلٍand an ignoramus طالَhas lasted long بِهِbecause of him عَنائيmy suffering
وَجاهِلٍ طالَ بِهِ عَنائي
لازَمَنيhe clung to me وَذاكَand that مِنpart of شَقائيmy misery
لازَمَني وَذاكَ مِن شَقائي
And an ignoramus has long caused me suffering;
He has clung to me, and that is part of my misery.
كَأَنَّهُas though he were الأَشهَرُthe best-known مِنof أَسمائيmy names
كَأَنَّهُ الأَشهَرُ مِن أَسمائي
أَخرَقُa fool ذوpossessed of بَصيرَةٍinsight عَمياءِblind
أَخرَقُ ذو بَصيرَةٍ عَمياءِ
As though he were the best-known of my names.
A fool possessed of blind insight,
لاnot يَعرِفُdistinguish المَدحَpraise مِنَfrom الهِجاءِsatire
لا يَعرِفُ المَدحَ مِنَ الهِجاءِ
أَفعالُهُhis deeds الكُلُّall عَلىon اِستِواءِa par
أَفعالُهُ الكُلُّ عَلى اِستِواءِ
He cannot tell praise from satire.
His deeds are all alike.
أَقبَحُuglier مِنthan وَعدٍa promise بِلاwithout وَفاءِfulfillment
أَقبَحُ مِن وَعدٍ بِلا وَفاءِ
وَمَنand than زَوالِthe loss of النِعمَةِthe blessing الحَسناءِlovely
وَمَن زَوالِ النِعمَةِ الحَسناءِ
Uglier than a promise without fulfillment,
And than the loss of a lovely blessing;
أَبغَضُmore hateful لِلعَينِto the eye مِنَthan الأَقذاءِspecks of grit
أَبغَضُ لِلعَينِ مِنَ الأَقذاءِ
أَثقَلُmore burdensome مِنthan شَماتَةِthe gloating of الأَعداءِthe enemies
أَثقَلُ مِن شَماتَةِ الأَعداءِ
More hateful to the eye than specks of grit,
More burdensome than enemies' gloating.
فَهوَso he إِذاwhen رَأَتهُsees him عَينُthe eye الرائيof the beholder
فَهوَ إِذا رَأَتهُ عَينُ الرائي
أَبوfather of مُعاذٍMu'adh أَوor أَخوbrother of الخَنساءِal-Khansa
أَبو مُعاذٍ أَو أَخو الخَنساءِ
So, when the beholder's eye sees him, he is
Abu Mu'adh or al-Khansa's brother.
Sol 6.1