لَولاwhy not تَكونُyou are كَكاتِبٍlike a scribe لَكَof yours رَبعَةٌof middling height
لَولا تَكونُ كَكاتِبٍ لَكَ رَبعَةٌ
يَقضيhe attends to الحَوائِجَthe needs مُستَطيلَelongated الراسِthe head
يَقضي الحَوائِجَ مُستَطيلَ الراسِ
Why not be like a scribe of yours, of middling height,
If you were not a scribe with a large head
who attends to needs, with a long head?
Who fulfils requests, stooped of posture
لَمdid not تَغدُyou set out in the morning بِالمَلبونِwith the milk pudding عِندَat فِطامِهِhis weaning
لَم تَغدُ بِالمَلبونِ عِندَ فِطامِهِ
يَوماًever وَلاnor بِمُطَجَّنَwith pan-fried القُلقاسِthe taro
يَوماً وَلا بِمُطَجَّنَ القُلقاسِ
You did not set out with milk pudding at his weaning,
You would not eat melba toast when weaned
ever, nor with pan-fried taro.
Nor have quivering jowls
أَوor كَاِبنِlike the son of مَسعَدَةَMasʿada الكَريمِnoble نِجارُهُhis lineage
أَو كَاِبنِ مَسعَدَةَ الكَريمِ نِجارُهُ
بَيتِthe house of الكِتابَةِscribal service فيamong بَنيthe sons of العَبّاسِal-ʿAbbās
بَيتِ الكِتابَةِ في بَني العَبّاسِ
Or like Ibn Masʿada, whose lineage is noble,
Like the son of the generous Mas’ada the carpenter
of the scribal house among the sons of al-ʿAbbās?
Whose office was in the Abbasid court
يَغدوhe goes in the morning عَلىto أَضيافِهِhis guests مُستَطعِماًasking for food
يَغدو عَلى أَضيافِهِ مُستَطعِماً
كَالكَلبِlike a dog يَأكُلُhe eats فيin بُيوتِthe houses of الناسِpeople
كَالكَلبِ يَأكُلُ في بُيوتِ الناسِ
He goes in the morning to his guests, asking for food,
Who would go to his guests begging
like a dog eating in people's houses.
Like a dog eating in people’s homes
Sol 6.1