أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen كُرسوعَKursuʿ (wristbone) الغُرابِal-Ghurab (the crow) وَماand what وَأَتpledged
أَلَم تَرَ كُرسوعَ الغُرابِ وَما وَأَت
مَواعيدُهُhis promises عادَتturned into ضَلالاًfutility وَباطِلاand falsehood
مَواعيدُهُ عادَت ضَلالاً وَباطِلا
Have you not seen Kursuʿ al-Ghurab (Crow’s Wristbone) and what was pledged
Have you not seen the cawing of the raven, and what
By his promises, which turned to futility and falsehood?
Its trysts have turned to, gone astray and null?
وَلَوand if كانَhe were مُرِّيّاًa Murri لَأَصبَحَhe would have become قَولُهُhis word
وَلَو كانَ مُرِّيّاً لَأَصبَحَ قَولُهُ
وَفِيّاًfaithful عَلىto ماwhat كانَhe had شَدَّtightened الحَبائِلاthe snares
وَفِيّاً عَلى ما كانَ شَدَّ الحَبائِلا
And had he been a Murri, his word would have proved
Had it been an harbinger, its word by morn
True to what he had bound with snares.
Would have proved true, binding fast the cords.
وَسَوفَand will يَرىhe sees مَرَّbitterness القَوافيthe rhymes إِذاwhen غَدَتthey set forth
وَسَوفَ يَرى مَرَّ القَوافي إِذا غَدَت
عَلَيهِagainst him بِأَمثالٍwith proverbs تَشينُdisgrace المَقاوِلاthe kings
عَلَيهِ بِأَمثالٍ تَشينُ المَقاوِلا
And he will know the bitterness of rhymes when they set forth
And it will see, when rhymes shall come to it
Against him with proverbs that disgrace kings.
With parables like those that shame builders.
Sol 6.1