أَخاO brother الوِدادِof friendship أَعنىhelp me فيin مُكابَدَتيmy suffering
أَخا الوِدادِ أَعنى في مُكابَدَتي
أَمرُthe business الفَلاحَةِof farming ماhow أَشقىwretched وَأَوحَلَهُand how mired it is
أَمرُ الفَلاحَةِ ما أَشقى وَأَوحَلَهُ
O brother in friendship, help me in my suffering;
O brotherly affection, help me endure
The business of farming—how wretched and mire-bound it is!
The toil of farming, how miserable and muddy it is
قَدalready جاءَنيcame to me الكَشفُthe account statement هَذاthis العامُyear مُحتَوِياًcontaining
قَد جاءَني الكَشفُ هَذا العامُ مُحتَوِياً
سَبعينَseventy أَلفاًthousand أَرىI see فيin الرَقَمِthe figure جَملَهُits camel (unclear in context)
سَبعينَ أَلفاً أَرى في الرَقَمِ جَملَهُ
The account statement came to me this year, containing
The harvest report has come this year
Seventy thousand—I see its camel in the figure.
Showing seventy thousand, a number that astounds
وَكَمand how much فَرِحتُI rejoiced وَقُلتُand I said القُطنَthe cotton مِنهُfrom it وَفاsufficed
وَكَم فَرِحتُ وَقُلتُ القُطنَ مِنهُ وَفا
إِذاthen بِالغَواthey exaggerated فيهِabout it وَاِستَعلواand overestimated (unclear wording) مَحصَلَهُits proceeds
إِذا بِالغَوا فيهِ وَاِستَعلوا مَحصَلَهُ
And how I rejoiced, saying, “The cotton from it has sufficed!”
How glad I was, thinking the cotton would suffice
Then they exaggerated it and overestimated its proceeds.
But they exaggerated it and inflated its yield
فَراحَso went نَقبيmy digging عَلىupon شَونٍgranaries وَياand oh أَسَفيmy sorrow
فَراحَ نَقبي عَلى شَونٍ وَيا أَسَفي
لاneither القَطنُthe cotton وَفىsufficed وَلاnor الفَلّاحُthe farmer كَملَهُcompleted it
لا القَطنُ وَفى وَلا الفَلّاحُ كَملَهُ
So my digging led to granaries—alas for me!
So my anxiety grew in vain, oh what a pity
Neither did the cotton suffice, nor did the farmer make up the rest.
Neither did the cotton suffice, nor did the farmer fulfill it
حَتّىuntil أَرانيI see myself كَصَرّافِlike a cashier البِلادِof the country فَكَمfor how often
حَتّى أَراني كَصَرّافِ البِلادِ فَكَم
يَعُدَّhe counts بِالأَلفِby the thousand وَالحَصرِwhile mats المَهادِthe bedding لَهُfor him
يَعُدَّ بِالأَلفِ وَالحَصرِ المَهادِ لَهُ
Until I see myself like the country's cashier—how often
Until I saw myself like the town’s money changer, so much
He counts by the thousand, while mats are his bedding!
Does he count with thousands and the pillow as his bed
Sol 6.1