وَصاحِبِand many a companion سوءٍwickedness وَجهُهُhis face لِيَto me أَوجُهٌfaces
وَصاحِبِ سوءٍ وَجهُهُ لِيَ أَوجُهٌ
وَفيand in فَمِهِhis mouth طَبلٌa drum لِسِرِّيَfor my secret يَضرِبُhe beats
وَفي فَمِهِ طَبلٌ لِسِرِّيَ يَضرِبُ
And many a bad companion—his face is many faces to me;
The one with an ugly face has many faces for me
And in his mouth a drum he beats to proclaim my secret.
And in his mouth is a drum that beats out my secrets
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle قَلىhe loathed الإِخوانَthe friends كانَhe became مَرارَةًbitter gall
إِذا ما قَلى الإِخوانَ كانَ مَرارَةً
يُعَرِّضُhe lies crosswise فيin حَلقيmy throat مِراراًrepeatedly وَيَنشَبُand he gets stuck
يُعَرِّضُ في حَلقي مِراراً وَيَنشَبُ
When he loathes his friends, he becomes bitter gall;
When he backbites the brothers, it is with bitterness
He lies crosswise in my throat, time and again, and sticks.
He makes bitterness run down my throat and is impudent
وَلاand no بُدَّalternative ليfor me مِنهُto him فَحيناًso at times يَعَضُّنيhe bites me
وَلا بُدَّ لي مِنهُ فَحيناً يَعَضُّني
وَيَنساغُand he goes down easily ليfor me حيناًat times وَوَجهيand my face مُقَطَّبُfrowning
وَيَنساغُ لي حيناً وَوَجهي مُقَطَّبُ
And I cannot do without him: at times he bites me,
I have no choice but to bear him at times, he bites me
And at times he goes down easily for me, while my face is set in a frown,
At times he is gentle with me, though my face is gloomy
كَماءِlike the water of طَريقِthe road الحَجِّthe Hajj pilgrimage فيat كُلِّevery مَنهَلٍwatering place
كَماءِ طَريقِ الحَجِّ في كُلِّ مَنهَلٍ
يُذَمُّit is reviled عَلىfor ماwhat كانَwas مِنهُof it وَيُشرَبُand it is drunk
يُذَمُّ عَلى ما كانَ مِنهُ وَيُشرَبُ
Like water on the Hajj road at every watering place:
Like the water at pilgrim road stops, at every waterhole
It is reviled for what it is, yet drunk.
He pours scorn on what he was, yet drinks from it
Sol 6.1