أَخَفُّlighter مِنthan لاno شَيءَthing فيin سَجدَتِهِhis prostration
أَخَفُّ مِن لا شَيءَ في سَجدَتِهِ
كَأَنَّهُas though he يُلسَعُis stung فيon جَبهَتِهhis forehead
كَأَنَّهُ يُلسَعُ في جَبهَتِه
He is lighter than nothing in his prostration,
Lighter than nothing in his prostration
As though he were being stung on his forehead.
As if stung on his forehead
وَشَيخُand an old man سوءٍof ill character ذاكَthat عِلميmy knowledge بِهِof him
وَشَيخُ سوءٍ ذاكَ عِلمي بِهِ
يَمريprovokes عَلىagainst الإِخوانَthe brethren مِنfrom نَكهَتِهhis breath
يَمري عَلى الإِخوانَ مِن نَكهَتِه
And a wicked old man—that is what I know of him.
That wicked old man I know him
He provokes his brethren with his breath.
Passing by the brothers with his expression
وَدَيدَبانٌand a watchman فَوقَabove ساباطِهِhis covered passage
وَدَيدَبانٌ فَوقَ ساباطِهِ
وَالناسُand the people مُنغِضونَshaking their heads عَنbecause of وَقفَتِهhis stance
وَالناسُ مُنغِضونَ عَن وَقفَتِه
And a watchman above his covered passage,
And lice above his head covering
And people shake their heads at his stance.
While people avert their gaze from his station
تَسَدَّرَhas spread (uncertain reading) التُفّاحُapples فيon خَدِّهِhis cheek
تَسَدَّرَ التُفّاحُ في خَدِّهِ
وَنَوَّرَand blossomed السَوسَنُirises فيin لِحيَتِهhis beard
وَنَوَّرَ السَوسَنُ في لِحيَتِه
Apples have spread across his cheek,
Apples cascading on his cheek
And irises have blossomed in his beard.
Lilies blossoming in his beard
وَقَدand indeed أَتاناhe came to us بِبَراهينِهِwith his proofs
وَقَد أَتانا بِبَراهينِهِ
وَماand not نَرىwe see البُرهانَthe proof فيin حُجَّتِهhis argument
وَما نَرى البُرهانَ في حُجَّتِه
And indeed he has come to us with his proofs,
He brought us his proofs
Yet we see no proof in his argument.
Yet we see no proof in his claim
وَوَرِثَand he inherited الهاضومَthe digestive remedy عَنfrom جَدِّهِhis grandfather
وَوَرِثَ الهاضومَ عَن جَدِّهِ
وَعَنand from أَبيهِhis father فَهوَso he is فيin رُتبَتِهhis rank
وَعَن أَبيهِ فَهوَ في رُتبَتِه
And he inherited the digestive remedy from his grandfather,
Inheriting the swindler from his grandfather
And from his father, so he holds his rank.
And from his father so he holds his rank
ذاكَthat دَواءٌa medicine جَيِّدٌgood نافِعٌbeneficial
ذاكَ دَواءٌ جَيِّدٌ نافِعٌ
يُصلِحُremedies ماwhat يَشكوهُhe complains of it مِنin مِعدَتِهhis stomach
يُصلِحُ ما يَشكوهُ مِن مِعدَتِه
That is a good, beneficial medicine:
That is excellent, beneficial medicine
It remedies what he complains of in his stomach.
Which cures whatever ails his stomach
Sol 6.1