رئيسُthe chief الشرقِthe East محمودُpraiseworthy السجاياcharacter traits
رئيسُ الشرقِ محمودُ السجايا
يقصِّرُfalls short عنof مدائِحِهِhis praises البليغthe eloquent speaker
يقصِّرُ عن مدائِحِهِ البليغ
The chief of the East is praiseworthy in character;
The proud one of the East, Mahmoud of character
even the eloquent fall short in praising him.
Eloquence falls short in praising him
نُسمِّيهِwe call him بيحيىby the name Yahya وهوwhile he is ميتٌdead
نُسمِّيهِ بيحيى وهو ميتٌ
كماjust as أنَّthat السليمَthe unharmed هوhe اللديغthe snakebitten one
كما أنَّ السليمَ هو اللديغ
We call him Yahya, though he is dead,
We name him Yahya though he is dead
just as the snakebitten is called 'unharmed.'
Just as al-Salim is the biter
يعافُhe shuns الوِرْدَdrinking water إنif ظمئتْbecame thirsty حشاهhis innards
يعافُ الوِرْدَ إن ظمئتْ حشاه
وفيand in مالwealth اليتيمِthe orphan لهfor him ولوغlapping
وفي مال اليتيمِ له ولوغ
He shuns drinking water when his innards thirst,
He abandons roses when their thorns thirst
yet he laps up the orphan's wealth.
And plunges into the orphan's wealth to grab and loot
Sol 6.1