أُحاجيI pose a riddle وَقَدthough indeed أَصبَحتُI have become عَنهاfrom it بِمَعزِلٍapart
أُحاجي وَقَد أَصبَحتُ عَنها بِمَعزِلٍ
وَلَمand did not تُبقِleave لِيَfor me الأَيّامُthe days عَقلاًreason وَلاnor حِساsense
وَلَم تُبقِ لِيَ الأَيّامُ عَقلاً وَلا حِسا
I pose a riddle—though I have grown far removed from riddling,
and the days have left me neither reason nor sense—
بِعُريانَabout a naked one لَولاwere it not for الريقُsaliva ماnot راقَwas pleasing فِعلُهُits work
بِعُريانَ لَولا الريقُ ما راقَ فِعلُهُ
لَهُit has هامَةٌa head مَلمومَةٌrounded ضَخمَةٌlarge مَلساsmooth
لَهُ هامَةٌ مَلمومَةٌ ضَخمَةٌ مَلسا
about a naked one whose work, but for saliva, would not please.
It has a rounded head, large and smooth.
إِذاwhenever ما(emphasis) كَسَتهُshe clothed it أُمُّهُits mother مِنfrom لِباسِهاher clothing
إِذا ما كَسَتهُ أُمُّهُ مِن لِباسِها
أَتَتshe came أُختُهُits sister فَاستَأصَلَتthen she stripped away كُلَّall ماthat which يُكسىit is clothed in
أَتَت أُختُهُ فَاستَأصَلَت كُلَّ ما يُكسى
Whenever its mother clothes it in some of her clothing,
its sister comes and strips away all it is clothed in.
وَأُمُّand the mother الطَّلاthe fawn الوَحشِيّwild تُوصَفُis described بِاسمِهِby its name
وَأُمُّ الطَّلا الوَحشِيّ تُوصَفُ بِاسمِهِ
إِذاwhen خُطَّit is written لاno تَصحيفَalteration of letter dots فيهِin it وَلاand no عَكساreversal
إِذا خُطَّ لا تَصحيفَ فيهِ وَلا عَكسا
And the mother of a wild fawn is called by its name,
when written without any change of dots or reversal.
وَلَوand if أَنَّthat عَيباًa blemish يَكرَهُdetest الناسُpeople مِثلَهُits like
وَلَو أَنَّ عَيباً يَكرَهُ الناسُ مِثلَهُ
عَلىon العَينِthe eye غَشّىveiled عَينَهُits eye (the letter ʿayn) كَشَفَwould dispel اللبساthe confusion
عَلى العَينِ غَشّى عَينَهُ كَشَفَ اللبسا
And if a blemish of the kind people detest
on an eye were to veil its ʿayn (ع), it would dispel the confusion.
Sol 6.1