ماwhat ضَئيلٌa slender thing لَهُfor it الهَواءُthe air مَقيلٌa noonday resting-place
ما ضَئيلٌ لَهُ الهَواءُ مَقيلٌ
مُكتَسٍclothed يَومَهُthroughout its day وَفيand in اللَيلِthe night عاريnaked
مُكتَسٍ يَومَهُ وَفي اللَيلِ عاري
What slender thing has the air for its noonday resting-place,
Clothed throughout its day, yet naked at night?
وَيُرىand it is seen لابِساًwearing صُنوفَkinds of ثِيابٍclothes
وَيُرى لابِساً صُنوفَ ثِيابٍ
وَهوَand it is ذوpossessing فاقَةٍneed حَليفُa sworn companion of اِفتِقارِpoverty
وَهوَ ذو فاقَةٍ حَليفُ اِفتِقارِ
And it is seen wearing various kinds of clothes,
Though it is needy, poverty’s sworn companion;
تَعتَليهِcover it الكُسىthe garments ثِقالاًheavy فَيُلقِيthen it casts off
تَعتَليهِ الكُسى ثِقالاً فَيُلقِي
هاthem خِفافاًlight فيin أُخرَياتِthe last hours of النَهارِthe day
ها خِفافاً في أُخرَياتِ النَهارِ
Heavy garments cover it, and it casts
Them off light in the day’s last hours?
أَيُّهاO السَيِّدُmaster الأَجَلُّmost illustrious عَفيفَpure in الـthe
أَيُّها السَيِّدُ الأَجَلُّ عَفيفَ الـ
ـدينِfaith زينَornament of الحِجىintellect وَحلفَand ally of الوقارِdignity
ـدينِ زينَ الحِجى وَحلفَ الوقارِ
O most illustrious master, pure in
Faith, ornament of intellect and ally of dignity!
أَنتَyou مِنfrom أُسرَةٍa family عَتادُهُمtheir resources فيin المَجـglory (continued)
أَنتَ مِن أُسرَةٍ عَتادُهُم في المَجـ
ـدِ(completes 'glory') بَذلُbestowing النَدىbounty وَحِفظُand protecting الجارِthe neighbor
ـدِ بَذلُ النَدى وَحِفظُ الجارِ
You belong to a family whose resources for
Glory are bestowing bounty and protecting the neighbor:
سادَةٌlords جَمَّعواgathered شَتاتَthe scattered parts of المَعاليexcellences
سادَةٌ جَمَّعوا شَتاتَ المَعالي
عُظَماءُgreat in الحُلومِwisdom وَالأَخطارِand rank
عُظَماءُ الحُلومِ وَالأَخطارِ
Lords who gathered the scattered excellences,
Great in wisdom and in rank.
وَالمُجَليand the front-runner فيin كُلِّevery حَلبَةِracecourse of سَبقٍracing
وَالمُجَلي في كُلِّ حَلبَةِ سَبقٍ
وَسِواكَand anyone but you السُكَيتُthe last-place finisher غَيرُnot الجاريrunning
وَسِواكَ السُكَيتُ غَيرُ الجاري
And you are the front-runner on every racecourse,
While all but you are last, not even running;
كاسِياًclothed مِنin ثِيابِgarments of فَضلٍexcellence وَفَخرٍand pride
كاسِياً مِن ثِيابِ فَضلٍ وَفَخرٍ
عارِياًnaked مِنof لِباسِthe clothing of ذُلٍّhumiliation وَعارِand disgrace
عارِياً مِن لِباسِ ذُلٍّ وَعارِ
Clothed in garments of excellence and pride,
Naked of the clothing of humiliation and disgrace.
لاdo not تَخَلنيthink me مِمَّنamong those who يُجاريكَcompetes with you فيin اللُغـthe riddle (continued)
لا تَخَلني مِمَّن يُجاريكَ في اللُغـ
ـزِ(completes 'riddle') وَقَدand already فَرَّfled مِنكَfrom you كُلُّevery مُجاريrival
ـزِ وَقَد فَرَّ مِنكَ كُلُّ مُجاري
Do not think me among those who compete with you in
Riddles, when every rival has already fled from you.
كُلَّevery يَومٍday تَجيئُنيyou come to me بِعَويصٍwith a knotty puzzle
كُلَّ يَومٍ تَجيئُني بِعَويصٍ
مِنfrom قَوافيكَyour rhymes مُتعَبُwearying أَفكاريmy thoughts
مِن قَوافيكَ مُتعَبُ أَفكاري
Every day you bring me a knotty puzzle
From your rhymes, wearying my thoughts.
كانَthere was ليfor me قدرَةٌability عَلىat اللُغزِriddling إِذwhen حَبـcord (continued)
كانَ لي قدرَةٌ عَلى اللُغزِ إِذ حَبـ
ـليmy (completes 'my cord') مَتينٌstrong وَزَندُand the fire-stick of فِكرِيَmy thought واريkindling flame
ـلي مَتينٌ وَزَندُ فِكرِيَ واري
I once had skill at riddles, when my
Cord was strong and my thought’s fire-stick kindled flame.
وَحَقيقٌand deserving بِالثَلبِof censure ثِلبٌa decrepit male camel تَصَدّىstepped forward
وَحَقيقٌ بِالثَلبِ ثِلبٌ تَصَدّى
لِمُجاراةِto compete with بازِلٍa full-grown male camel خَطّارِswaggering
لِمُجاراةِ بازِلٍ خَطّارِ
And a decrepit camel deserves censure for daring
To compete with a full-grown, swaggering camel.
غَيرَexcept أَنّيthat I أَظُنُّthink أَنَّكَthat you تَكنيspeak allusively
غَيرَ أَنّي أَظُنُّ أَنَّكَ تَكني
عَنabout رَفيعٍlofty مَحَلُّهُits station ذيpossessing اِحتِقارِcontempt
عَن رَفيعٍ مَحَلُّهُ ذي اِحتِقارِ
But I think that you are alluding
To something high in station, yet held in contempt.
أَبَداًalways يَكتَسيit clothes itself العَواريborrowed garments مِنَfrom الناthe people (continued)
أَبَداً يَكتَسي العَواري مِنَ النا
سِ(completes 'people') وَمَنand whoever يَكتَسيwears العَوارِيَborrowed garments عاريnaked
سِ وَمَن يَكتَسي العَوارِيَ عاري
It always clothes itself in garments borrowed from
People—and whoever wears borrowed garments is naked.
فَهوَso it يُكسىis clothed وَاليَومُand the day صَحوٌclear وَيَعرىand becomes naked
فَهوَ يُكسى وَاليَومُ صَحوٌ وَيَعرى
جِسمُهُits body فيin مَواقِعِthe falling-places of الأَمطارِthe rains
جِسمُهُ في مَواقِعِ الأَمطارِ
So it is clothed while the day is clear, and bare
Is its body where the rains fall.
فَإِذاso if لَمnot أُجبI answer فَغَيرُthen not مَلومٍto blame
فَإِذا لَم أُجب فَغَيرُ مَلومٍ
أَنthat يَرومَseeks المَشيبُgray age إِطفاءَextinguishing ناريmy fire
أَن يَرومَ المَشيبُ إِطفاءَ ناري
If, then, I give no answer, I am not to blame,
Since gray age seeks to quench my fire.
وَلَعَمريand by my life لَقَدindeed نَطَقتُI have spoken صَريحاًplainly
وَلَعَمري لَقَد نَطَقتُ صَريحاً
بِاِسمِهِwith its name فَاِنجَلىso it became clear كَضَوءِlike the light of النَهارِday
بِاِسمِهِ فَاِنجَلى كَضَوءِ النَهارِ
And, by my life, I have plainly spoken
Its name—so it is clear as daylight.
Sol 6.1