لَناwe have أَميرٌan emir قرنُهُhis horn
لَنا أَميرٌ قرنُهُ
يَنطَحُbutts فيin الأُفقِthe horizon الفَلَكthe celestial sphere
يَنطَحُ في الأُفقِ الفَلَك
We have an emir whose horn
Our prince has horns
Butts the celestial sphere at the horizon.
That gore the horizon’s heavenly sphere,
سِبالُهُhis mustache وَذَقنُهُand his chin
سِبالُهُ وَذَقنُهُ
تَدخُلُenter فيinto اِستِthe arse of امِّthe mother of بَلَكBalak
تَدخُلُ في اِستِ امِّ بَلَك
His mustache and his chin
His whiskers and beard
Enter the arse of Balak's mother.
Penetrate the deepest of valleys.
عَطاؤُهُhis giving وَطَعنُهُand his spear-thrusting
عَطاؤُهُ وَطَعنُهُ
ماnothing غَيرُother than دَقّclattering بِالحَنَكwith the jaw
ما غَيرُ دَقّ بِالحَنَك
His giving and his spear-thrusting
His gifts and his stabs
Are nothing but a clattering of the jaw.
Are no gentler than a slap in the face.
فَهوَso he is الذُنابىthe tail-end أَبَداًalways
فَهوَ الذُنابى أَبَداً
فيin أَيَّماwhatever جَيشٍarmy سَلَكhe joins
في أَيَّما جَيشٍ سَلَك
So he is always the tail-end
He’s a fox eternally
Of whatever army he joins.
No matter what army he leads.
كَأَنَّهُas though he were فيin قَلعَةِthe fortress of الthe (article in al-Bira)
كَأَنَّهُ في قَلعَةِ ال
بيرَةِBira صَيّادُa catcher of السَمَكfish
بيرَةِ صَيّادُ السَمَك
As though, in the fortress of al-
It’s as though in his mountain citadel
Bira, he were a fisherman.
He's a fisherman catching fish.
Sol 6.1