لاdo not تَلُمنيblame me إذاwhen بَلَغْتُI reach عَذاريmy bridle
لا تَلُمني إذا بَلَغْتُ عَذاري
حينَwhen أمسيتُI became, at evening ضائعاًlost كالحمارِlike a donkey
حينَ أمسيتُ ضائعاً كالحمارِ
Do not blame me now that my cheek-whiskers have grown,
Do not blame me when I reach the end of my tether,
now that I have become lost as a donkey—
when evening finds me lost, like a donkey.
ضائعاًlost أبتَغيI seek وَقَدthough already غَرَّنيdeceived me القَمْحْthe wheat
ضائعاً أبتَغي وَقَد غَرَّني القَمْحْ
شَعيراًbarley يُباعُis sold بالأشعَارِin exchange for poems
شَعيراً يُباعُ بالأشعَارِ
lost, I seek—though wheat has beguiled me—
Lost, I seek—though wheat has deceived me—
barley sold in exchange for poems.
barley sold in exchange for poems.
أناI إنْif ضِعتُI go missing بالنّهارِduring the day فَمِسْكٌthen musk
أنا إنْ ضِعتُ بالنّهارِ فَمِسْكٌ
فاطلُبونيthen look for me فيat دكّةِthe bench of العَطارِthe perfumer
فاطلُبوني في دكّةِ العَطارِ
If I go missing by day, then track my musk—
If I go missing by day, I am musk;
seek me on the perfumer’s shop-bench.
so look for me at the perfumer's bench.
أناI جَحشٌa donkey colt منَfrom الصّعيدِUpper Egypt فإنthen if شِئwish (verb continued)
أنا جَحشٌ منَ الصّعيدِ فإن شِئ
تُI (preceding verb's ending) يُناديّcalls out عَلَيَّfor me بالاجهارِaloud
تُ يُناديّ عَلَيَّ بالاجهارِ
I am a young ass from Upper Egypt; so, if you wish—
I am a donkey colt from Upper Egypt; if I wish—
have me cried for publicly, aloud.
—someone calls out for me aloud.
غيرَexcept أنّيthat I لِقِلّةِbecause of the scarcity of القضمِchewing قَلبيmy heart
غيرَ أنّي لِقِلّةِ القضمِ قَلبي
فيin انقبِاضٍconstriction كأنّهas though it فيin زَيارِa horse's nose-clamp
في انقبِاضٍ كأنّه في زَيارِ
Yet, for want of fodder, my heart
But because there is so little to chew, my heart
is constricted as though caught in a muzzle.
is constricted, as though in a farrier's nose-clamp.
وإذاand when ماemphatic particle ذكرتُI remember أهليmy family أدَلِّيI let hang down
وإذا ما ذكرتُ أهلي أدَلِّي
منfrom لَواعجِthe burning pangs of التّذكارremembrance
من لَواعجِ التّذكار
Whenever I remember my kin, I droop
And whenever I remember my family, I droop
beneath the burning pangs of recollection.
from the burning pangs of remembrance.
لَسْتُI do not أَنسىforget الهيتيَّal-Hiti وهوand he يُناديcalls out
لَسْتُ أَنسى الهيتيَّ وهو يُنادي
فيin دُجىthe darkness of الليلِthe night مُظهراًrevealing أسراريmy secrets
في دُجى الليلِ مُظهراً أسراري
Never shall I forget al-Hayti as he cries out
I do not forget al-Hiti, calling out
through the night’s darkness, divulging my secrets:
in the darkness of night, revealing my secrets:
مَنwho رأىhas seen ليfor me ابنَson of دانِيالَDaniyal رَفيقيmy companion
مَن رأى لي ابنَ دانِيالَ رَفيقي
ورفيقَand companion of الجماعةِthe group الأشرارthe villains
ورفيقَ الجماعةِ الأشرار
“Who has seen Ibn Daniyal for me—my companion,
Who has seen Ibn Daniyal for me, my companion,
and companion of the whole band of rogues—
and companion of the band of villains,
الحكيمُthe sage الطّبيبُthe physician ذوpossessing الهزلِjest والجدِّand earnestness
الحكيمُ الطّبيبُ ذو الهزلِ والجدِّ
الأديبُthe man of letters المشهورُrenowned فيin الأمصارthe cities
الأديبُ المشهورُ في الأمصار
the sage, the physician, lord of jest and earnestness,
the sage, the physician, given to jest and earnest,
the celebrated man of letters throughout the cities;
the man of letters, renowned throughout the cities,
أنفُnose of النُّهىreason المعاليlofty honors
أنفُ النُّهى المعالي
وَرَجيعُand excrement of الورىmankind وَسَلْحُand shit of الوقارِdignity
وَرَجيعُ الورى وَسَلْحُ الوقارِ
the nose of lofty discernment,
the nose of reason, of lofty honors,
the refuse of mankind and dung of dignity;
and mankind's excrement, and dignity's shit,
خِصْيَةُtesticle of العزِّmight فَقحَةُanus of المجدِglory روثُdung of
خِصْيَةُ العزِّ فَقحَةُ المجدِ روثُ
الفخرِpride قنداستُqandast (meaning unclear) قندسِbeaver of الأشعارِpoetry
الفخرِ قنداستُ قندسِ الأشعارِ
honor’s testicle, glory’s anus, the droppings
the testicle of might, the anus of glory, the dung
of pride—‘it is sugar!’—the beaver of verse?”
of pride, the qandast of poetry's beaver?
ياO سَبالَwhiskers of الهيتيِّal-Hiti حرِّكتَyou have stirred طبعيmy temperament
يا سَبالَ الهيتيِّ حرِّكتَ طبعي
بعدماafter كانَit had been ساكناًstill ذاpossessing قرارِsteadiness
بعدما كانَ ساكناً ذا قرارِ
O whiskers of al-Hayti, you stirred my nature
O al-Hiti's whiskers, you have stirred my temperament
after it had been still and settled.
after it had been still and settled.
ياO سَبالَwhiskers of الهيتيِّal-Hiti ماwhat بالُthe matter with دَمعيmy tears
يا سَبالَ الهيتيِّ ما بالُ دَمعي
بينَbetween فَخْدَيَّmy two thighs ساكِبَpouring out التبّارruin
بينَ فَخْدَيَّ ساكِبَ التبّار
O whiskers of al-Hayti, what ails my tears,
O al-Hiti's whiskers, what is wrong with my tears,
between my thighs pouring forth devastation?
between my thighs, pouring out ruin?
ياO سَبالwhiskers of الهيتيal-Hiti قدindeed ضَرhas harmed طولthe length of
يا سَبال الهيتي قد ضَر طول
الليلِthe night بيto me بعدafter هَجْعَةِthe slumber of السّمْارِthe night-talkers
الليلِ بي بعد هَجْعَةِ السّمْارِ
O whiskers of al-Hayti, the length
O al-Hiti's whiskers, harm has come from the length
of night has sorely harmed me after the revelers’ first sleep.
of the night to me, after the night-talkers' slumber.
ياO سَبالَwhiskers of الهيتيِّal-Hiti صُبْغَتُكَyour dye اليومَtoday
يا سَبالَ الهيتيِّ صُبْغَتُكَ اليومَ
كَلَونlike the color of الفقاحِblossoms والجلنّارِand pomegranate flowers
كَلَون الفقاحِ والجلنّارِ
O whiskers of al-Hayti, your dye today
O al-Hiti's whiskers, your dye today
is like the hues of white daisies and pomegranate flowers.
is like the color of blossoms and pomegranate flowers.
وإذاand if اختَرْتَyou choose غيرَother than ذيthis الصّبغِthe dye فاسَمعْthen listen
وإذا اختَرْتَ غيرَ ذي الصّبغِ فاسَمعْ
وَصفةًa recipe عنfrom شَمَنْدخِShamandakh المزْارِthe shrine
وَصفةً عن شَمَنْدخِ المزْارِ
And if you choose a dye other than this, then hear
And if you choose something other than this dye, listen
a recipe from Shamandakh of the shrine:
to a recipe from Shamandakh of the shrine:
خُذtake خَراطيطَshreds منof رجيعٍexcrement قديمٍold
خُذ خَراطيطَ من رجيعٍ قديمٍ
وسلاحِand excrement from استِan arse خالصِpure الاصفرارِyellowness
وسلاحِ استِ خالصِ الاصفرارِ
Take my loose dung, from ancient excrement,
Take shreds of old excrement
and dung from an anus, pure yellow;
and an arse's shit, pure yellow.
وَخَراًand shit ذُقْtaste وَبَعْرَand dung لُكْchew وَفُساand silent farts انشُقsniff
وَخَراً ذُقْ وَبَعْرَ لُكْ وَفُسا انشُق
وَقَلَطْand dung pellets كُلْeat وَوَرْسَand yellow dye of ذرقِbird droppings of الصِّغارِthe small ones
وَقَلَطْ كُلْ وَوَرْسَ ذرقِ الصِّغارِ
taste my shit, chew my droppings, and sniff a fart;
And taste shit, chew dung, and sniff silent farts;
eat hard dung, wars dye, and children’s droppings.
and eat dung pellets, and the yellow dye of small birds' droppings.
دُقَهاpound them ناعِماًfinely متىwhenever شِئْتَyou wish معwith حِنّاhenna
دُقَها ناعِماً متى شِئْتَ مع حِنّا
وَضِفْهاand add them للِزَقَةِto the plaster of البيْطارِthe farrier
وَضِفْها للِزَقَةِ البيْطارِ
Pound it fine whenever you wish, with henna,
Pound them finely whenever you wish, with henna,
and add it to the farrier’s poultice.
and add them to the farrier's plaster.
ثمَّthen دَعهاleave it فيin الشّمسthe sun حتىuntil تَراهاyou see it
ثمَّ دَعها في الشّمس حتى تَراها
بعدَafter فَلسٍa fals (copper coin) فيin صُفْرَةِthe yellowness of الدِّينارِthe dinar (gold coin)
بعدَ فَلسٍ في صُفْرَةِ الدِّينارِ
Then leave it in the sun until you see it,
Then leave it in the sun until you see it,
once a copper fals, take on a dinar’s golden hue.
once a copper fals, now yellow as a dinar.
Sol 6.1