لَقدindeed هَجَرَتْdeserted بيتيmy house القطاطthe cats لنقدهto criticize it
لَقد هَجَرَتْ بيتي القطاط لنقده
وأصبحَand became كلبيmy dog لاnot يرىsees صورةَthe shape العَظْمِthe bone
وأصبحَ كلبي لا يرى صورةَ العَظْمِ
Indeed, the cats have deserted my house, finding fault with it.
The cats have abandoned my home, finding no crumbs to feed on.
And my dog now sees not even the outline of a bone.
My dog no longer sees a trace of bone.
وكانونُand the hearth قدريof my pot مثلُlike كانونَKānūn (a winter month) باردٌcold
وكانونُ قدري مثلُ كانونَ باردٌ
وَملَّand grew weary عليهِupon it العنكبوتُthe spider منَfrom البرمِboredom
وَملَّ عليهِ العنكبوتُ منَ البرمِ
And my pot’s hearth is cold as Kānūn.
The pot of my fate is like a cold December.
And the spider upon it has grown weary with boredom.
Over it the spider has spun its web.
وَقَدand indeed عَتّقتset free نارُa fire للوقودِfor fuel مغارِفيmy ladles
وَقَد عَتّقت نارُ للوقودِ مغارِفي
ولاحَتْand appeared زَبَاmounds (reading uncertain) دُنياlow-lying دوارسَeffaced كالرَّسمِlike a ruin’s trace
ولاحَتْ زَبَا دُنيا دوارسَ كالرَّسمِ
And a fire has set my ladles free for fuel.
The fireplace has freed its flames for lack of fuel.
And low mounds appeared effaced, like a ruin’s trace (wording uncertain).
On the horizon shine foxes' eyes like stars.
وأمسّتْand became مناديلُthe napkins الخوانِof the dining table كأنّهاas though they were
وأمسّتْ مناديلُ الخوانِ كأنّها
طيالسُنَاour mantles إذْsince لمnot تُعَدbe reckoned منamong الزُّهمِthe greasy ones
طيالسُنَا إذْ لم تُعَد من الزُّهمِ
And the table’s napkins now look as though they were
Our napkins are like the shirts we wore
our mantles, since they are no longer reckoned greasy.
When simpler times spared us from worry.
وصارتْand became قدوريmy pots وهيwhile they are شهبُpale gray منfrom الطوىhunger
وصارتْ قدوري وهي شهبُ من الطوى
كأنْas though لمnot تَكُنْthey had been يوماًever تُعدُّreckoned منَamong الدُّهمِthe black ones
كأنْ لم تَكُنْ يوماً تُعدُّ منَ الدُّهمِ
And my pots, pale gray from hunger, now look
My pots, though scoured by washing away their blackness,
as though they had never once been counted among the black.
Are as if they'd never been cleaned of soot before.
وقدand indeed هَجَرتناdeserted us النَّملُthe ants بعدَafter تَوابلٍspices
وقد هَجَرتنا النَّملُ بعدَ تَوابلٍ
لَناfor us أُخِّرتْwere held back عنّاfrom us وذلكَand that منpart of قَسْميmy allotted share
لَنا أُخِّرتْ عنّا وذلكَ من قَسْمي
And the ants have deserted us, after spices
The ants have deserted us, though we season our food well;
meant for us were withheld from us—and that is part of my lot.
That part of their livelihood has been kept from us by fate.
وماand not كُنتُI was ممَنْamong those who بالحواظرِwith ready fare (reading uncertain) قانعاًcontent
وما كُنتُ ممَنْ بالحواظرِ قانعاً
وَلاnor آكلاًan eater للجبنِof cheese إلاexcept علىdespite رغميmy reluctance
وَلا آكلاً للجبنِ إلا على رغمي
And I was never one to be content with ready fare,
Not for me to be satisfied with only courtyard and walls,
nor would I eat cheese except against my will.
Or to eat cheese except when forced to settle thus.
سقىmay water اللهُGod أيامَthe days الهريسةof harīsa (meat-and-wheat porridge) وابلاًa downpour
سقى اللهُ أيامَ الهريسة وابلاً
منof الدُّهنِfat ماnot ينفَكُّceases هيَدبُهits trailing fringe يَهميpours down
من الدُّهنِ ما ينفَكُّ هيَدبُه يَهمي
May God drench the days of harīsa with a downpour
May God send days of want dripping abundance
of fat, whose trailing fringe never ceases to pour.
Whose plenty cascades, gushing forth unrestrained.
Sol 6.1