لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot إِلىto حسنٍHasan رَحَلناwe journeyed
لَعَمرُكَ ما إِلى حسنٍ رَحَلنا
وَلاnor زُرناwe visited حسيناًHusayn ياO اِبنَson of أنسِAnas
وَلا زُرنا حسيناً يا اِبنَ أنسِ
By your life, we did not journey to Hasan,
By your life, we did not journey to find beauty,
Nor visit Husayn, O son of Anas,
Nor did we visit a charming Hussain, my friend.
وَلاnor عَبداًa slave لِعَبدِهِماof their slave فَنَحظىand so we might gain
وَلا عَبداً لِعَبدِهِما فَنَحظى
بِحُسنِwith the goodness of الحَظِّthe share مِنهُمfrom them غَيرَwithout بَخسِdiminution
بِحُسنِ الحَظِّ مِنهُم غَيرَ بَخسِ
Nor a slave of their slave, that we might gain
Nor a servant of those two to gain
A good share from them, undiminished.
A fair share of their charm that's free of stinginess.
وَلَكِنbut ضَبَّa spiny-tailed lizard جَندَلَةٍa rock أتيناwe came to
وَلَكِن ضَبَّ جَندَلَةٍ أتينا
مضّباًholed up فيin مكامنهhis hiding places يفَسّيhe farts
مضّباً في مكامنه يفَسّي
But we came to a rock-dwelling lizard,
But to Jandalah's ill-natured dwelling we came,
Holed up in his hiding places, farting.
Peevish in his lair, acting sly.
فلمّاthen when أنthat أتيناهwe came to him وَقُلناand we said
فلمّا أن أتيناه وَقُلنا
بِحاجَتِناof our need تَلَوَّنhe changed color لَونَthe color of وَرسِwars, a yellow dye
بِحاجَتِنا تَلَوَّن لَونَ وَرسِ
Then, when we came to him and spoke
When we came and told him our need,
Of our need, he turned yellow as wars-dye.
His face changed color, like a chameleon's guise.
وَأَعرَضَand he turned away غَيرَnot مُنبَلِجٍbeaming لِعُرفٍfor generosity
وَأَعرَضَ غَيرَ مُنبَلِجٍ لِعُرفٍ
وَظَلَّand he kept مُقَرطِباًgrinding ضِرساًa molar بِضرسِagainst a molar
وَظَلَّ مُقَرطِباً ضِرساً بِضرسِ
And turned away, not beaming with generosity,
He turned away, not gracious to honor,
And kept grinding one molar against another.
And remained wrinkling his nose and baring his teeth.
فَقُلتُso I said لِأَهلِهِto his household أبهِdoes he have كُزازٌlockjaw
فَقُلتُ لِأَهلِهِ أبهِ كُزازٌ
وَقُلتُand I said لِصاحِبيto my companion أَتُراهُdo you think he يُمسيwill reach evening
وَقُلتُ لِصاحِبي أَتُراهُ يُمسي
So I said to his household, 'Does he have lockjaw?'
So I told his family, "Does he have mange?"
And I said to my companion, 'Do you think he'll reach evening?'
And I told my friend, "Do you think he'll recover?"
فَكانَso it was الغُنمُthe gain أَنthat قُمناwe got up جَميعاًall together
فَكانَ الغُنمُ أَن قُمنا جَميعاً
مَخافَةfor fear أَنthat نُزَنَّwe might be accused بِقَتلِof killing نَفسِa soul
مَخافَة أَن نُزَنَّ بِقَتلِ نَفسِ
So our gain was that we all got up,
It turned out best that we all left together,
For fear we might be accused of taking a life.
Fearing we'd be accused of murdering a soul.
Sol 6.1