عَوىhowled الضبعُthe hyena الملفلفُswathed فيin الثيابِclothes
عَوى الضبعُ الملفلفُ في الثيابِ
ليصرفناto dismiss us بفاتحةwith the opening chapter الكتابِof the Book
ليصرفنا بفاتحة الكتابِ
The hyena swathed in clothes howled,
The sly fox wrapped in robes
to dismiss us with the Opening of the Book.
To distract us with the opening verse
وَقابلناand met us بِقهقهةٍwith a guffaw ووجهٍand a face
وَقابلنا بِقهقهةٍ ووجهٍ
مُراقspilled الماءِthe water of honor مسودّblackened الإهابِthe hide
مُراق الماءِ مسودّ الإهابِ
And met us with a guffaw and a face,
And met us with chuckles and a face
its water of honor spilled, its hide blackened.
Blackened by water, clad in dark garb
وَكشّرand drew back his lips عَنfrom نيوبٍfangs قالحاتٍyellow-stained
وَكشّر عَن نيوبٍ قالحاتٍ
تراكمpiled up فوقَهاupon them خرءdroppings الذبابِof flies
تراكم فوقَها خرء الذبابِ
And bared yellow-stained fangs,
Baring sharp fangs overlaid
on which fly droppings had piled up.
With flies' droppings
وَفجّعand brought grief to جَمعناour gathering بغرابwith a raven بينٍof parting
وَفجّع جَمعنا بغراب بينٍ
لَحاهmay He curse him اللّهGod عنّاon our behalf منas a غرابِraven
لَحاه اللّه عنّا من غرابِ
And grieved our gathering with a raven of parting—
And startled our group with a raven
may God curse him for us—what a raven!
May Allah protect us from its harm
يُقهقهhe guffaws حَولناaround us فيخالso he is taken for دبّاًa bear
يُقهقه حَولنا فيخال دبّاً
ويحكيand mimics هذوهhis babble هذوthe babble الكلابِof dogs
ويحكي هذوه هذو الكلابِ
He guffaws around us and is taken for a bear,
Cackling around us, seeming a bear
and his babble mimics the babble of dogs.
Relating this nonsense and barking
وجاشَand snorted بأخنسٍthrough a snub nose جُعليّdung-beetle-like شمٍّin sense of smell
وجاشَ بأخنسٍ جُعليّ شمٍّ
فَأنكرso he spurned عرفthe fragrance وردٍof roses مستطابِpleasant
فَأنكر عرف وردٍ مستطابِ
And snorted through a snub nose with a dung beetle's sense of smell,
Snorting, foul-smelling, stinking
so he spurned the fragrance of pleasant roses.
Unfamiliar with the scent of sweet basil
يُعاينناhe eyes us أصيبَmay he be stricken بأخفشيهِin his two weak eyes
يُعايننا أصيبَ بأخفشيهِ
فَوارىso he hid الشمسthe sun منّاfrom us بالحجابِwith a veil
فَوارى الشمس منّا بالحجابِ
He eyes us—may his two weak eyes be stricken!—
Examining us, clad in gray
then hid the sun from us behind a veil.
The sun hiding her face behind a veil
كأسودَlike a black serpent بارحٍill-omened لمnot يعنbe concerned إلّاexcept
كأسودَ بارحٍ لم يعن إلّا
بأكلِwith eating الشرشمانةthe sandfish skink والضبابِand spiny-tailed lizards
بأكلِ الشرشمانة والضبابِ
Like an ill-omened black serpent, concerned with nothing but
Like pitch black lions that live only
eating the sandfish skink and spiny-tailed lizards.
To eat jerboas and float on mirages
لَقدindeed ساءhe wronged الأنامmankind فسيءso he was wronged حتّىuntil
لَقد ساء الأنام فسيء حتّى
دُعيhe was called ساسيSasi لسوءfor the evil of الإكتسابِearning
دُعي ساسي لسوء الإكتسابِ
Indeed, he wronged mankind and was wronged in turn, until
Indeed he has become despised, so much so
he was called Sasi for the evil he had earned.
He's called "Sasi" for his awful livelihood
Sol 6.1