وَصَاحِبٍand a companion لاmay ... not كَانَexist مِنْof صَاحِبٍa companion
وَصَاحِبٍ لا كَانَ مِنْ صَاحِبٍ
أَخْلاقُهُhis character كَالْمِعْدَةِlike the stomach الْفَاسِدَهْdiseased
أَخْلاقُهُ كَالْمِعْدَةِ الْفَاسِدَهْ
And a companion—may such a companion never exist!
A friend who was no true friend
His character is like a diseased stomach.
Morals like a rotten gut
أَقْبَحُthe ugliest مَاwhat فِيin النَّاسِpeople مِنْof خَصْلَةٍa trait
أَقْبَحُ مَا فِي النَّاسِ مِنْ خَصْلَةٍ
أَحْسَنُthe best مَاwhat فِيin نَفْسِهِhis soul الْجَامِدَهْunfeeling
أَحْسَنُ مَا فِي نَفْسِهِ الْجَامِدَهْ
The ugliest trait found among people
The ugliest trait among people
Is the best in his unfeeling soul.
Yet thinks himself perfect
لَوْif أَنَّهُthat he صُوِّرَwere given form مِنْfrom طَبْعِهِhis nature
لَوْ أَنَّهُ صُوِّرَ مِنْ طَبْعِهِ
كَانَwould be لَعَمْرِيby my life عَقْرَباًa scorpion رَاصِدَهْlying in wait
كَانَ لَعَمْرِي عَقْرَباً رَاصِدَهْ
If he were given form according to his nature,
If he was shaped by his nature
He would, by my life, be a scorpion lying in wait.
He'd be a lurking scorpion
يَصْلُحُhe is fit لِلصَّفْعِfor slapping لِكَيْلاso that not يُرَىhe be seen
يَصْلُحُ لِلصَّفْعِ لِكَيْلا يُرَى
فِيin عَدَدِthe number of النَّاسِpeople بِلاwithout فَائِدَهْa use
فِي عَدَدِ النَّاسِ بِلا فَائِدَهْ
He is good for slapping, lest he appear
Fit only for slapping, to avoid being seen
Among the ranks of people without a use.
Among people, useless
يَغْلِبُهُovercomes him الضَّعْفُweakness وَلَكِنَّهُbut he
يَغْلِبُهُ الضَّعْفُ وَلَكِنَّهُ
يَهْدِمُhe demolishes فِيin قَعْدَتِهِhis sitting الْمَائِدَهْthe dining table
يَهْدِمُ فِي قَعْدَتِهِ الْمَائِدَهْ
Weakness overcomes him, yet he
Weak yet acts imperiously
Demolishes the table in a single sitting.
Destroying at the table he sits
يُرَاقِبُhe watches الصَّحْنَthe platter عَلَىamid غَفْلَةٍinattention
يُرَاقِبُ الصَّحْنَ عَلَى غَفْلَةٍ
مِنْfrom أَهْلِهِits diners كَالْهِرَّةِlike the cat الصَّائِدَهْhunting
مِنْ أَهْلِهِ كَالْهِرَّةِ الصَّائِدَهْ
He watches the platter, unnoticed
Watching the platter ruthlessly
By its diners, like a hunting cat.
Like a preying cat
كَأَنَّمَاas though أُظْفُورُهُhis fingernail مِنْجَلٌa sickle
كَأَنَّمَا أُظْفُورُهُ مِنْجَلٌ
وَبَيْنَand between فَكَّيْهِhis two jaws رَحىًa millstone راعِدَهْthundering
وَبَيْنَ فَكَّيْهِ رَحىً راعِدَهْ
As though his fingernail were a sickle,
His claws like pincers
And between his jaws a thundering millstone.
His jaws a millstone
كَأَنَّمَاas though الْبَطَّةُthe duck فِيin حَلْقِهِhis throat
كَأَنَّمَا الْبَطَّةُ فِي حَلْقِهِ
نَعَامَةٌan ostrich فِيin سَبْسَبٍa barren plain شَارِدَهْrunning wild
نَعَامَةٌ فِي سَبْسَبٍ شَارِدَهْ
As though the duck in his throat
Food in his throat
Were an ostrich running wild across a barren plain.
Like an ostrich bolting greens
تَسْمَعُyou hear لِلْبَلْعِfrom swallowing نَقِيقاًa croaking كَمَاjust as
تَسْمَعُ لِلْبَلْعِ نَقِيقاً كَمَا
نَقَّتْcroaked ضَفَادِيfrogs لَيْلَةٍa night رَاكِدَهْstill
نَقَّتْ ضَفَادِي لَيْلَةٍ رَاكِدَهْ
You hear a croaking as he swallows, just as
You hear him loudly gulping
Frogs croak on a still night.
Like camels on a windy night
كَأَنَّمَاas though أَنْفَاسُهُhis breaths حَرْجَفٌan icy gale
كَأَنَّمَا أَنْفَاسُهُ حَرْجَفٌ
وَبَيْنَand between جَنْبَيْهِhis two sides لَظىًa fire وَاقِدَهْblazing
وَبَيْنَ جَنْبَيْهِ لَظىً وَاقِدَهْ
As though his breaths were an icy gale,
His breath like bellows
And between his sides a blazing fire.
Flames blazing in his ribs
وَيْلُمِّهِwoe to his mother إِذْwhen مَخَضَتْshe labored هَلْdid ...? دَرَتْshe knew
وَيْلُمِّهِ إِذْ مَخَضَتْ هَلْ دَرَتْ
أَنَّthat الرَّدَىdeath فِيin بَطْنِهَاher belly الْعَاقِدَهْpregnant
أَنَّ الرَّدَى فِي بَطْنِهَا الْعَاقِدَهْ
Woe to his mother! When she labored, did she know
Woe to the womb that bore him
That death lay in her pregnant belly?
Knowing the wretch within
تَبَّاًdamnation لَهَاupon her شَنْعَاءَhideous جَاءَتْshe came بِهِwith him
تَبَّاً لَهَا شَنْعَاءَ جَاءَتْ بِهِ
مِنْfrom لَقْحَةٍan impregnation فِيin فَقْحَةٍan anus كَاسِدَةْworthless
مِنْ لَقْحَةٍ فِي فَقْحَةٍ كَاسِدَةْ
Damn her, the hideous woman who bore him
Cursed be that ugly thing
From an impregnation in a worthless anus.
From diseased seed in withered womb
لاmay ... not رَحْمَةُmercy اللهِof God عَلَىupon وَالِدٍa father
لا رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَى وَالِدٍ
غَمَّhe afflicted بِهِwith him الدُّنْيَاthe world ولاnor وَالِدَهْa mother
غَمَّ بِهِ الدُّنْيَا ولا وَالِدَهْ
May God's mercy not rest upon a father
No mercy on the father
Who afflicted the world with him, nor upon a mother.
Who saddled the world, no mother
Sol 6.1