أَناI مسكينMiskin (the poor one) لمنto whoever يعرفُنيknows me
أَنا مسكين لمن يعرفُني
لونيmy color السمرةُbrownness أَلوانcolors العربthe Arabs
لوني السمرةُ أَلوان العرب
I am Miskin to whoever knows me.
I am poor to him who knows me not
My complexion is brown, the hue of the Arabs.
Though my complexion be olive brown like Arabs
منwho رأَىhas seen ظبياًa gazelle عليهupon it لؤلؤpearls
من رأَى ظبياً عليه لؤلؤ
واضحbright الخدينthe two cheeks مقروناًpaired بضبwith a spiny-tailed lizard
واضح الخدين مقروناً بضب
Who has seen a gazelle with pearls upon it,
He who saw a gazelle with pearls upon it
bright-cheeked, paired with a spiny-tailed lizard?
Ruddy-cheeked, coupled with a young mountain goat
أَكسبتهgained him الورقthe silver coins البيضwhite أَباًa father
أَكسبته الورق البيض أَباً
وَلَقَدand indeed كانhe once was وماand not يُدعىhe is ascribed لأبto a father
وَلَقَد كان وما يُدعى لأب
White silver coins have gained him a father,
Would blame the white paper that gave it fatherhood
though once he was ascribed to no father.
Though indeed it was, nor falsely was it called, a father
اصحبِkeep company with الأَخيارthe good وارغبand take an interest فيهمin them
اصحبِ الأَخيار وارغب فيهم
ربَّmany a منperson whom صحبتهyou befriended him مثلُlike الجربmange
ربَّ من صحبته مثلُ الجرب
Keep company with the good, and seek their fellowship.
Keep the company of good men and long for them
Many a person you befriend is like mange.
Many a man by keeping his company is like a mangy camel
واصدِقand be truthful with الناسpeople إِذاwhen حدثتهمyou speak to them
واصدِق الناس إِذا حدثتهم
ودعِand leave الكذبlying لمنto whoever شاءwishes كذبto lie
ودعِ الكذب لمن شاء كذب
And be truthful with people when you speak to them,
And speak the truth when you talk to people
and leave lying to whoever wishes to lie.
And leave lies to him who wants to lie
رُبَّmany a مهزولٍlean man سمينfat بيتهhis household
رُبَّ مهزولٍ سمين بيته
وسمينand fat البيتthe household مهزولlean النسبlineage
وسمين البيت مهزول النسب
Many a lean man has a fat household,
Many a bony fellow has a fat house
and one with a fat household is lean in lineage.
And the fat house belongs to a worthless family
أَصبحتhas become عاذلتيmy female reprover معتلةill
أَصبحت عاذلتي معتلة
قرماًa craving for meat أَمor هيshe وحمىhaving pregnancy cravings للصخبfor clamor
قرماً أَم هي وحمى للصخب
My reprover has taken ill—
My darling has got sickly and fevered
from craving meat—or does she have a pregnant woman's craving for clamor?
With her yelling or just being noisy
أَصبحتshe has begun تتفلspits فيinto شحمِfat الذُرىthe camel humps
أَصبحت تتفل في شحمِ الذُرى
وَتَظُنُّand she thinks اللومَreproach درّاًpearls ينتهبis plundered
وَتَظُنُّ اللومَ درّاً ينتهب
She has begun spitting into the fat of camel humps,
She's begun spitting in the fat of millet
and takes reproach for pearls to be plundered.
And reckons blaming to be a raging, plundering fever
لاdo not تلمهاblame her إِنَّهاindeed she is منamong نسوةwomen
لا تلمها إِنَّها من نسوة
ملحهاtheir salt موضوعةplaced فوقabove الركبthe knees
ملحها موضوعة فوق الركب
Do not blame her: she is one of those women
Don't blame her, she is but a woman
whose salt is laid above their knees.
Whose salt is on her camel's hump
كَشموسlike a restive one الخيلthe horses يبدوappears شغبهاher unruliness
كَشموس الخيل يبدو شغبها
كُلماwhenever قيلit is said لهاto her هالHāl! (a call to a horse) وهبand Hab! (a call to a horse)
كُلما قيل لها هال وهب
Like a restive horse, her unruliness shows
She makes trouble like a mare
whenever 'Hāl!' and 'Hab!' are called to her.
Whenever she is told "Hi" or "Ho"
Sol 6.1