كانَwas ذاكَthat الصديقُthe friend فيماin what رأيناwe saw
كانَ ذاكَ الصديقُ فيما رأينا
سحباًclouds فوقهاabove them سماًa sky سوداءُblack
سحباً فوقها سماً سوداءُ
That friend, as we saw him, was
That friend of ours, as we saw him,
clouds with a black sky above them.
Was clouds above which was black poison.
خابَfailed فيهِin him الرجاhope وليسَand it is not ببدعٍanything unprecedented
خابَ فيهِ الرجا وليسَ ببدعٍ
كلُevery ميتٍdead person يخيبُfails فيهِin him الرجاءُhope
كلُ ميتٍ يخيبُ فيهِ الرجاءُ
Hope in him failed, and that is nothing strange:
In it hopes were lost, and that's nothing new,
Hope fails in every dead man.
For in it every dead man's hopes are lost.
ياO سفيهَfoolish اللسانِof tongue إنif أنتَyou لمnot تسstart of 'be ashamed'
يا سفيهَ اللسانِ إن أنتَ لم تس
تحِcompletion of 'be ashamed' منيbefore me ففيthen in لسانيmy tongue حياءُa sense of shame
تحِ مني ففي لساني حياءُ
O foolish-tongued one, if you are not
O foolish-tongued one, if you don't keep
ashamed before me, my tongue has a sense of shame.
Quiet about me, my own tongue has its shame.
عجنتْkneaded ليfor me الرواةُthe narrators أخلاقكَyour character traits السوstart of 'evil'
عجنتْ لي الرواةُ أخلاقكَ السو
ءَcompletion of 'evil' طينهاtheir clay يكونُis البناءُthe building
ءَ طينها يكونُ البناءُ
The narrators kneaded your wicked traits for me;
The transmitters have kneaded for me your
the building is made of their clay.
Evil character - its clay forms the structure.
كمhow often حفرناwe dug الترابَthe earth منfrom ذلكَthat الوجstart of 'the face'
كم حفرنا الترابَ من ذلكَ الوج
هِcompletion of 'the face' فقلْso tell ليto me أليسَis there not فيin الوجهِthe face ماءُwater
هِ فقلْ لي أليسَ في الوجهِ ماءُ
How often we have dug earth from that face!
How much earth we dug from that face!
So tell me: is there no water in the face?
Tell me, is there no water in the face?
Sol 6.1