أرىI see الأيامthe days يظهرُappears كلevery يومday
أرى الأيام يظهرُ كل يوم
لناto us منfrom أمرهاtheir affairs عجبa marvel عجابُmost astonishing
لنا من أمرها عجب عجابُ
I see the days—each day there appears
I see each day brings something new,
To us, from their affairs, a wondrous marvel.
Full of wonders and surprises too.
فهذاso here is باقلBaqil أمسىbecame خطيباan orator
فهذا باقل أمسى خطيبا
وand خانbetrayed لسانthe tongue of سحبانSahban الخطابspeech
و خان لسان سحبان الخطاب
So here is Baqil, now an orator,
One who could barely speak is now an orator,
And speech has betrayed Sahban's tongue.
Though his eloquent words are but a fraud.
وand كًمِّمwas gagged بلبلa nightingale كيso that لاnot يغنيit sings
و كًمِّم بلبل كي لا يغني
وand أُعْطِيwas given رخصةًpermission عنهin its stead الغرابthe crow
و أُعْطِي رخصةً عنه الغراب
And a nightingale was gagged so it would not sing,
The nightingale's been silenced, no longer sings,
And the crow was granted permission in its stead.
While the raven's granted freedom for its caws.
إلىuntil أنthat ماتdied منfrom كمدgrief لبيبa wise man
إلى أن مات من كمد لبيب
وand ميزانthe balance of الأمورaffairs بهin it اضطرابُdisorder
و ميزان الأمور به اضطرابُ
Until a wise man died of grief,
Sense died when the wise one passed away,
And the balance of affairs was in disarray.
And justice lost its balance and its way.
وand مماamong what زادincreased فيin الحطبthe firewood اشتعالاburning
و مما زاد في الحطب اشتعالا
سكوتthe silence of ذويthose possessing النهىreason عماabout what يعابis censured
سكوت ذوي النهى عما يعاب
And among the things that made the firewood burn more fiercely
What added fuel to the raging fire,
Was the silence of the wise about what deserved reproach.
Was the silence of the virtuous and wise.
فصارso became القبحugliness قاعدةa rule وand أمسىcame to be
فصار القبح قاعدة و أمسى
إذاwhen نادىit called فدعوتهthen its summons تُجابُis answered
إذا نادى فدعوته تُجابُ
So ugliness became the rule, and now,
Ugly became the norm, so now it seems,
Whenever it calls, its summons is answered.
If vice calls out, its calls will find a welcome.
فهذاso this رغمdespite أنفthe nose of الشعرpoetry شعرpoetry
فهذا رغم أنف الشعر شعر
وand لوeven if فيin النثرprose كانwas لهfor it انتسابan affiliation
و لو في النثر كان له انتساب
So this is poetry, in defiance of poetry itself,
This is counted as poetry despite its faults,
Even if it belongs to prose.
Though in prose it would not merit any thought.
وand تلكthat قصيدةa poem معdespite أنهاthe fact that it عنconcerning
و تلك قصيدة مع أنها عن
سؤالthe question of الشعرpoetry ليسthere is no لهاfor it جوابanswer
سؤال الشعر ليس لها جواب
And that is a poem, although to
That poem though no answer can it bring,
Poetry's question it has no answer.
To poetry's deepest questioning.
تأذّىwas harmed منطقthe logic of الأشياءthings فيناamong us
تأذّى منطق الأشياء فينا
فأودىso brought ruin بالمفاهيمto the concepts انقلابan upheaval
فأودى بالمفاهيم انقلاب
The logic of things among us was harmed,
In us logic is offended and aggrieved,
So an upheaval brought concepts to ruin.
And meaning is upended and perceived.
يسودrules القبحُugliness مجتمعاويطغىa society and runs rampant
يسود القبحُ مجتمعاويطغى
إذاwhen نابbefell الجمالَbeauty بهwithin it اغترابُestrangement
إذا ناب الجمالَ به اغترابُ
Ugliness rules a society and runs rampant
Ugliness in our society prevails,
When estrangement befalls beauty within it.
Beauty languishes, exile it curtails.
Sol 6.1