حَدِّثونيtell me بَنيsons of الشَقيقَةِal-Shaqiqah ماwhat يَمـprevents (first fragment)
حَدِّثوني بَني الشَقيقَةِ ما يَمـ
،نَعُprevents (final fragment) فَقعاًa truffle بِقَرقَرٍon a level plain أَنto يَزولاvanish
،نَعُ فَقعاً بِقَرقَرٍ أَن يَزولا
Tell me, sons of al-Shaqiqah, what prevents
Tell me, my dear brothers, what can prevent
a truffle on a level plain from vanishing?
A bubble from bursting with a sudden pop?
قَبَّحَmay ... disgrace اللَهُGod ثُمَّthen ثَنّىfollow up بِلَعنٍwith a curse
قَبَّحَ اللَهُ ثُمَّ ثَنّى بِلَعنٍ
وارِثَthe heir of الصائِغِthe goldsmith الجَبانَthe coward الجَهولاthe fool
وارِثَ الصائِغِ الجَبانَ الجَهولا
May God disgrace, then add a curse upon
May Allah curse and re-curse the cowardly, ignorant heir
the goldsmith’s heir, the cowardly fool—
Of a weak goldsmith who does no good.
مَنone who يَضُرَّharms الأَدنىthe nearest وَيَعجَزُand is incapable عَنof ضَرharming (first fragment)
مَن يَضُرَّ الأَدنى وَيَعجَزُ عَن ضَر
رِharming (final fragment) الأَقاصيthose farthest away وَمَنand who يَخونُbetrays الخَليلاthe close friend
رِ الأَقاصي وَمَن يَخونُ الخَليلا
one who harms the nearest but is incapable of harming
One who harms those near him yet can't match the harm
those farthest away, and who betrays his close friend;
Of those afar, one who betrays a friend.
يَجمَعُmusters الجَيشَthe army ذاhaving الأُلوفَthousands وَيَغزوand raids
يَجمَعُ الجَيشَ ذا الأُلوفَ وَيَغزو
ثُمَّthen لاnot يَرزَأُharms العَدُوَّthe enemy فَتيلاa date-stone’s thread
ثُمَّ لا يَرزَأُ العَدُوَّ فَتيلا
he musters an army of thousands and raids,
He gathers an army of thousands to invade
then does not harm the enemy by so much as a date-stone’s thread.
Yet won't confront a foe, even a wick.
Sol 6.1