أَتىcame عارفٌArif بِالظُلمwith oppression لِلشامto al-Sham مَرّةًonce
أَتى عارفٌ بِالظُلم لِلشام مَرّةً
فَأَبدَعَand so he wrought جَهلاًignorance قبحهُits ugliness لَيسَis not يوصفُdescribed
فَأَبدَعَ جَهلاً قبحهُ لَيسَ يوصفُ
Arif once came to al-Sham with oppression.
A knowledgeable one came to Damascus once in darkness
And he wrought ignorance whose ugliness cannot be described.
Creating an ignorance so ugly it cannot be described
إِذاwhen قيلَit was said عرِّفidentify منwhom عَنيتyou meant أَجبتهمI answered them
إِذا قيلَ عرِّف من عَنيت أَجبتهم
أَرىI consider الشَرطthe rule عِنديin my view عارفArif لاnot يعرَّفُis identified
أَرى الشَرط عِندي عارف لا يعرَّفُ
When told, “Identify whom you meant,” I answered them:
If asked to name whom I refer to, I would answer them
The rule, as I see it, is: Arif needs no introduction.
I see the policeman in me, a knowledgeable one not to be named
Sol 6.1