إِنَّماnothing but الحَيزَبونُthe old crone وَالدَردَبيسُand the calamity
إِنَّما الحَيزَبونُ وَالدَردَبيسُ
وَالطَخاand the clouds وَالنُقاخُand the pure water وَالعَطلَبيسُand the beautiful woman
وَالطَخا وَالنُقاخُ وَالعَطلَبيسُ
“Old crone” and “calamity,”
The Hizbawan, Dardabis,
and “clouds,” “pure water,” and “beautiful woman,”
And Takha, Nukakh, and Atalabis,
وَالسَبنَتىand the leopard وَالحَقصُand the base fellow وَالهِيَقُand the male ostrich
وَالسَبنَتى وَالحَقصُ وَالهِيَقُ
وَالهِجرِسُand the fox cub وَالطِرقَسانُand the brocade وَالعَسطوسُand a kind of tree
وَالهِجرِسُ وَالطِرقَسانُ وَالعَسطوسُ
and “leopard,” “base fellow,” and “male ostrich,”
And Sabanta, Haqs, and Hayak,
and “fox cub,” “brocade,” and “a kind of tree,”
And Hijris, Tirqasan, and Asatus
لُغَةٌlanguage تَنفُرُrecoil المَسامِعُthe ears مِنهاfrom it
لُغَةٌ تَنفُرُ المَسامِعُ مِنها
حينَwhen تُروىit is recited وَتَشمَئِزُّand shrink in disgust النُفوسُthe souls
حينَ تُروى وَتَشمَئِزُّ النُفوسُ
are merely language from which the ears recoil
Are languages that disgust the ears
when it is recited, and souls shrink in disgust.
When recited, and sicken souls,
وَقَبيحٌand it is ugly أَنthat يُذكَرَbe mentioned النافِرُthe repellent الوَحthe outlandish (first part)
وَقَبيحٌ أَن يُذكَرَ النافِرُ الوَح
شِيَcompletion of “outlandish” مِنهاfrom it وَيُترَكَand be left aside المَأنوسُthe familiar
شِيَ مِنها وَيُترَكَ المَأنوسُ
And it is ugly to mention the repellent, out—
And it's ugly to mention the repellent rabble
—landish words in it, and leave the familiar ones.
Over the familiar and leave the dear.
أَينَwhere قَوليmy saying هَذاthis is كَثيبٌa sand dune قَديمٌold
أَينَ قَولي هَذا كَثيبٌ قَديمٌ
وَمَقاليand my saying عَقَنقَلٌa massive sandhill قَدموسُancient
وَمَقالي عَقَنقَلٌ قَدموسُ
What a difference between saying, “This is an old dune,”
Where are my words in this old dune,
and saying, “An immemorial sand-mass”!
And my sayings like an ancient column?
لَمdid not نَجِدwe find شادِياًa singer يُغَنّيsinging قِفاhalt, you two نَبlet us weep (first part)
لَم نَجِد شادِياً يُغَنّي قِفا نَب
كِcompletion of “let us weep” عَلىon العودِthe lute إِذwhen تُدارُare passed around الكُؤوسُthe cups
كِ عَلى العودِ إِذ تُدارُ الكُؤوسُ
We have found no singer singing, “Halt, you two; let us wee—
We found no singers to sing a nabk's
—p,” to the lute while cups are passed around.
Melody on the lute as cups circle.
لاno وَلاnor مَنanyone who شَداsang أَقيمواraise up بَنيsons of أُمَيmy mother (first part)
لا وَلا مَن شَدا أَقيموا بَني أُمَي
يَcompletion of “my mother” إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أُديرَتِwas passed around الخَندَريسُthe aged wine
يَ إِذا ما أُديرَتِ الخَندَريسُ
No, nor anyone who sang, “Raise up, sons of my moth—
No, nor one who lilted "Rise, Bani Ummaya,"
—er,” when aged wine was passed around.
When the pots were stirred.
أَتُرانيdo you think I…? إِنif قُلتُI said لِلحِبِّto the beloved ياO عِلprecious treasure (first part)
أَتُراني إِن قُلتُ لِلحِبِّ يا عِل
قٌcompletion of “precious treasure” دَرىhe would know أَنَّهُthat he was العَزيزُthe dear one النَفيسُthe precious one
قٌ دَرى أَنَّهُ العَزيزُ النَفيسُ
Do you think, if I said to my beloved, “O treas—
Do I fancy that if I said to folly, "Up,
—ure,” he would know he was dear and precious?
You know it's precious and dear,"
أَوor إِذاif قُلتُI said لِلقِيامِfor standing جُلوسٌsitting (archaically, rising)
أَو إِذا قُلتُ لِلقِيامِ جُلوسٌ
عَلِمَwould know الناسُthe people ماwhat يَكونُis الجُلوسُsitting (archaically, rising)
عَلِمَ الناسُ ما يَكونُ الجُلوسُ
Or if I called standing “sitting,”
Or if I said to sitting, "Stand,"
would people know what “sitting” meant?
People would know what standing is?
خَلِّleave لِلأَصمَعيِّto al-Asma‘i جَوبَtraversing الفَيافيthe deserts
خَلِّ لِلأَصمَعيِّ جَوبَ الفَيافي
فيin نَشافٍparching dryness تَخِفُّgrow light فيهِin it الرُؤوسُthe heads
في نَشافٍ تَخِفُّ فيهِ الرُؤوسُ
Leave to al-Asma‘i the crossing of deserts
Leave the Asma'i his abundant draughts
in parching dryness that makes heads reel,
In sobriety that lightens heads,
وَسُؤالَand questioning الأَعرابِthe Bedouins عَنabout ضَيعَةِthe loss of اللَفthe word (first part)
وَسُؤالَ الأَعرابِ عَن ضَيعَةِ اللَف
ظِcompletion of “word” إِذاwhen أُشكِلَتbecame obscure عَليهِto him الأُسوسُthe foundations
ظِ إِذا أُشكِلَت عَليهِ الأُسوسُ
and questioning the Bedouins about the loss of a wor—
And asking the nomads about the pronunciation of "lafdh"
—d, when the foundations are obscure to him.
When "usus" is obscure to them.
دَرَسَتhave faded away تِلكُمُthose اللُغاتُusages وَأَمسىand has become
دَرَسَت تِلكُمُ اللُغاتُ وَأَمسى
مَذهَبُthe way of الناسِthe people ماwhat يَقولُsays الرَئيسُthe leader
مَذهَبُ الناسِ ما يَقولُ الرَئيسُ
Those usages have faded away, and now
Those languages have faded away, and the people's
people’s way is what the leader says.
Way is what the president says.
إِنَّماnothing but هَذِهِthese القُلوبُthe hearts حَديدٌiron
إِنَّما هَذِهِ القُلوبُ حَديدٌ
وَلَذيذُand delightful الأَلفاظِwords مِغناطيسُa magnet
وَلَذيذُ الأَلفاظِ مِغناطيسُ
These hearts are nothing but iron,
These hearts are iron,
and delightful words are a magnet.
And sweet words a magnet.
Sol 6.1