محىerased رَسمtrace العُلومthe sciences بِدارin an abode ذلِّhumiliation
محى رَسم العُلوم بِدار ذلِّ
وَقَدand indeed نُشرَتwere unfurled بِهاin it أَعلامُbanners جَهلِignorance
وَقَد نُشرَت بِها أَعلامُ جَهلِ
He erased the trace of learning in an abode of humiliation,
Where banners of ignorance had been unfurled.
وَأَصبَحand he became نَحساًill-omened وَأَمسَتand she became
وَأَصبَح نَحساً وَأَمسَت
مَروّعةًterrified تَنوحshe laments لِفَقدfor the loss of بَعلa husband
مَروّعةً تَنوح لِفَقد بَعل
And he became ill-omened, while she grew
Terrified, lamenting the loss of a husband.
وَسالمand made peace with غَيرَهاothers besides her دَهرٌTime خؤونٌtreacherous
وَسالم غَيرَها دَهرٌ خؤونٌ
وَعاندَهاand opposed her وَهدّدَهاand threatened her بِقَتلwith death
وَعاندَها وَهدّدَها بِقَتل
Treacherous Time made peace with others besides her,
And opposed her and threatened her with death.
وَعاملand treated حزبَهاher followers دُونapart from البَراياhumankind
وَعامل حزبَها دُون البَرايا
بِجورٍwith injustice دائمٍunceasing وَفراقand separation from أَهلkin
بِجورٍ دائمٍ وَفراق أَهل
And treated her followers, unlike all others,
With unending injustice and separation from kin.
وَأَربابقَدand masters, already تجارىvied
وَأَربابقَد تجارى
عَلَيهمagainst them بِالسَفاهةwith insolence كُلevery نَذلknave
عَلَيهم بِالسَفاهة كُل نَذل
And the masters—already there had vied
Against them in insolence every knave.
فَلاso may he not كانَhave existed لَقَدindeed رَماناhe shot at us
فَلا كانَ لَقَد رَمانا
بِسَهمwith an arrow صدودِهhis rejection مِنfrom بَعدafter وَصلcloseness
بِسَهم صدودِه مِن بَعد وَصل
So may he never have existed! He has indeed shot at us
With the arrow of his rejection, after closeness.
وَلَمand did not يَسمَعhear مَقالاًa saying مِنfrom نصوحa sincere adviser
وَلَم يَسمَع مَقالاً مِن نصوح
وَرجَّحand deemed superior عقلهhis mind عَنabove كُلevery mind عَقلline_15
وَرجَّح عقله عَن كُل عَقل
And he heard no word from a sincere adviser,
And rated his mind above every other mind.
وَأَبعدناand kept us away وَقرّبand brought close كُلَّevery وَغدٍscoundrel
وَأَبعدنا وَقرّب كُلَّ وَغدٍ
يَلوحappears بِجسمهin his bodily form فيin زيّthe guise of بغلa mule
يَلوح بِجسمه في زيّ بغل
And kept us away, bringing every scoundrel close,
Who appears bodily in the guise of a mule.
وَرقand took pity لحالَتيon my condition حبرٌa scholar كَريمٌnoble
وَرق لحالَتي حبرٌ كَريمٌ
رَآنيhe saw me باهِتاًbewildered مِنfrom غَيرabsence of شُغلwork
رَآني باهِتاً مِن غَير شُغل
And a noble scholar took pity on my condition,
Seeing me bewildered, with no work.
فسرتso I went إِلىto الحصونthe fortresses كترجمانas a translator
فسرت إِلى الحصون كترجمان
أُترجمبخلI translate; stinginess
أُترجمبخل
So I went to the fortresses as a translator.
I translate—stinginess [unclear wording].
بِالكِتابةيَدريhe knows about writing
بِالكِتابةيَدري
فَلمso did not يُدركgrasp حَقيقةthe true nature of وَصلjoining حبليmy rope
فَلم يُدرك حَقيقة وَصل حبلي
He knows about writing,
Yet he did not grasp the true nature of joining my rope.
وَبَعدand after ثَلاثةٍthree مرّتhad passed وَعشرٍand ten
وَبَعد ثَلاثةٍ مرّت وَعشرٍ
رَجعتُI returned بِمَنزليto my home بِجَميعwith all حمليmy baggage
رَجعتُ بِمَنزلي بِجَميع حملي
And after three and ten had passed,
I returned home with all my baggage.
وَضَيعتand I squandered الدراهمthe dirhams فيon فِراشٍbedding
وَضَيعت الدراهم في فِراشٍ
وَفَخّارٍand earthenware وَفانوسٍand a lantern وَقفلand a lock
وَفَخّارٍ وَفانوسٍ وَقفل
And I squandered the dirhams on bedding,
And earthenware, a lantern, and a lock,
وَفيand on شَمعٍwax وَأَوراقٍand papers وَحُصرٍand mats
وَفي شَمعٍ وَأَوراقٍ وَحُصرٍ
وَفيand on ريشquills وَفيand on أَعسالhoneys نجلa son
وَفي ريش وَفي أَعسال نجل
And on wax, papers, and mats,
And on quills, and on a son's honeys [unclear wording],
وَحبرٍand ink حالكٍpitch-black فيon يَومa day نَحسٍill-omened
وَحبرٍ حالكٍ في يَوم نَحسٍ
وَهَذاand this كُلُّهall of it مِنfor أَجلthe sake of مطلstalling
وَهَذا كُلُّه مِن أَجل مطل
And pitch-black ink, on an ill-omened day.
And all this was because of stalling.
وَلَمand did not ينظرالفهمthe discerning one looks يَوماًever
وَلَم ينظرالفهم يَوماً
إِلىat أَدَبيmy learning وَمَعرفتيand my knowledge وَفَضليand my merit
إِلى أَدَبي وَمَعرفتي وَفَضلي
And the discerning one never once looked
At my learning, my knowledge, and my merit.
فَأَخَّرنيso he held me back عَنfrom الأَشغالthe work جَهلاًout of ignorance
فَأَخَّرني عَن الأَشغال جَهلاً
وَقدّمand advanced مثلَهsomeone like him مِنfrom غَيرabsence of عَدلjustice
وَقدّم مثلَه مِن غَير عَدل
So he held me back from work, out of ignorance,
And advanced someone like himself, without justice.
فَقالَthen said الطَيرthe birds لَمّاwhen عدتI returned أَرّخrecord the date
فَقالَ الطَير لَمّا عدت أَرّخ
سَقيمa sickly one بِالقَناطرat al-Qanāṭir زافstrutted مثليlike me
سَقيم بِالقَناطر زاف مثلي
Then the birds said, when I returned: 'Record the date:
A sickly one at al-Qanāṭir strutted like me.'
Sol 6.1