ياO أَيُّهاyou الحاويthe snake charmer الَّذيwho لَمdid not تَزَلcease
يا أَيُّها الحاوي الَّذي لَم تَزَل
سَلَّتُهُhis basket فيهاin it الثَعابينُthe snakes
سَلَّتُهُ فيها الثَعابينُ
O snake charmer, who has always had
O container that snakes have always
Snakes in his basket.
Slithered in,
إِنif كُنتَyou are تَستَسمِجُyou find ugly شِعريmy verse فَماthen what
إِن كُنتَ تَستَسمِجُ شِعري فَما
تُصلِحُare of use لِلأَعمىto the blind man البَساتينُthe gardens
تُصلِحُ لِلأَعمى البَساتينُ
If you find my verse ugly, what use
If you wish to hear my poetry, it will not
Are gardens to a blind man?
Suit one who is blind to gardens.
خُذtake بِيَدِby the hand of الغَيبَةِbackbiting وَاِرجِعand turn back بِهاwith it
خُذ بِيَدِ الغَيبَةِ وَاِرجِع بِها
عَمَّنfrom one who قَوافيهِhis rhymes سَلاطينُsultans
عَمَّن قَوافيهِ سَلاطينُ
Take backbiting by the hand and turn back with it
Take the hand of absence and return with it
From one whose rhymes are sultans.
From one whose rhymes are sultans.
إِيّاكَbeware of شِعريmy verse إِنَّهُindeed it is شاطِرٌa rogue
إِيّاكَ شِعري إِنَّهُ شاطِرٌ
لَهُit has مِنَof الهَجوِsatire سَكاكينُknives
لَهُ مِنَ الهَجوِ سَكاكينُ
Beware my verse: it is a rogue;
Beware my poetry, it is skillful,
It has knives of satire.
It has daggers of satire.
شَعرٌverse إِذاwhen عَوَّذتُI invoked protection for نَفسيmyself بِهِwith it
شَعرٌ إِذا عَوَّذتُ نَفسي بِهِ
تَهارَبَتfled مِنهُfrom it الشَياطينُthe devils
تَهارَبَت مِنهُ الشَياطينُ
When I invoke this verse to protect myself,
Poetry, when I protect myself with it
The devils flee from it.
The devils flee from it.
إِنif تَحوِناholds us مِصرُEgypt فَكَمthen how many مَربَعٍa dwelling
إِن تَحوِنا مِصرُ فَكَم مَربَعٍ
فيهِin it غُصونٌbranches وَعَراجينُand date-cluster stalks
فيهِ غُصونٌ وَعَراجينُ
If Egypt holds us, how many a dwelling
If Egypt hosts us, how many squares
Has branches and date-cluster stalks!
In it have branches and couches.
لاno بُدَّescape لِلأَرخاحِfor the rooks (chess pieces) مِنfrom نَصبِهاsetting them up
لا بُدَّ لِلأَرخاحِ مِن نَصبِها
فيon رُقعَةٍa chessboard فيهاon it الفَرازينُthe viziers (chess pieces)
في رُقعَةٍ فيها الفَرازينُ
The rooks must be set up
The tents must be pitched
On a chessboard with viziers.
On a patch that has ostriches.
Sol 6.1