أَبوAbu (father of) إِسحاقَIshaq شاعِرُناour poet إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle
أَبو إِسحاقَ شاعِرُنا إِذا ما
رَأىhe sees رُطَباًfresh dates يُصَيِّرُهُhe turns it into كَبيساpressed dates
رَأى رُطَباً يُصَيِّرُهُ كَبيسا
Abu Ishaq, our poet, whenever
When Abu Ishaq our poet sees a date,
He sees fresh dates, turns them into pressed dates.
He makes it as dry as an old cracker.
فَتىa youth لَوif مَدَّhe cast عَيناًan eye مِنهُof his يَوماًone day
فَتى لَو مَدَّ عَيناً مِنهُ يَوماً
إِلىtoward صَنَمٍan idol لَخاطَhe would sew عَلَيهِover it كيساa sack
إِلى صَنَمٍ لَخاطَ عَلَيهِ كيسا
A youth who, were he one day to cast an eye of his
If such a lad were to gaze at an idol someday,
Toward an idol, would sew a sack over it.
He would spit a gob at it in anger.
لَهُhe has مُذsince كانَhe came to be مِقطَرَةٌa set of stocks تَراهُyou see him
لَهُ مُذ كانَ مِقطَرَةٌ تَراهُ
بَلاwithout عَقلٍreason إِذاwhenever عَدِمَتit lacks حَبيساa captive
بَلا عَقلٍ إِذا عَدِمَت حَبيسا
He has had a set of stocks since he came to be; you see him
Since it was a dripping sapling, you see him as
Bereft of reason whenever it lacks a captive.
A mindless fool minus a keeper.
تَلَذُّgives pleasure لَهُto him عِمارَتِهاits construction إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle
تَلَذُّ لَهُ عِمارَتِها إِذا ما
أَصابَhe obtains لَهاfor it الدَعائِمَthe pillars آبَنوساebony
أَصابَ لَها الدَعائِمَ آبَنوسا
Building it gives him pleasure whenever
He enjoys propping it up whenever
He obtains ebony pillars for it.
He can find supports for it as a pine tree.
Sol 6.1