وَشَيخٍand an old man يَحومُhovers عَلىaround نَسلِdescendants of حامِHam
وَشَيخٍ يَحومُ عَلى نَسلِ حامِ
يُحِبُّhe loves الظَلامَdarkness لِلَونِfor the color of الظَلامِdarkness
يُحِبُّ الظَلامَ لِلَونِ الظَلامِ
And an old man hovers around Ham's descendants,
An old man hovering over the progeny of Ham
loving darkness for the color of darkness.
He loves the darkness for the sake of its darkness
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle التَقيتَyou met بِهِwith him راكِباًriding
إِذا ما التَقيتَ بِهِ راكِباً
يُقَفِّزُhe makes leap بَغلَتَهُhis she-mule فيin الزِحامِthe crowd
يُقَفِّزُ بَغلَتَهُ في الزِحامِ
When you meet him riding,
When you meet him riding
making his she-mule leap amid the crowd,
He makes his mule leap through the crowds
تَأَمَّلتَyou looked closely at أَحمَقَmost foolish مَنthose who بِالعِراقِin Iraq
تَأَمَّلتَ أَحمَقَ مَن بِالعِراقِ
وَأَبصَرتَand you saw أَرقَعَmost witless مَنthose who بِالشَآمِin al-Sham
وَأَبصَرتَ أَرقَعَ مَن بِالشَآمِ
you behold the most foolish man in Iraq,
You look at the most stupid in Iraq
and see the most witless man in al-Sham.
And you see the most patched-up in the Levant
Sol 6.1