ماnot سَمُحَتconsented وَاللَهِby God ياO سادَتيmy lords
ما سَمُحَت وَاللَهِ يا سادَتي
نَفسيmy soul بِبَيعِto selling المِطرَفِthe bordered cloak الخَزِّof silk
نَفسي بِبَيعِ المِطرَفِ الخَزِّ
By God, my lords, I could not bring
Alas, my friends! Never would I sell,
myself to sell the bordered silk cloak,
These tapestries which fame and glory tell.
وَلاand not تَرَكتُI abandoned الطُرزَembroidered finery مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat
وَلا تَرَكتُ الطُرزَ مِن بَعدِ ما
كُنتُمyou used to تُسَمّونيcall me أَباfather of الطُرزِembroidery
كُنتُم تُسَمّوني أَبا الطُرزِ
nor did I abandon embroidered finery after
Though now in ruins my old workshop dwells,
you used to call me Abu al-Turuz, 'Father of Embroidery,'
You still recall me as the Lord of Tapestries.
حَتّىuntil وَهَتweakened سوقيmy market وَهَيهاتَand how unlikely أَنthat
حَتّى وَهَت سوقي وَهَيهاتَ أَن
تَنفُقَthrive وَالأَشعارُand poems مِنamong بِزّيmy wares
تَنفُقَ وَالأَشعارُ مِن بِزّي
until my market faltered—and how could it
My trade has failed; my goods no longer sell.
thrive, with poems among my wares?
What profits verse when hearths no longer swell?
عامَلتَyou dealt خَبّازيmy baker بِهِwith it بَعدَafter ماthat
عامَلتَ خَبّازي بِهِ بَعدَ ما
عامَلَنيhe dealt with me أَمسِyesterday بِماwith what يُجزيsuffices
عامَلَني أَمسِ بِما يُجزي
You dealt with my baker using it, after
The baker, whom I’d fed full well,
he dealt with me yesterday with what sufficed.
Repaid me with ingratitude and lies.
وَلَمand not يَكُنwas وَاللَهِby God فيin نِيَّتيmy intention
وَلَم يَكُن وَاللَهِ في نِيَّتي
إِخراجُهُtaking it out لَولاهُbut for him مِنfrom حِرزيmy safekeeping
إِخراجُهُ لَولاهُ مِن حِرزي
And, by God, it was not my intention
By God! I had not planned at all
to take it from my safekeeping, but for him.
To sell his bread, except at need and call.
وَليand I have غُلامٌa servant boy وَجهُهُhis face طَيرَةٌan ill omen
وَلي غُلامٌ وَجهُهُ طَيرَةٌ
فيin غايَةِthe utmost الإِدبارِill fortune وَالعَجزِand incapacity
في غايَةِ الإِدبارِ وَالعَجزِ
And I have a servant boy whose face is an ill omen,
I have a boy, so fair of face,
utterly ill-fated and incapable.
Yet paralyzed, headstrong and weak.
يَسعىhe strives إِلىtoward ماwhat ضَرَّهُharmed him مِثلَlike ماwhat
يَسعى إِلى ما ضَرَّهُ مِثلَ ما
يُثنىis praised عَليهاfor it دودَةُthe worm القَزِّof silk
يُثنى عَليها دودَةُ القَزِّ
He pursues what harms him, like that
He seeks what harms him, like the worm
for which the silkworm is praised.
That bores the wood it feeds upon.
نَهارُهُhis daytime يَغدوhe goes in the morning إِلىto السوقِthe market فيfor
نَهارُهُ يَغدو إِلى السوقِ في
بَيعِselling قُماشٍcloth وَشِرىand buying خُبزِbread
بَيعِ قُماشٍ وَشِرى خُبزِ
By day he goes to the market to
By day he sells some cloth, and buys us bread,
sell cloth and buy bread.
As evening through the marketplace he treads.
Sol 6.1