أَلاis there no مُنصِفٌone to do justice ليfor me مِنagainst ظالِمٍa tyrant
أَلا مُنصِفٌ لي مِن ظالِمٍ
تَمَلَّكَنيhas taken possession of me جورُهُhis oppression وَاِستَرَقand enslaved me
تَمَلَّكَني جورُهُ وَاِستَرَق
Will no one secure me justice against a tyrant
whose oppression has mastered and enslaved me?
وَأَصبَحتُand I have become مُرتَزِقاًdrawing sustenance from راحَتَيهِhis two palms
وَأَصبَحتُ مُرتَزِقاً راحَتَيهِ
وَبِئسَand wretched is المَعيشَةُthe life والمُرتَزَقand the livelihood
وَبِئسَ المَعيشَةُ والمُرتَزَق
I have come to draw my livelihood from his two palms—
what a wretched life and livelihood!
قَليلُscant in الصَوابِcorrect judgment إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِرتَأىhe forms an opinion
قَليلُ الصَوابِ إِذا ما اِرتَأى
بَذِيُّfoul of اللِسانِtongue إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle نَطَقhe speaks
بَذِيُّ اللِسانِ إِذا ما نَطَق
Seldom right whenever he forms an opinion,
foul of tongue whenever he speaks.
كَثيرُgiven to much التَحَيُّفِunjust encroachment فيin ظُلمِهِhis oppression
كَثيرُ التَحَيُّفِ في ظُلمِهِ
إِذاwhen أَخَذَhe takes اللَحمَthe meat يَوماًone day عَرَقhe strips the bone bare
إِذا أَخَذَ اللَحمَ يَوماً عَرَق
He is ruthless in his oppressive exactions:
if ever he takes meat, he strips the bone bare.
يَضَنُّhe begrudges عَلىto الناسِpeople مِنout of بُخلِهِhis miserliness
يَضَنُّ عَلى الناسِ مِن بُخلِهِ
بِروحِwith the refreshment of نَسيمِthe breeze of الصَباthe east wind المُنتَشَقinhaled
بِروحِ نَسيمِ الصَبا المُنتَشَق
In his miserliness, he begrudges people
even the refreshing breeze of the east wind they breathe.
وَلَوand if كانَhe were يَقدِرُable مِنout of لُؤمِهِhis baseness
وَلَو كانَ يَقدِرُ مِن لُؤمِهِ
حَمىhe would bar الطَيرَthe birds أَنto يَستَظِلَّseek shade beneath الوَرَقthe leaves
حَمى الطَيرَ أَن يَستَظِلَّ الوَرَق
And, in his baseness, if he could,
he would deny the birds the shade of leaves.
يُظاهِرُhe displays لِلناسِto the people يَومَthe day of السَلامِgreetings
يُظاهِرُ لِلناسِ يَومَ السَلامِ
لِباساًclothing جَديداًnew وَعَرِضاًand honor خَلَقthreadbare
لِباساً جَديداً وَعَرِضاً خَلَق
He displays before people, on the day of greetings,
new clothing and threadbare honor.
وَيَنعَرُand he bellows فيin دَستِهِhis seat of honor مُجلِباًraising a clamor
وَيَنعَرُ في دَستِهِ مُجلِباً
فَتُقسِمُso you swear أَنَّthat حِماراًa donkey نَهَقbrayed
فَتُقسِمُ أَنَّ حِماراً نَهَق
He bellows from his seat of honor, raising a clamor,
so you would swear a donkey had brayed.
فَلاso neither عِرضُهُhis honor قابِلٌworthy لِلثَناءِof praise
فَلا عِرضُهُ قابِلٌ لِلثَناءِ
وَلاnor عِطفُهُhis side بِالمَعاليwith noble deeds عَبِقfragrant
وَلا عِطفُهُ بِالمَعالي عَبِق
So neither is his honor worthy of praise,
nor is his side fragrant with noble deeds.
وَلَيسَand there is not لَهُfor him مِنamong سَجاياthe traits of المُلوكِkings
وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن سَجايا المُلوكِ
غَيرُother than اللَجاجِobstinacy وَسوءِand badness of الخُلُقtemper
غَيرُ اللَجاجِ وَسوءِ الخُلُق
He has none of the qualities of kings
save obstinacy and ill temper.
يُحاسِبُhe calls to account ذَبّاحَهُhis butcher بِالكُبودِfor the livers
يُحاسِبُ ذَبّاحَهُ بِالكُبودِ
وَطَبّاخَهُand his cook بِكِسارِfor fragments of الطَبَقthe platter
وَطَبّاخَهُ بِكِسارِ الطَبَق
He calls his butcher to account for the livers,
and his cook for the fragments of the platter.
وَإِنand if جِئتَyou come يَوماًone day إِلىto بابِهِhis door
وَإِن جِئتَ يَوماً إِلى بابِهِ
لِأَمرٍfor a matter عَرىthat befell أَوor مُهِمٍّa pressing need طَرَقthat came knocking
لِأَمرٍ عَرى أَو مُهِمٍّ طَرَق
And if one day you come to his door
for a trouble that befell you or a pressing need that came knocking,
يَقولونَthey say فيin شاغِلٍan absorbing task
يَقولونَ في شاغِلٍ
بِحِفظِwith guarding القُدورِthe pots وَكَيلِand measuring المَرَقthe broth
بِحِفظِ القُدورِ وَكَيلِ المَرَق
they say, “He is occupied
with guarding the pots and measuring the broth.”
لَهُhe has مَنظَرٌan appearance هائِلٌterrifying شَخصُهُhis figure
لَهُ مَنظَرٌ هائِلٌ شَخصُهُ
تُعَرُّare disgraced الوُجوهُfaces بِهِby it وَالخِلَقand forms
تُعَرُّ الوُجوهُ بِهِ وَالخِلَق
His appearance is appalling; his very form
brings disgrace upon faces and figures.
وَوَجهٌand a face إِذاwhen أَناI عايَنتُهُI behold it
وَوَجهٌ إِذا أَنا عايَنتُهُ
تَعَوَّذتُI seek refuge مِنهُfrom it بِرَبِّin the Lord of الفَلَقdaybreak
تَعَوَّذتُ مِنهُ بِرَبِّ الفَلَق
And whenever I behold that face,
I seek refuge from it in the Lord of daybreak.
تَجيشُheave إِذاwhen ذَكَرَتهُthey remember him النُفوسُsouls
تَجيشُ إِذا ذَكَرَتهُ النُفوسُ
وَتَنبوand recoil إِذاwhen نَظَرَتهُthey behold him الحَدَقthe pupils
وَتَنبو إِذا نَظَرَتهُ الحَدَق
Souls heave whenever they remember him,
and eyes recoil whenever they behold him.
وَيُكسِبُهُand earns him ظُلمُهُhis oppression ظُلمَةًa darkness
وَيُكسِبُهُ ظُلمُهُ ظُلمَةً
تُعيرُlends النَهارَthe day سَوادَthe blackness of الغَسَقnightfall
تُعيرُ النَهارَ سَوادَ الغَسَق
And his oppression earns him a darkness
that lends the day the blackness of nightfall.
فَلَيتَso, if only دُجىthe darkness of وَجهِهِhis face المُدلَهِمِّpitch-black
فَلَيتَ دُجى وَجهِهِ المُدلَهِمِّ
مِنfrom دَمِthe blood of أَوداجِهِhis jugular veins فيin شَفَقa red twilight glow
مِن دَمِ أَوداجِهِ في شَفَق
If only the gloom of his pitch-black face
were twilight-red with blood from his jugular veins!
يَمُدُّhe extends يَداًa hand قَطُّever ماnot أَسلَفَتit has bestowed
يَمُدُّ يَداً قَطُّ ما أَسلَفَت
يَداًa favor وَفَماًand a mouth دَهرَهُthroughout his life ماnot صَدَقhas spoken truth
يَداً وَفَماً دَهرَهُ ما صَدَق
He extends a hand that has never bestowed
a favor, and a mouth that has never spoken truth in his life.
يَداًa hand أَغلَقَتhas shut بابَthe door of آمالِناour hopes
يَداً أَغلَقَت بابَ آمالِنا
بِوَدِّيَit is my wish لَوif أَنَّهاthat it فيin غَلَقa shackle
بِوَدِّيَ لَو أَنَّها في غَلَق
A hand that has shut the door on our hopes—
I wish it were in shackles!
Sol 6.1