أَلاlisten! قُلsay لِمُفتَخِرٍto one who boasts بِالمَجوسِof the Magi
أَلا قُل لِمُفتَخِرٍ بِالمَجوسِ
أَبوهُhis father عَلىaccording to زَعمِهِhis claim المُؤبِذُthe mobad (Zoroastrian priest)
أَبوهُ عَلى زَعمِهِ المُؤبِذُ
Listen: tell one who boasts of the Magi,
O say to him who glories in the Magi,
whose father, he claims, is the mobad:
His father is among those he despises.
شَحَذتَyou sharpened غِراراًa blade's edge وَإِنّيand indeed I إِخالُsuppose
شَحَذتَ غِراراً وَإِنّي إِخالُ
أَنَّthat لِهاديكَfor your neck ماwhat تَشحَذُyou sharpen
أَنَّ لِهاديكَ ما تَشحَذُ
You have sharpened a blade, and I think
You have sharpened hate, but I refuse
that what you sharpen is for your own neck.
That a hater guides whomever he hates.
رَمَتكَcast you الوِلايَةُthe governorship فيinto هُوَّةٍan abyss
رَمَتكَ الوِلايَةُ في هُوَّةٍ
فَماso there is no لَكَfor you مِنfrom قَعرِهاits depths مُنقِذُrescuer
فَما لَكَ مِن قَعرِها مُنقِذُ
Your governorship has cast you into an abyss,
Power has cast you into a pit
and from its depths you have no rescuer.
With none to save you from its depth.
فَلوfor if نَصَبواthey appointed جَهبَذاًa money-changer ماnot اِرتَضىhe would be content
فَلو نَصَبوا جَهبَذاً ما اِرتَضى
بِماwith what تَرتَضيهِyou accept it لَكَfor yourself الجَهبَذُthe money-changer
بِما تَرتَضيهِ لَكَ الجَهبَذُ
For if they appointed a money-changer, he would not be content
If they made an ignoramus king, he would not
with what you accept for yourself.
Accept what you find acceptable, ignoramus.
فَحُكمُكَso your judgment عِندَهُمُin their eyes ساقِطٌwithout standing
فَحُكمُكَ عِندَهُمُ ساقِطٌ
وَقَولُكَand your word مُطَّرَحٌdiscarded يُنبَذُis cast aside
وَقَولُكَ مُطَّرَحٌ يُنبَذُ
So your judgment counts for nothing with them,
Your rule to them has fallen,
and your word is discarded, cast aside.
Your word discarded and rejected.
وَكَيفَand how تُطيعُكَobey you صيدُthe proud ones among المُلوكِthe kings
وَكَيفَ تُطيعُكَ صيدُ المُلوكِ
وَأَمرُكَand your command فيat البابِthe gate لاnot يَنفُذُtakes effect
وَأَمرُكَ في البابِ لا يَنفُذُ
And how could proud kings obey you,
How would the royal prey obey you
when your command has no force at the gate?
When your command finds no passage?
فَخَلِّso relinquish وَلاgoverning (first fragment) يَتَهُمthem (final fragment) وَاِجتَمِعand curl up
فَخَلِّ وَلا يَتَهُم وَاِجتَمِع
كَماjust as جَمَعَتgathered نَفسَهاitself القُنفُذُthe hedgehog
كَما جَمَعَت نَفسَها القُنفُذُ
So give up governing them, and curl up,
So leave off, do not accuse, and gather yourself
as the hedgehog curled itself up.
As the hedgehog gathers itself.
وَدَعهاand relinquish it اِختِياراًvoluntarily وَإِلّاand if not فَأَنthen you (first fragment)
وَدَعها اِختِياراً وَإِلّا فَأَن
تَ(completes 'you') أَوor هِيَit مِنكَfrom you غَداًtomorrow تُؤخَذُwill be taken
تَ أَو هِيَ مِنكَ غَداً تُؤخَذُ
And relinquish it willingly; otherwise, either you—
Leave it by choice, else you or it
—will be taken away, or it will be taken from you tomorrow.
Will be seized against the other tomorrow.
Sol 6.1