ماnot سَمِعَheard الناسُthe people وَلاnor أَبصَرواthey saw
ما سَمِعَ الناسُ وَلا أَبصَروا
أَلأَمَbaser نَفساًin soul مِنthan أَبيAbu جَعفَرِJa'far
أَلأَمَ نَفساً مِن أَبي جَعفَرِ
People have neither heard of nor seen
What people have not heard of nor seen
anyone baser in soul than Abu Ja'far.
Is a soul like that of Abi Ja'far
وَزيرُa vizier سوءٍof evil قَيَّضَappointed اللَهُGod
وَزيرُ سوءٍ قَيَّضَ اللَهُ
لِلأُمَّةِfor the community مِنهُin him شَرَّthe worst مُستَوزَرِan appointed vizier
لِلأُمَّةِ مِنهُ شَرَّ مُستَوزَرِ
An evil vizier—God has appointed
An evil minister whom Allah has ordained
for the community, in him, the worst of viziers.
As the worst advisor for the nation
جَعدُclenched بَنانِfingertips الكَفِّof the hand لَوif شاءَhe wished أَنto
جَعدُ بَنانِ الكَفِّ لَو شاءَ أَن
يَبسُطَهاopen it بِالجودِin generosity لَمnot يَقدُرِhe could
يَبسُطَها بِالجودِ لَم يَقدُرِ
His hand's fingers are clenched; even if he wished to
With clasped, curled fingers, if he wished
open it in generosity, he could not.
To extend them generously, he wouldn't be able
مُحَكَّمٌan appointed arbiter لَوif أَنصَفَwas just الدَهرُFate فيin الthe
مُحَكَّمٌ لَو أَنصَفَ الدَهرُ في ال
أَحكامِjudgments لَمnot يَنهَhe would forbid وَلَمand not يَأمُرِhe would command
أَحكامِ لَم يَنهَ وَلَم يَأمُرِ
An appointed arbiter—had Fate been just in its
An arbitrator, if fate judged fairly in its
judgments, he would neither forbid nor command.
Rulings, he would neither forbid nor instruct
يَبدوappears لِراجيهِto one seeking his favor عَلىon وَجهِهِhis face
يَبدو لِراجيهِ عَلى وَجهِهِ
غَلظَةُfierceness لَيثٍof a lion بِالشَرىin al-Shara مُخدِرِlair-dwelling
غَلظَةُ لَيثٍ بِالشَرى مُخدِرِ
To those seeking his favor, his face displays
To those seeking him, his face shows
the fierceness of a lion in its lair in al-Shara.
The roughness of a fierce lion with blinded eyes
لَوif أَنَّهاthat it بِالأَرضِin the earth ماnot أَخصَبَتgrew fertile
لَو أَنَّها بِالأَرضِ ما أَخصَبَت
أَوor بِالسَحابِin the clouds الجونِdark لَمnot يُمطِرِrain
أَو بِالسَحابِ الجونِ لَم يُمطِرِ
Were that fierceness in the earth, it would not grow fertile;
If the earth did not grow fertile
or in the dark clouds, they would not rain.
Or the rain clouds did not rain
ناهيكَenough for you مِنof وَجهٍa face لَهُof his عابِسٍscowling
ناهيكَ مِن وَجهٍ لَهُ عابِسٍ
كَأَنَّهُas though it were سُقلٌa threshing sledge عَلىon بَيدَرِa threshing floor
كَأَنَّهُ سُقلٌ عَلى بَيدَرِ
What a scowling face he has—
Let alone his frowning face
as though it were a threshing sledge on a threshing floor!
Like a sullen man at the watering hole
لَيسَthere is not بِهِin it ماءُwater حَياءٍof shame فَلوso if
لَيسَ بِهِ ماءُ حَياءٍ فَلو
عَصَرتَهُyou squeezed it بِالسَهمِwith an arrow لَمnot يَقطُرِit would drip
عَصَرتَهُ بِالسَهمِ لَم يَقطُرِ
There is no moisture of shame in it; even if
He has no shame, so if you squeezed him
you squeezed it with an arrow, it would not drip.
With an arrow, no water would drip
يَحذِفُflings about فيin الدَستِthe seat of honor بِأَعضادِهِwith his upper arms
يَحذِفُ في الدَستِ بِأَعضادِهِ
كَأَنَّهُas though he were المَلّاحُthe boatman فيaboard المَعبَرِthe ferryboat
كَأَنَّهُ المَلّاحُ في المَعبَرِ
He flails his arms in the seat of honor,
He hurls in the cooking pot with his shoulders
as though he were a boatman aboard a ferry.
As if he were the cook at the crossing
أُنظُرlook مَتىwhenever شِئتَyou wish إِلىat قُبحِهِhis ugliness
أُنظُر مَتى شِئتَ إِلى قُبحِهِ
وَاِغنَand dispense عَنِwith المَنظَرِthe appearance بِالمَخبَرِthrough the inner character
وَاِغنَ عَنِ المَنظَرِ بِالمَخبَرِ
Look whenever you wish at his ugliness,
Look whenever you wish at his ugliness
and let his inner character spare you the sight.
And ignore the sight from the informant
لَوif عُوِّضَwere compensated الناظِرُthe beholder عَنin exchange for ذَلِكَthat الthe
لَو عُوِّضَ الناظِرُ عَن ذَلِكَ ال
وَجهِface عَمىblindness العَينَينِof both eyes لَمnot يَخسَرِhe would lose
وَجهِ عَمى العَينَينِ لَم يَخسَرِ
Were the beholder given, in exchange for that
If the onlooker were compensated for that
face, blindness in both eyes, he would lose nothing.
Face with blindness, he would not lose out
يَفوحُwafts نَتنُstench العِرضِthe reputation مِنهُfrom him وَلَوand even if
يَفوحُ نَتنُ العِرضِ مِنهُ وَلَو
ضَمَّختَهُyou anointed him بِالمِسكِwith musk وَالعَنبَرِand ambergris
ضَمَّختَهُ بِالمِسكِ وَالعَنبَرِ
The stench of his reputation wafts from him, even if
The stench of shame emanates from him, and if
you anointed him with musk and ambergris.
You doused him in musk and ambergris
كَأَنَّهُas though he were شِلوُa corpse قَتيلٍof a slain man أَتَتhave passed
كَأَنَّهُ شِلوُ قَتيلٍ أَتَت
لَهُfor him ثَلاثٌthree وَهوَwhile he لَمnot يُقبَرِbe buried
لَهُ ثَلاثٌ وَهوَ لَم يُقبَرِ
As though he were a slain man's corpse that has lain
He is like the corpse of a paralyzed man
three nights, still unburied.
Whose burial was delayed for three days
Sol 6.1