لَقَدindeed لَجَّpersisted هَذاthis الدَّهرُage فيin نكباتِهِits calamities
لَقَد لَجَّ هَذا الدَّهرُ في نكباتِهِ
عَلَيّupon me إِلىuntil أَنthat لَيسَthere is not فيin الكيسِthe purse دِرهَمُa dirham
عَلَيّ إِلى أَن لَيسَ في الكيسِ دِرهَمُ
This age has indeed persisted in inflicting its calamities
Indeed this age has overwhelmed me with its calamities,
upon me, until not a dirham remains in the purse.
To the point that there is not a single coin left in my purse,
وَأَمسَتand became جَواليقيmy sacks بِرَغمِagainst the wishes of ظَعينَتيmy wife
وَأَمسَت جَواليقي بِرَغمِ ظَعينَتي
رِهاناًcollateral عَلىfor ماwhatever فيin الجَواليقِthe sacks يُعكَمُis bundled up
رِهاناً عَلى ما في الجَواليقِ يُعكَمُ
And my sacks have become, against my wife's wishes,
And my pockets, despite my arrogance,
collateral for whatever is bundled in the sacks.
Have become collateral for what little they contain,
وَأَعظَمُand greater منthan ذاthis أَنَّthat شِعرِيَmy poetry مُعرَبٌin proper Arabic
وَأَعظَمُ من ذا أَنَّ شِعرِيَ مُعرَبٌ
فَصيحٌeloquent وَأنِّيand that I حينَwhen أَنطِقُI speak أَعجَمُinarticulate in Arabic
فَصيحٌ وَأنِّي حينَ أَنطِقُ أَعجَمُ
And greater than this is that my poetry is in proper Arabic,
But what's worse is that my poetry is eloquent Arabic,
eloquent, yet I am inarticulate when I speak.
Yet when I speak, I am incomprehensible.
Sol 6.1