وشاعرٍand a poet أَجوْعَhungrier منthan ذيبِa wolf
وشاعرٍ أَجوْعَ من ذيبِ
معشِّشٍnesting بينamong أَعاريبِBedouins
معشِّشٍ بين أَعاريبِ
And a poet hungrier than a wolf,
And a poet hungrier than a wolf,
nesting among Bedouin Arabs—
Nesting among Bedouins—
سَلَّتُهُhis basket أقفرُmore barren منthan سبسبٍa desolate plain
سَلَّتُهُ أقفرُ من سبسبٍ
فيهاin it طِرازٌembroidery للعناكيبِfor the spiders
فيها طِرازٌ للعناكيبِ
his basket more desolate than an open waste,
His basket more barren than a desolate plain;
with spiderwork for its brocade.
Within it is the spiders’ embroidery.
لاno مستهِلٌّcrying newborn فيهin him يُكْنىhe is given a byname بهafter him
لا مستهِلٌّ فيه يُكْنى به
غيرexcept سُلاحٍexcrement كالمَيازِيبِlike drainspouts
غير سُلاحٍ كالمَيازِيبِ
In him, no squalling newborn to give him a kunya—
No crying newborn within him to give him a father’s byname,
only a weapon like the drainspouts.
Except excrement streaming like drainspouts.
