وقائلٍand someone saying إنَّindeed أباAbu (father of) حَفْصلٍHafsal
وقائلٍ إنَّ أبا حَفْصلٍ
أحمقa fool محتاجٌin need إلىof ضَرْبِa beating
أحمق محتاجٌ إلى ضَرْبِ
And someone said: Surely Abu Hafsal
They say Abu Hafs is a fool in need of blows,
is a fool in need of a beating.
He didn't marry a youthful bride in the prime of life,
لمdid not يتزوَّجmarry حَدَثاًas a youth ناشئاًgrowing up
لم يتزوَّج حَدَثاً ناشئاً
يهتزُّhe sways مثلlike الغُصُنthe bough الرَّطْبِsupple
يهتزُّ مثل الغُصُن الرَّطْبِ
He did not marry as a youth growing up,
Swaying like a moist branch,
swaying like a supple bough,
Until he reached a state,
حتىuntil إذاwhen صارhe came إلىto حالةٍa state
حتى إذا صار إلى حالةٍ
تجمعُcombines ضَعْفَweakness الباهِsexual potency والكَسْبِand earning power
تجمعُ ضَعْفَ الباهِ والكَسْبِ
until, when he came to a state
Where weakness and livelihood come together,
combining weakness of virility and earning power,
He married an old woman, especially at such a difficult time!
تزوَّجَmarried المائقُthe simpleton لاسيماespecially
تزوَّجَ المائقُ لاسيما
فيin مثلِthe like of هذاthis الزمنtime الصّعْبِdifficult
في مثلِ هذا الزمن الصّعْبِ
the simpleton married—particularly
When he was most in need of a provider,
in such a difficult time as this.
Who could help him, he came with propriety,
أحوجَmost in need ماwhen كانhe was إلىof كاسبٍan earner
أحوجَ ما كان إلى كاسبٍ
يُجديbrings benefit عليهto him جاءhe came بالأدبِwith an astonishing deed
يُجدي عليه جاء بالأدبِ
When he most needed an earner
In addition to his dependents, he took a wife,
to support him, he did an astonishing thing:
Oh what a calamity upon calamity!
زادhe added علىto عَيْلتِهِhis poverty زوجةًa wife
زاد على عَيْلتِهِ زوجةً
ياO لكfor you منof نَكْبٍa calamity علىupon نَكْبِa calamity
يا لك من نَكْبٍ على نَكْبِ
he added a wife to his poverty.
He bears burdens while he is burdened by her,
What a calamity upon calamity!
More burdens! Oh what an ordeal!
يحملhe bears كَلّاًa burden وهوwhile he منthrough ضُرِّهِhis hardship
يحمل كَلّاً وهو من ضُرِّهِ
كَلٌّa burden فياso, O للّهto God منof خَطْبِa calamity
كَلٌّ فيا للّه من خَطْبِ
He bears a burden, though through his own hardship
So I said, do not hastily blame our elder,
he is a burden himself—O God, what a plight!
With disapproval, rebuke and reproach,
فقلتُso I said لاdo not تعجَلْbe hasty علىtoward شيخناour old man
فقلتُ لا تعجَلْ على شيخنا
باللّومwith blame والتعنيفand harsh rebuke والعَتْبِand reproach
باللّوم والتعنيف والعَتْبِ
So I said: Do not be hasty with our old man
Perhaps what you reckon of his affairs,
in blame, harsh rebuke, and reproach.
And her affairs are the opposite and changed,
لعلperhaps ماwhat تَحْسِبُyou suppose منabout أمرهِhis affairs
لعل ما تَحْسِبُ من أمرهِ
وأمرِهاand her affairs بالعكسin reverse والقلْبِand inversion
وأمرِها بالعكس والقلْبِ
Perhaps what you suppose about his affairs
It is she who grazes in his livelihood,
and hers is reversed and turned about.
So pay heed, o heedless heart!
هوhe الذيwho يرتعُgrazes freely فيin كَسْبهاher earnings
هو الذي يرتعُ في كَسْبها
فافطُنْso take note لهof him ياO نائمَsleeping القلبِthe heart
فافطُنْ له يا نائمَ القلبِ
He is the one who grazes on her earnings,
The likes of him whose affairs went badly,
so take note of him, you whose heart sleeps!
Never! The elder is clever.
ماnot مثلُهُlike him مَنْone whose سَاءَwas poor تدبيرُهُhis planning
ما مثلُهُ مَنْ سَاءَ تدبيرُهُ
هيهاتَfar from it إنindeed الشيخَthe old man ذوpossessed of إرْبِshrewdness
هيهاتَ إن الشيخَ ذو إرْبِ
He is not like one whose planning goes awry.
When he saw his pens had become,
Far from it! The old man is indeed shrewd.
Grazing the gardens of fertility and barrenness,
لمَاwhen رأىhe saw أقلامَهُhis pens أصبحتْhad become
لمَا رأى أقلامَهُ أصبحتْ
تَرعىgrazing رياضَthe meadows of المَحلdrought والجدبِand barrenness
تَرعى رياضَ المَحل والجدبِ
When he saw that his pens had begun
The poor man married Laila,
grazing the meadows of drought and barrenness,
Through her he came upon comfort and prosperity,
تزوّجmarried المسكينُthe poor fellow ليليةًa woman of the night
تزوّج المسكينُ ليليةً
أضحىhe came to be بهاthrough her فيin الرِّفهease والخِصبِand abundance
أضحى بها في الرِّفه والخِصبِ
the poor fellow married a woman of the night;
She toils for the elder on all fours,
through her he came to live in ease and abundance.
Bending forward and sideways,
تكدحُshe toils للشيخfor the old man علىon أربعٍfour limbs
تكدحُ للشيخ على أربعٍ
وللقفاand on the back طوراًsometimes وللجَنْبِand on the side
وللقفا طوراً وللجَنْبِ
She toils for the old man on all fours,
Her head never ceases to hang low,
and sometimes on her back, and on her side;
Lowering it to the place of prostration,
فليسso not ينفكّever ceases لهاfor her خافضa lowerer (genitive governor)
فليس ينفكّ لها خافض
يخفِضهاlowers her فيin موضعِthe place of النَّصْبِerection (also the accusative case)
يخفِضها في موضعِ النَّصْبِ
so she is never without a man who lowers her,
So whoever sees the likes of Abu Hafs,
lowering her in the place of erection.
Insulting or the likes of me praising,
فمنso who رأىhas seen مثلthe like of أبيAbu (father of) حفصلٍHafsal
فمن رأى مثل أبي حفصلٍ
فيin السبّabuse أوor مثليَlike me فيin الذبِّdefense
في السبّ أو مثليَ في الذبِّ
Who, then, has seen the like of Abu Hafsal
I defend him with his excuses,
in abuse, or my like in defense?
While he spins poetry insulting me.
أقومُI stand up عنهُon his behalf بمعاذيرِهِwith his excuses
أقومُ عنهُ بمعاذيرِهِ
وهوwhile he يحوكُweaves الشعرpoetry فيin سِّبيabuse of me
وهو يحوكُ الشعر في سِّبي
I plead his excuses on his behalf,
while he weaves poetry to revile me.
Partial English translation: 32 of 34 Arabic lines translated.