نُبِّئتُI have been told جحظةُJaḥẓa يستعيرborrows جحوظَهhis bulging eyes
نُبِّئتُ جحظةُ يستعير جحوظَه
منfrom فيلan elephant شطرنجٍof chess ومنand from سَرطانِa crab
من فيل شطرنجٍ ومن سَرطانِ
I have been told Jaḥẓa borrows his bulging eyes
from a chess elephant and a crab.
ماwhat ضرَّwould harm منone who عيناهhis two eyes تانِكthose two ويحَهُwoe to him
ما ضرَّ من عيناه تانِك ويحَهُ
ألاnot to يكونbe لوجههfor his face عينانtwo eyes
ألا يكون لوجهه عينان
What harm would it do one with eyes like those—woe to him—
to have no eyes upon his face?
ناهيكenough for you بالشيطانin Satan منas فزَّاعةa bogeyman
ناهيك بالشيطان من فزَّاعة
وابنand the son استِهاof her arse فزَّاعةِthe bogeyman الشيطانof Satan
وابن استِها فزَّاعةِ الشيطان
Satan is bogeyman enough for you;
yet that son of her arse is Satan’s bogeyman.
ياO رحمتاmy pity! لمُنادميهfor his drinking companions تجشَّمواthey endured
يا رحمتا لمُنادميه تجشَّموا
ألمَpain العيونof the eyes للذَّةِfor the pleasure الآذانof the ears
ألمَ العيون للذَّةِ الآذان
Oh, how I pity his drinking companions, who have endured
pain to their eyes for pleasure to their ears!
Translation model: Sol 6.1