يقولsay القائلونthose who speak ضَويتَyou are scrawny جِدّاًvery much
يقول القائلون ضَويتَ جِدّاً
ولمand did not تُنْضِجْكَripen you أرحامُthe wombs of النِّساءِwomen
ولم تُنْضِجْكَ أرحامُ النِّساءِ
People say, 'You are very scrawny,
They say you strayed far away
And women's wombs did not ripen you.'
And women's wombs did not nurture you
ومنand because of إنضاجهاtheir ripening إيايme أعْرتthey stripped bare
ومن إنضاجها إياي أعْرت
عظاميmy bones منof لحومِهمُtheir flesh الوِطاءِsoft and cushioning
عظامي من لحومِهمُ الوِطاءِ
Yet it was through their ripening me that they stripped
And from their nurturing me I knew
My bones of the soft flesh others bear.
My bones from their supple flesh would stray
إذاif ماemphatic particle كنتُI am ذاpossessed of عودٍa trunk صليبsturdy
إذا ما كنتُ ذا عودٍ صليب
فيكفينيthen suffices me القليلُa little منof اللِّحاءِbark
فيكفيني القليلُ من اللِّحاءِ
If I have a sturdy trunk,
If I'm made of crucifix wood
Then a little bark suffices me.
Then a little gum will do okay