ياO حرفَةَill fortune الشّعراءِthe poets إنَّكِindeed you منهمُfor them
يا حرفَةَ الشّعراءِ إنَّكِ منهمُ
حيثwherever اِبتغواthey sought رزقاًa livelihood لبِالمِرْصادِsurely in ambush
حيث اِبتغوا رزقاً لبِالمِرْصادِ
O poets’ ill-starred calling—you are ever among them,
O poets’ ill fortune, you are surely waiting for them,
O poetry, profession of poets, you are one of them
O craft of the poets, you are their inseparable shadow; wherever they seek sustenance, you lie in ambush.
lying in ambush wherever they seek a livelihood.
in ambush wherever they seek a livelihood.
Wherever they sought livelihood lying in wait
If their caravan were to descend into the Holy Valley, to quench their burning thirst, the valley would run dry.
لوif حلَّalighted بالواديin the valley المقدَّسِthe sacred ركبُهُمtheir caravan
لو حلَّ بالوادي المقدَّسِ ركبُهُم
لشِفَاءfor the relief of غُلَّتهمtheir burning thirst لجفَّwould surely dry up الوادِيthe valley
لشِفَاء غُلَّتهم لجفَّ الوادِي
Were their caravan to alight in the sacred valley
If their caravan alighted in the sacred valley
If their caravan had entered the sacred valley
And if they sought to shave their heads in Mecca, Al-Rashid would be present there, and Al-Hadi absent.
to quench their thirst, the valley itself would run dry.
to quench their burning thirst, the valley would run dry.
To cure their rancor, the valley would dry up
ولوand if اِبتغواthey sought حلقَshaving الرؤوسِthe heads بمكّةٍin Mecca
ولو اِبتغوا حلقَ الرؤوسِ بمكّةٍ
حضرwould be present الرشيدُal-Rashid بهاthere وغابَand would be absent الهادِيal-Hadi
حضر الرشيدُ بها وغابَ الهادِي
And were they to seek the shaving of heads in Mecca,
And if they sought to shave their heads in Mecca,
If they had sought to shave their heads in Mecca
al-Rashid would be present there, while al-Hadi was gone.
al-Rashid would be there, and al-Hadi would be absent.
Al-Rashid would attend it but Al-Hadi would be absent
Partial English translation: 3 of 6 Arabic lines translated.