هدّدِنيthreatened me جهلاًin ignorance رقاشRaqash وليتنيand would that I
هدّدِني جهلاً رقاش وليتني
وكُلّand every رقاشيٍّRaqashi علىon الأرضthe earth فيin الحبلِthe rope
وكُلّ رقاشيٍّ على الأرض في الحبلِ
Riqāsh threatened me in folly—would that I
Raqash threatened me in ignorance—would that I
and every Riqāshī on earth were bound together with the rope!
and every Raqashi on earth were bound by one rope!
فباستِso, up the arse of حُضينHudayn واستand the arse of أمٍّa mother رمتcast forth بهhim
فباستِ حُضين واست أمٍّ رمت به
فبئسso, how wretched محلُّthe lodging of الضيفِthe guest فيin الزمنthe season المحلbarren
فبئس محلُّ الضيفِ في الزمن المحل
By Ḥuḍayn’s arse, and the arse of the mother who cast him forth!
So, up Hudayn’s arse and the arse of the mother who cast him forth!
What a wretched lodging for a guest in a season of drought.
What a wretched lodging for a guest in a season of drought!
وإنand if أناI لمdo not أتركleave رقاشRaqash وجمعهمand their host
وإن أنا لم أترك رقاش وجمعهم
أذلَّmore abased علىunder وطءthe tread of الهوانhumiliation منthan النعلa sandal
أذلَّ على وطء الهوان من النعل
And if I do not leave Riqāsh and all their host
And if I do not leave Raqash and their host
more submissive to humiliation’s tread than a sandal,
more abased beneath humiliation’s tread than a sandal,
فشَلَّتthen may they be paralyzed يدايmy two hands واتبعتand may I follow سوىother than الهدىright guidance
فشَلَّت يداي واتبعت سوى الهدى
سبيلاًa path ولاand not وفّقتmay I be granted success للخيرtoward goodness والفضلِand virtue
سبيلاً ولا وفّقت للخير والفضلِ
then may my hands be paralyzed, and may I follow
then may my hands be paralyzed, and may I follow, instead of guidance,
a path other than guidance, never guided to goodness and virtue!
a path, and never be granted success in goodness and virtue.
عظامhuge الخُصىtesticles ثُطُّscant اللحىbeards معدنa mine of الخناobscenity
عظام الخُصى ثُطُّ اللحى معدن الخنا
مباخيلstingy people بالأزوادِwith provisions فيin الخصبplenty والأزلِand privation
مباخيل بالأزوادِ في الخصب والأزلِ
Huge-testickled, scant-bearded, a mine of foulness,
Huge of testicle, scant of beard, a mine of obscenity,
miserly with provisions in times of plenty and want alike;
stingy with provisions in plenty and privation.
إذاwhen أمنواthey feel safe from ضرّاءَthe afflictions of دهرٍtime تعاظلواthey mount one another
إذا أمنوا ضرّاءَ دهرٍ تعاظلوا
عظالَthe mating of الكلابِdogs فيin الدجنَّةِdarkness والوجلِand fear
عظالَ الكلابِ في الدجنَّةِ والوجلِ
when safe from the hardships of fortune, they tangle together
When safe from the afflictions of time, they mount one another
like dogs entangled in gloom and fright;
as dogs mate in darkness and fear.
وإنand if عضَّهمbites them دهرُtime بنكبةِwith the calamity of حادثٍan event
وإن عضَّهم دهرُ بنكبةِ حادثٍ
فأخورُthen feebler عيداناًin timber منthan المَرخِmarkh shrubs والأثلِand tamarisk
فأخورُ عيداناً من المَرخِ والأثلِ
but if fortune bites them with the blow of some calamity,
And if time bites them with a calamitous turn,
they are weaker in their timber than markh and tamarisk.
then their timber is feebler than markh and tamarisk.
أسودُlions of شرىًShara وسطَamid النديthe assembly ثعالبٌfoxes
أسودُ شرىً وسطَ الندي ثعالبٌ
إذاwhen حظرتhemmed in حربُwar مراجلهاits cauldrons تغليboil
إذا حظرت حربُ مراجلها تغلي
Lions of al-Sharā amid the council—foxes
Lions of Shara amid the assembly, but foxes
when war hems them in, its cauldrons boiling.
when war hems them in, its cauldrons boiling.
