قدindeed قالsaid صبيانيmy boys وهمand they are تسعةnine
قد قال صبياني وهم تسعة
عاشرthe tenth of صبيانيmy boys صغيرlittle فطيمa weaned child
عاشر صبياني صغير فطيم
My boys have said—nine of them,
My nine boys said, and the tenth a suckling babe,
the tenth of my boys being a little weanling—
Out of greed for dates though bankrupt were they,
منout of شهوةlonging for البسرthe unripe dates وافلاسهمand their poverty
من شهوة البسر وافلاسهم
ماwhat فعلتhas done نخلةthe date palm of عبدالرحيمAbd al-Rahim
ما فعلت نخلة عبدالرحيم
out of longing for unripe dates and their poverty:
"What did Abdul Rahim's palm tree do,
“What has become of Abd al-Rahim’s date palm?
Would that he had not cut it down!
ياoh ليتهاwould that it انif هوhe لمnot يهدماsend as a gift what
يا ليتها ان هو لم يهدما
عوّدناهhe accustomed us to it اصبحتit became كالصريمlike a field reaped bare
عوّدناه اصبحت كالصريم
Oh, would that—if he does not send what
He accustomed us, it became like milk."
he has accustomed us to—it might become like a field reaped bare!”
Partial English translation: 5 of 6 Arabic lines translated.