عَيَّرَتنيyou taunted me نائِلَbounty السُلطانِthe sultan اَطلُبُهُI seek it
عَيَّرَتني نائِلَ السُلطانِ اَطلُبُهُ
ياah ضَلَّwent astray رَأيُكَyour judgment بَينَbetween الخُرقِfolly وَالنَزَقِand rashness
يا ضَلَّ رَأيُكَ بَينَ الخُرقِ وَالنَزَقِ
You reproached me for seeking the sovereign’s bounty—
You taunted me for seeking the sultan's bounty.
ah, how your judgment strays between folly and rashness!
Ah, your judgment has strayed between folly and rashness!
لَولاwere it not for اِمتِنانٌa favor مِنَfrom السُلطانِthe sultan تَجهَلُهُyou do not know it
لَولا اِمتِنانٌ مِنَ السُلطانِ تَجهَلُهُ
أَصبَحتُI would have ended up بِالسَودِat al-Sawd فيin مَقعَوعِسِa squat shelter خَلَقِworn-out
أَصبَحتُ بِالسَودِ في مَقعَوعِسِ خَلَقِ
Were it not for a favor from the sovereign that you know nothing of,
Were it not for a favor from the sultan, unknown to you,
I would now be in al-Sawād with some stooped, decrepit man,
I would have ended up at al-Sawd in a squat, worn-out shelter,
رَثَّthreadbare الرِداthe cloak بَينَamid أَهدامٍrags مُرَقَّعَةٍpatched
رَثَّ الرِدا بَينَ أَهدامٍ مُرَقَّعَةٍ
يَبيتُhe spends the night فيهاin them بِلَيلِin the night of الجائِعِthe hungry man الفَرِقِthe frightened
يَبيتُ فيها بِلَيلِ الجائِعِ الفَرِقِ
his cloak threadbare amid patched tatters,
threadbare of cloak, amid patched rags,
spending the night in them, hungry and afraid.
passing in them the night of a hungry, frightened man.
لاno شَيءَthing أَثبَتُmore certain بِالإِنسانِof a person مَعرِفَةًknowledge
لا شَيءَ أَثبَتُ بِالإِنسانِ مَعرِفَةً
مِنَthan الَّتيshe who حَزَمَتbound جَنبَيهِhis two sides بِالخِرقِwith rags
مِنَ الَّتي حَزَمَت جَنبَيهِ بِالخِرقِ
No one knows a man more surely
None has surer knowledge of a man
than the woman who has wrapped his sides in rags.
than she who bound his two sides with rags.
فَأَينَso where دارُكَyour house مِنهاcompared with hers وَهيَwhile she مُؤمِنَةًa believer
فَأَينَ دارُكَ مِنها وَهيَ مُؤمِنَةً
بِاللَهِin God مَعروفَةُknown for الإِسلامِIslam وَالشَفَقِand compassion
بِاللَهِ مَعروفَةُ الإِسلامِ وَالشَفَقِ
How can your household compare with hers, when she believes
So how does your house compare with hers? She is a believer
in God and is renowned for Islam and compassion?
in God, known for Islam and compassion.
وَأَينَand where رِزقُكَyour sustenance إِلّاexcept مِنfrom يَدَيthe two hands of مَرَّةٍMarra
وَأَينَ رِزقُكَ إِلّا مِن يَدَي مَرَّةٍ
ماnot بَتَّyou spent the night مِنfrom مالِهاher wealth إِلّاexcept عَلىthrough سَرَقِtheft
ما بَتَّ مِن مالِها إِلّا عَلى سَرَقِ
And whence comes your sustenance, if not from a woman’s hands?
And where do you get your sustenance but from Marra's hands?
Never have you lived on her wealth except by theft.
You have never passed a night living on her wealth except by theft.
تَبيتُyou spend the night وَالهِرَّand the cat مَمدوداًoutstretched عُيونُكُماthe eyes of you both
تَبيتُ وَالهِرَّ مَمدوداً عُيونُكُما
إلّاexcept تَطَعُّمِهاher eating مُخضَرَّةَgreen الحَدَقِthe pupils
إلّا تَطَعُّمِها مُخضَرَّةَ الحَدَقِ
You and the cat spend the night, both your eyes stretched wide,
You and the cat spend the night with your eyes outstretched,
until the two of you feed on some green-eyed creature.
fixed only on her eating, your pupils green.
ماno بَينَbetween رِزقَيكُماyour two portions of sustenance إِنif قاسَmeasures ذوa possessor of فِطَنٍdiscernment
ما بَينَ رِزقَيكُما إِن قاسَ ذو فِطَنٍ
فَرقٌdifference سَوىexcept أَنَّهُthat it يَأتيكَcomes to you فيon طَبَقِa plate
فَرقٌ سَوى أَنَّهُ يَأتيكَ في طَبَقِ
Between your two livelihoods—should a discerning man compare them—
Between your two portions of sustenance, if a discerning man compares, there is no
there is no difference, save that yours comes to you on a plate.
difference, except that yours comes to you on a plate.
شارَكَهُshare with him فيin صَيدِهِhis hunting لِلفَأرِfor mice تَأكُلُهُyou eat it
شارَكَهُ في صَيدِهِ لِلفَأرِ تَأكُلُهُ
كَماjust as تُشارِكُهُyou share with him فيin الوَجهِthe face وَالخُلُقِand character
كَما تُشارِكُهُ في الوَجهِ وَالخُلُقِ
Share with him in hunting the mouse that you eat,
Join him in his hunt for mice, and eat them,
just as you share with him in face and character.
just as you resemble him in face and character.
