أبوكyour father فيin بيتكمyour (plural) house
أبوك في بيتكم
لكنّهbut he بكتمرُBaktamur
لكنّه بكتمرُ
Your father is in your house,
Your father is in your house
but he is Baktamur.
Yet he is completely hidden
أماdid you not عميتyou went blind مرةonce
أما عميت مرة
فكيفthen how عدتyou returned تبصرُyou see
فكيف عدت تبصرُ
Did you not go blind once?
If you missed him once
Then how did you come to see again?
How could you see him again?
مشمرlaid bare العرضhonor لهfor him
مشمر العرض له
بابgate ندىbounty مشمرُlaid bare
باب ندى مشمرُ
His honor laid bare, he has
With his honor exposed
a gate of bounty laid bare,
The dewy door wide open
أطيبmore fragrant منthan فيهhis mouth وذاand this
أطيب من فيه وذا
لاno شكّdoubt فيهabout it مَبعَرُdung-hole
لا شكّ فيه مَبعَرُ
more fragrant than his mouth—and this
The finest of those within
is, without doubt, a dung-hole.
No doubt, a sweet basil
نتانةstench خُصَّhe was singled out بِهاwith it
نتانة خُصَّ بِها
ماnot كُلُّevery بغَّاcatamite أبخَرُfoul-breathed
ما كُلُّ بغَّا أبخَرُ
A stench he was singled out for:
Endowed with mint so fragrant
not every catamite is foul-breathed.
Not every scent is beautiful