كَيفَhow يَصفوbecomes serene المُقيمُthe dweller فيin أُمِّmother دَفرٍstench
كَيفَ يَصفو المُقيمُ في أُمِّ دَفرٍ
وَهُوَwhile he مِنfrom كُلِّevery وَجهَةٍpoint of view يَصطَفيهاhe favors her
وَهُوَ مِن كُلِّ وَجهَةٍ يَصطَفيها
How can the dweller in Umm Dafr—Mother of Stench—find peace,
when he favors her from every point of view,
مِنof دِيارٍdwellings قَدalready جاءَهاcame to them القادِمُthe newcomer الآ‘arriving’ (first fragment)
مِن دِيارٍ قَد جاءَها القادِمُ الآ
تي‘arriving’ (final fragment) فَلَمyet did not يَعتَبِرtake heed بِمَنصَرِفيهاfrom those departing them
تي فَلَم يَعتَبِر بِمَنصَرِفيها
with dwellings to which the newcomer has come,
arriving, yet taking no lesson from those departing them,
وَاِختِلافٍand differences مِنَamong الشُؤونِthe affairs عَلىdespite
وَاِختِلافٍ مِنَ الشُؤونِ عَلى
أَنَّthat السَجاياinnate dispositions تَضُمُّunite مُختَلِفيهاthose who differ in them
أَنَّ السَجايا تَضُمُّ مُختَلِفيها
and differences in affairs, although
innate dispositions unite those who differ in them?
وَبُزاةُand hawks الأَنيسِhumankind تَختَطِفُsnatch اللَذ‘pleasures’ (first fragment)
وَبُزاةُ الأَنيسِ تَختَطِفُ اللَذ
ذاتِ‘pleasures’ (final fragment) لَوif سُلِّمَتwere handed over لِمُختَطِفيهاto those who snatch them
ذاتِ لَو سُلِّمَت لِمُختَطِفيها
And the hawks of humankind snatch
pleasures, if yielded to those who snatch them.
عَرَبِيٌّan Arab يَسعىmakes his way إِلىtoward الجارَةِthe female neighbor الدُن‘nearest’ (first fragment)
عَرَبِيٌّ يَسعى إِلى الجارَةِ الدُن
يا‘nearest’ (final fragment) فَيُدعىand so he is called لِماfor what جَناهُhe committed it سَفيهاa fool
يا فَيُدعى لِما جَناهُ سَفيها
An Arab pursues the nearest female neighbor,
and is called a fool for what he has done;
وَتَرىand you see الكاسِكِيَّthe Kāsikī يَختارُchooses عِرساًa wife
وَتَرى الكاسِكِيَّ يَختارُ عِرساً
مِنfrom سِوىother than القَريَةِthe village الَّتيwhich هُوَhe فيهاin it
مِن سِوى القَريَةِ الَّتي هُوَ فيها
and you see the Kāsikī choosing a wife
from outside the village where he lives.