كَأَنَّماas though دُنياكَyour world وَحشِيَّةٌa wild beast
كَأَنَّما دُنياكَ وَحشِيَّةٌ
نَظَرَتshe looked فيat آثارِtracks أَظلافِهاher cloven hooves
نَظَرَت في آثارِ أَظلافِها
It is as though your world were a wild beast
that looked at the tracks of her cloven hooves.
ماnot بَقِيَremained الواحِدُa single one مِنof أَلفِهاher thousand
ما بَقِيَ الواحِدُ مِن أَلفِها
بَلrather هُوَhe مِنof سِتَّةِsix آلافِهاher thousands
بَل هُوَ مِن سِتَّةِ آلافِها
Not one of her thousand remains—
nay, not one of her six thousand.
تَطلُبُyou seek أَريَّhoney النَحلِthe bees مِنfrom خِلفِهاher teat
تَطلُبُ أَريَّ النَحلِ مِن خِلفِها
وَذائِبُand liquid السَمِّpoison بِأَخلافِهاin her teats
وَذائِبُ السَمِّ بِأَخلافِها
You seek the bees’ honey from her teat,
yet liquid poison lies in her teats.
إِنif أَخلَفَتكَshe failed you اليَومَtoday مَوعِدَهاher promise
إِن أَخلَفَتكَ اليَومَ مَوعِدَها
فَعُرفُهاthen her custom جارٍcontinues بِإِخلافِهاwith her promise-breaking
فَعُرفُها جارٍ بِإِخلافِها
If today she breaks her promise to you,
then breaking promises is her customary course.
حَلَفتُI have sworn ماnot حالَفَهاallied himself with her عاقِلٌa wise man
حَلَفتُ ما حالَفَها عاقِلٌ
وَشَأنُهاand her way الغَدرُtreachery بِأَحلافِهاtoward her allies
وَشَأنُها الغَدرُ بِأَحلافِها
I have sworn: no wise man has allied himself with her,
and her way is treachery toward her allies.
أَتلِفsquander إِذاwhen أَعطَتكshe gives you أَعراضَهاher worldly goods
أَتلِف إِذا أَعطَتك أَعراضَها
فَإِنَّهاfor they رَهنٌheld in pledge بِإِتلافِهاto their destruction
فَإِنَّها رَهنٌ بِإِتلافِها
Squander her worldly goods when she gives them to you,
for they are pledged to destruction.
تِلكَthat one عَجوزٌa crone أَلَّفَتshe put together شَرَّهاher evil
تِلكَ عَجوزٌ أَلَّفَت شَرَّها
قَبلَbefore بَنيthe sons of فِهرٍFihr وَإيلافِهاand their pacts
قَبلَ بَني فِهرٍ وَإيلافِها
That is a crone who fashioned her evil
before the sons of Fihr and their pacts.