أحْسَنَdid well منthe one who لَقَّبَهُnicknamed him شَرْشَراSharshar
أحْسَنَ من لَقَّبَهُ شَرْشَرا
كمhow often ردَّدَhe repeated الشرَّevil وكمand how often كرّراhe reiterated
كم ردَّدَ الشرَّ وكم كرّرا
He who nicknamed him Sharshar did well.
How often he repeated 'evil,' how often reiterated it!
ماnever مَقَلَتْbeheld عينايَmy two eyes منfrom قبلهbefore him
ما مَقَلَتْ عينايَ من قبله
ذاone with مقلةٍan eye حاملةٍbearing خِنْجَراa dagger
ذا مقلةٍ حاملةٍ خِنْجَرا
Before him, my eyes had never beheld
one whose eye bore a dagger.
حلوٌsweet إِذاwhen مرَّhe passes تَوَهَّمْتُهُI imagine him
حلوٌ إِذا مرَّ تَوَهَّمْتُهُ
يثيرُhe stirs up منfrom أعطافهhis sides سُكَّراsugar
يثيرُ من أعطافه سُكَّرا
Sweet is he: when he passes, I imagine him
stirring up sugar from his sides.
أظفرنيmay He grant me victory اللهُGod بهover him مثلَlike ماwhat
أظفرني اللهُ به مثلَ ما
أظفرهُHe enabled him to win منيfrom me بماwith what أظفراHe enabled him to win
أظفرهُ مني بما أظفرا
May God let me win him, just as
He let him win from me what He enabled him to win.