وتاجرٍand a merchant ماطلْتُهُI put him off دينَهُthe debt owed to him
وتاجرٍ ماطلْتُهُ دينَهُ
لأجتليهِso I might gaze upon him قالhe said ماhow أمطلَكْslow you are to pay!
لأجتليهِ قال ما أمطلَكْ
And I put off paying a merchant his due,
to gaze upon him. He said, “How slow you are to pay!”
قلتُI said لهُto him جيدُكَyour neck ليmine أوْor لِمَنْwhose?
قلتُ لهُ جيدُكَ لي أوْ لِمَنْ
فقالَthen he said هاتِhand over المالَthe money والجيدُand the neck لكْis yours
فقالَ هاتِ المالَ والجيدُ لكْ
I said to him, “Is your neck mine—or whose?”
Then he said, “Hand over the money, and my neck is yours.”