البَغلُthe mule وَالجاموسُand the buffalo فيin جَدَلَيهِماtheir two debates
البَغلُ وَالجاموسُ في جَدَلَيهِما
قَدindeed أَصبَحاthey both became مَثَلاًan example لِكُلِّfor every مُناظِرِdebater
قَد أَصبَحا مَثَلاً لِكُلِّ مُناظِرِ
The mule and the buffalo, in their debates,
Have indeed become an example for every debater.
بَرَزاthey both came forth عَشِيَّةَon the evening of لَيلَةٍa night فَتَناظَراthen they both debated
بَرَزا عَشِيَّةَ لَيلَةٍ فَتَناظَرا
هَذاthis one بِقَرنَيهِwith his two horns وَذاand that one بِالحافِرِwith the hoof
هَذا بِقَرنَيهِ وَذا بِالحافِرِ
They came forth at nightfall and debated,
This one with his two horns, and that one with his hoof.
ماnot أَحكماthey both mastered غَيرَanything but الصِياحِshouting كَأَنَّماas though
ما أَحكما غَيرَ الصِياحِ كَأَنَّما
لَقِناthey both learned جِدالَthe disputation of المُرتَضىal-Murtada بنِson of عَساكِرِAsakir
لَقِنا جِدالَ المُرتَضى بنِ عَساكِرِ
They mastered nothing but shouting, as though
They had learned al-Murtada ibn Asakir's style of debate.
جِلفانِtwo boors ماnot لَهُماfor them both شَبيهٌa counterpart ثالِثٌa third
جِلفانِ ما لَهُما شَبيهٌ ثالِثٌ
إِلّاexcept رقاعَةُthe buffoonery of مدلويهِMadlawayh الشاعِرِthe poet
إِلّا رقاعَةُ مدلويهِ الشاعِرِ
Two boors, with no third to match them,
Except the buffoonery of Madlawayh the poet:
لَفظٌwording طَويلٌlong تَحتَbeneath مَعنىًa meaning قاصِرٍdeficient
لَفظٌ طَويلٌ تَحتَ مَعنىً قاصِرٍ
كَالعَقلِlike the intellect فيin عَبدِAbd اللَطيفِal-Latif الناظِرِthe overseer
كَالعَقلِ في عَبدِ اللَطيفِ الناظِرِ
Long wording beneath a meager meaning,
Like the intellect in Abd al-Latif the overseer.
Translation model: Sol 6.1