قِردٌa monkey يكادُalmost منَfrom التّفَهُّمِunderstanding يَنْطِقُspeaks
قِردٌ يكادُ منَ التّفَهُّمِ يَنْطِقُ
وتراهُand you see him منْbecause of حُسنbeauty الرَّشاقةgraceful agility يُعشقُis adored
وتراهُ منْ حُسن الرَّشاقة يُعشقُ
A monkey who almost speaks from sheer understanding,
A monkey, so intelligent he seems about to speak,
And you see him adored for his graceful agility.
So graceful in form you’d think him someone to seek.
ماnever جازَpassed داراًa house فيupon ذراهاits heights ظافراًtriumphant
ما جازَ داراً في ذراها ظافراً
إلاexcept وكادَand nearly بِسقفِهاto its roof يتعلّقُclings
إلا وكادَ بِسقفِها يتعلّقُ
He never passed a house, triumphant upon its heights,
He entered no house as a raider in stealth
Without nearly clinging to its roof.
Save he looked as if clinging onto its roof.
يَسطوlunges سطُوthe lunge of العَبدthe slave الخَصيthe eunuch منافِقاًdissembling
يَسطو سطُو العَبد الخَصي منافِقاً
ويَظَلُّand keeps on يَرقُصُdancing تارةًat times وَيُصَفّقُand claps
ويَظَلُّ يَرقُصُ تارةً وَيُصَفّقُ
He lunges like a eunuch slave, dissembling,
With the swagger of a eunuch, hypocritically,
And keeps on, now dancing, now clapping.
Now dancing, now clapping, he postures conceitedly.
ولهُand he has يَدُthe hand of الصبّاغِthe dyer ظاهرُthe back of كَفّهhis hand
ولهُ يَدُ الصبّاغِ ظاهرُ كَفّه
عندَat الإشارَةِthe gesture للأمانةِfor honesty أزرَقُblue
عندَ الإشارَةِ للأمانةِ أزرَقُ
And he has a dyer's hand: the back of his hand
The dye on the conjurer’s hand makes vividly clear
Is blue when he gestures in token of honesty.
The gesture for "honesty" with fingers blue smeared.
وَعَليهِand upon him منof زُغبِthe down of الخِلافِthe willow ملابِسٌgarments
وَعَليهِ من زُغبِ الخِلافِ ملابِسٌ
بلْrather فَروُthe fur of سِنجابa squirrel عَليهupon him وَيَنْفِقُand sells well
بلْ فَروُ سِنجاب عَليه وَيَنْفِقُ
And he wears garments of willow down—
In motley discordant he’s dressed. On his head
Rather, he wears squirrel fur, and it sells well.
There’s a fur-lined hood into which he makes spread
وإذاand when جَلَستُI sit down فَسُمعتيthen my reputation فيin كَفِّةa scale-pan
وإذا جَلَستُ فَسُمعتي في كَفِّة
وَهْوَand he الحريضُthe one wasted by grief بهاover it لِئلاlest يَحدِقُhe stare intently
وَهْوَ الحريضُ بها لِئلا يَحدِقُ
And when I sit, my reputation lies in a scale-pan,
His cheeks. When I sit, I am weighed in one pan,
And he is sick with worry over it, lest he stare.
He, to keep upright, jumps into the other then.
وبهِand through him أكتِسابيmy earnings بالذيby what عَلّمتُهُI taught him
وبهِ أكتِسابي بالذي عَلّمتُهُ
منfrom بَعدafter ماthat ذُبحَwas slaughtered الجديthe goat-kid الأبلَقُpiebald
من بَعد ما ذُبحَ الجدي الأبلَقُ
And through him I earn my living, by what I taught him,
I acquired him by that I taught him to do
After the piebald kid was slaughtered.
After his dam, with no spots, I had slaughtered, too.
ورأىand he saw الذيwhat صَنَعَتْdid يديmy hand فيin كَفّةa scale-pan
ورأى الذي صَنَعَتْ يدي في كَفّة
فانقادَso he complied باقيthe rest of ماwhat أرومُI seek وَيَسبقُand anticipates
فانقادَ باقي ما أرومُ وَيَسبقُ
And he saw what my hand had done in a scale-pan,
What my hands wrought he saw in one pan as we weighed.
So he complied with all else I seek, and anticipates it.
He followed whatever else I desired or essayed.
أهلاًwelcome وَسَهلاُand welcome بِطَلعةِto the appearance of الدِّيلثthe rooster (uncertain reading)
أهلاً وَسَهلاُ بِطَلعةِ الدِّيلث
كأنّهاas though it were عُروةُʿUrwah الصعاليكthe outlaws
كأنّها عُروةُ الصعاليك
A warm welcome to the sight of the rooster,
Welcome, O Dilth's rising star, like a bold highwayman,
As though it were ʿUrwah of the outlaws.
Who came crowned as if he were king among mere servingmen.
أتىhe came بِتاجٍwith a crown كأنّهas though he were مَلكٌa king
أتى بِتاجٍ كأنّه مَلكٌ
بينَamong دجاجِhens مثلlike المماليكِthe slave retainers
بينَ دجاجِ مثل المماليكِ
He came with a crown, as though he were a king,
In silk and fine linen, with perfumes sweet,
Among hens like mamluks,
On his shoulders intricately embroidered.
بِطَيلَسانin a mantle مثلِlike الحريرِsilk معَwith التّبرgold dust
بِطَيلَسان مثلِ الحريرِ معَ التّبر
علىupon مَنْكِبيهِhis two shoulders مَحْبوكِclosely woven
على مَنْكِبيهِ مَحْبوكِ
In a mantle like silk mingled with gold dust,
When he marched, his tail like the righteous son of Ruzzik.
Closely woven over his shoulders.
Woe to you, oh cock, who came to peck but to flee
رايتهُhis banner إذas يسيرُhe walks منfrom ذَنْبهhis tail
رايتهُ إذ يسيرُ من ذَنْبه
كأنّهas though he were الصالحُal-Salih ابنُson of رُزَّيكِRuzzayk
كأنّه الصالحُ ابنُ رُزَّيكِ
His banner, as he walks, is his tail,
At his first feint to attack - as if valor could be
As though he were al-Salih ibn Ruzzayk.
In spilt blood never spilled before in like quantity.
ويلٌwoe لديكٍto a rooster أتىcame يناقِرُهُtrades pecks with him
ويلٌ لديكٍ أتى يناقِرُهُ
وَهَمَّand intended فيin حَربْهِbattle against him بِتَحريكِwith a move
وَهَمَّ في حَربْهِ بِتَحريكِ
Woe to a rooster that came to trade pecks with him
And meant to make a move in battle against him:
فإنهfor he يَسْتَبيحُtakes as lawful منْof دَمهhis blood
فإنه يَسْتَبيحُ منْ دَمه
ماwhat لَمْnot يَكُنْhas been مثلُهits like بَمسْفوكِshed
ما لَمْ يَكُنْ مثلُه بَمسْفوكِ
For he freely sheds a measure of his blood
Whose like has never been spilled.
Partial English translation: 24 of 28 Arabic lines translated.