أهديتyou gave ليto me مولايmy lord أضحيّةa sacrificial animal
أهديت لي مولاي أضحيّة
أرقthinner منthan حاليmy condition ومنand than شعريmy verse
أرق من حالي ومن شعري
You gave me, my lord, a sacrificial animal,
My Master has gifted me a sacrifice
Thinner than my fortunes and my verse.
More delicate than my state and my poetry
قيمتهاits value للبيعfor sale انif سمتهاyou appraise it
قيمتها للبيع ان سمتها
تبلغamounts to عشرa tenth العشرthe tenth منof عشرa tenth
تبلغ عشر العشر من عشر
Its sale price, if you appraise it,
If I were to sell it and name its price
Amounts to a tenth of a tenth of a tenth.
It would amount to a tenth of a tenth of a tenth
اكولةa glutton تأكلit eats فيin يومهاits day
اكولة تأكل في يومها
أضعافmany times ماwhat يؤكلis eaten فيin شهرa month
أضعاف ما يؤكل في شهر
A glutton, it eats in a single day
A she-camel that eats in one day
Many times what is eaten in a month.
Multiply what is eaten in a month
تعدit is counted فيamong الموتىthe dead اذاwhen سقتهاyou drive it
تعد في الموتى اذا سقتها
كأنهاas though it تمشيwalks علىon الجمرthe embers
كأنها تمشي على الجمر
It is counted among the dead when you drive it,
Counted among the dead if you water it
As though it were walking on embers.
As if it walks on embers
تكادit nearly انto تسقطfall منحورةslaughtered
تكاد ان تسقط منحورة
منfrom قبلbefore انthat تشعرit is aware بالنحرof the slaughter
من قبل ان تشعر بالنحر
It nearly falls down slaughtered,
About to collapse emaciated
Before it is even aware of the slaughter.
Before it feels the slaughter
تصلحit is fit انto تعملbe prepared مدفونةa 'buried' dish
تصلح ان تعمل مدفونة
لكونهاbecause it is معظمةfilling with bones القدرthe pot
لكونها معظمة القدر
It is fit to be prepared as a 'buried' dish,
Fit to be buried underground
For it fills the pot with bones.
For its tremendous worth
مطيةa mount اجعلهاI make it ليfor me اذاwhen
مطية اجعلها لي اذا
ماemphatic particle قمتI rise يومon the day البعثof resurrection منfrom قبريmy grave
ما قمت يوم البعث من قبري
I shall make it my mount when
A mount I’ll make it, if
I rise from my grave on Resurrection Day.
I rise not from my grave one day
لكننيbut I اخشىfear لضعفbecause of weakness بهاin it
لكنني اخشى لضعف بها
احملهاI carry it وزراas a burden علىon وظهريand my back
احملها وزرا على وظهري
But I fear, because of its weakness,
But I fear in its weakness
I shall carry it as a burden on my back,
To burden it and my back
وبينهمand among them اصبحI become اضحوكةa laughingstock
وبينهم اصبح اضحوكة
بحملهاby carrying it فيat موقفthe standing-place الحشرof the Gathering
بحملها في موقف الحشر
And become a laughingstock among them,
And between them I became a laughing stock
By carrying it at the place of the Gathering.
Burdening it at the gathering place
فلوfor if تراهاyou saw it فوقon top of ظهريmy back غدتit had become
فلو تراها فوق ظهري غدت
وحرتand I was bewildered ماwhat اصنعI should do فيin امريmy predicament
وحرت ما اصنع في امري
For if you saw it had ended up on my back,
If you were to see it atop my back
And I was at a loss what to do about my plight,
Bewildered, what to do in my affair
لكنتthen you would تكفينيَspare me تكفينهاits shrouding
لكنت تكفينيَ تكفينها
واجرةand the fee الغاسلthe corpse-washer والمقريand the Qur'an reciter
واجرة الغاسل والمقري
You would spare me the cost of shrouding it,
You would suffice me, suffice it
And the fee of the corpse-washer and the Qur'an reciter.
And pay the washer and enshrouder
فابعثso send إلىto العبدthe servant سواهاanother in its place وجدand be generous
فابعث إلى العبد سواها وجد
بالفضلwith bounty مناas a favor واغتنمand gain اجريmy reward
بالفضل منا واغتنم اجري
So send your servant another, and be generous
So send Your servant anything else found
With bounty as a favor, and gain the reward for helping me.
With grace from Us, and seize my reward
لاmay you not زلتcease to be فردthe peerless one الدهرof the age جمabundant in العطاgiving
لا زلت فرد الدهر جم العطا
تفوزyou win بالحمدwith praise وبالشكرand with thanks
تفوز بالحمد وبالشكر
May you ever be peerless in your age, lavish in giving,
You remain the unique generous one
Winning praise and gratitude,
Triumphant in praise and gratitude
ماas long as حركstirs العودthe bough نسيمthe breeze الصباof the east wind
ما حرك العود نسيم الصبا
وماand as long as عليهupon it سجعcoos القمريthe turtledove
وما عليه سجع القمري
As long as the east wind's breeze stirs the bough,
The breeze did not stir the twig
And as long as the turtledove coos upon it.
Nor did the moonlight cast rhyme upon it