أَبلِغTell أَباAbu (father of) إِسحقIshaq واحِدةone thing
أَبلِغ أَبا إِسحق واحِدة
أَنَّthat الدَّساكرthe villages حَشوُهاtheir contents أَكَرَهfarmers
أَنَّ الدَّساكر حَشوُها أَكَرَه
Tell Abu Ishaq one thing:
Tell Abu Ishaq one thing:
the villages are stuffed with peasants.
that the villages are filled with farmers.
إِنif جاءَcame سَيلa flood سابقpreceding مطراrain
إِن جاءَ سَيل سابق مطرا
كانواthey would be بِسَدِّat sealing up بُيوتِهِمtheir houses مَهَرَهskilled
كانوا بِسَدِّ بُيوتِهِم مَهَرَه
If a torrent comes, outracing the rain,
If a flood came before the rain,
they are skilled at damming off their homes.
they would be skilled at sealing up their houses.
وَدَليلand the proof ذلِكof that أَنَّthat بَعضَهمone of them
وَدَليل ذلِك أَنَّ بَعضَهم
كَماas ظَنَنتُI thought الأَمرَthe matter قَدalready بَهَرَهoverwhelmed him
كَما ظَنَنتُ الأَمرَ قَد بَهَرَه
The proof of that is that one of them—
And the proof of that is that one of them,
just as I thought, the matter had overwhelmed him—
as I thought, had been overwhelmed by the matter:
كانَتwas إِجابَتهhis reply عَلىin عَجلhaste
كانَت إِجابَته عَلى عَجل
عنin return for كلevery بيتverse قُلتُهI recited it عَشَرَهten
عن كل بيت قُلتُه عَشَرَه
made his reply in haste:
his reply came in haste—
ten of his own for every verse I uttered.
ten for every verse I recited.
