قَدindeed دَعاناhe invited us فَأَراناthen he showed us
قَد دَعانا فَأَرانا
خُنفُساةًa beetle خَلفَbehind عودِa lute
خُنفُساةً خَلفَ عودِ
He invited us, then showed us
He called us, so he showed us
a beetle behind a lute.
Singing girls behind a lute,
وَتَغَنَّتand she sang مِنfrom قيامٍstanding
وَتَغَنَّت مِن قيامٍ
كَالمغنّيlike the singer مِنfrom قُعودِsitting
كَالمغنّي مِن قُعودِ
And she sang standing up,
And she sang from her standing
like a singer sitting down.
Like a singer from her sitting.
قُلتُI said لِلحاجِبِto the doorkeeper لَمّاwhen
قُلتُ لِلحاجِبِ لَمّا
رَدَّنيhe turned me away عَنهُfrom him بِجُهدِهwith his utmost effort
رَدَّني عَنهُ بِجُهدِه
I said to the doorkeeper, when
I said to the chamberlain when
he turned me away from him with all his might,
He pushed me away with his effort
وَتَأَلّىand he swore أَنَّهُthat he قَدalready ناslept (first word fragment)
وَتَأَلّى أَنَّهُ قَد نا
مَslept (final word fragment) مِنfrom إِدمانِunceasing continuation كَدِّهhis toil
مَ مِن إِدمانِ كَدِّه
and swore that he had fallen
And pretended that he had slept
asleep from his incessant toil:
From his constant toil,
أَنُعاساًout of drowsiness? نامَhe slept ربُّmaster البَيthe house (first word fragment)
أَنُعاساً نامَ ربُّ البَي
تِhouse (final word fragment) أَمor نامَhe slept لِعَبدِهfor his slave
تِ أَم نامَ لِعَبدِه
Did he sleep out of drowsiness, the master of the
"Did the Lord of the house sleep
house, or did he sleep for his slave's sake?
Or did he sleep for his servant?"