قَد قالَ كاتبُ حانوتٍ لتاجرهِ

قَد قالَ كاتبُ حانوتٍ لتاجرهِ

هَذي سَفاتِجُكَ ازدادت هنا عددا

هَذي سَفاتِجُكَ ازدادت هنا عددا

A shop clerk once said to his merchant:

The shop owner said to his merchant

These bills of exchange of yours have grown in number here.

Your books here have increased in number

أَلا نَخيطُ حواشيها وَنجمعها

أَلا نَخيطُ حواشيها وَنجمعها

مَعاً وَأَحفَظُ ذا من كونِها بددا

مَعاً وَأَحفَظُ ذا من كونِها بددا

Shall we not stitch their edges and gather them

Shall we sew their edges and gather them

together? This would keep them safer than leaving them scattered.

Together, so I can keep this from scattering

فأَجفل التاجر المُثرى وقال لَهُ

فأَجفل التاجر المُثرى وقال لَهُ

ماذا تَقولُ عدِمتَ الفهمَ وَالرشدا

ماذا تَقولُ عدِمتَ الفهمَ وَالرشدا

Then the wealthy merchant recoiled and said to him:

The wealthy merchant was startled and said to him

What are you saying? May you lose understanding and sound judgment!

What are you saying? You lack understanding and wisdom

أَلَيسَ شكلَ كتابٍ ذا وَطَرفي ان

أَلَيسَ شكلَ كتابٍ ذا وَطَرفي ان

رأَى الكتابَ وَلَو في نومهِ رَمِدا

رأَى الكتابَ وَلَو في نومهِ رَمِدا

Would this not look like a book? And if my eye

Is not a book's shape with its covers that

saw a book, even in its sleep, it would grow inflamed.

If seen even in sleep would remind one of a book

وَها الدَفاترُ منذ البدءِ في يدكم

وَها الدَفاترُ منذ البدءِ في يدكم

كَي لا أَرى الكُتبَ أو اشباهها ابدا

كَي لا أَرى الكُتبَ أو اشباهها ابدا

And look—the ledgers have been in your hands from the start,

And here are the records from the beginning in your hands

so that I may never see books or their like.

So I never see books or their likes ever