ليto me صديقa friend لاnot أراهI see him
لي صديق لا أراه
قبَّحَmay ... make ugly اللهُGod لقاهthe sight of him!
قبَّحَ اللهُ لقاه!
I have a friend I never see—
I have a friend I do not see.
may God make meeting him hateful!
May God curse the sight of him!
مخلفُa breaker of الميعادِthe appointment لاnot يَعـknows (first part)
مخلفُ الميعادِ لا يَعـ
ـرفٌknows (completion) قولُspeech of الحقِّthe truth فاهhis mouth
ـرفٌ قولُ الحقِّ فاه
A breaker of promises—never does
He breaks appointments; never does
his mouth know the words of truth.
truthful speech know his mouth.
إنif يعدْنيhe promises me، فكماthen just as واpromised (first part)
إن يعدْني، فكما وا
عدpromised (completion) عُرقوبٌʿUrqūb أخاهhis brother
عد عُرقوبٌ أخاه
If he promises me, it is just like
If he promises me, it is just as
ʿUrqūb’s promise to his brother.
ʿUrqūb promised his brother.
آهah لوif only كنتُI was أرىI see وجـface (first part)
آه لو كنتُ أرى وجـ
ـهكyour face (completion)، ياO عبَّاسAbbas، آهah!
ـهك، يا عبَّاس، آه!
Ah, if only I could see
Ah, if only I could see
your face, Abbas—ah!
your face, O Abbas—ah!
طالَgrew long بالشَّمسin the sun انتظاريmy waiting
طالَ بالشَّمس انتظاري
لكfor you حتىuntil قلتI said: تاهhe lost his way!
لك حتى قلت: تاه!
Long has my waiting in the sun
My waiting in the sun grew long
for you dragged on, until I said, “He has lost his way!”
for you, until I said: 'He has lost his way!'
أينwhere سيارتُكyour car العرthe limping (first part)
أين سيارتُك العر
جَاءٌlimping (completion)، ياO شيخَmaster of النحاهthe grammarians؟
جَاءٌ، يا شيخَ النحاه؟
Where is your car—the lame
Where is your car, that limping
one, O sheikh of grammarians?
one, O master of grammarians?
كيفhow لمdid not تَلحَقyou catch up بهاin it منsomeone whom
كيف لم تَلحَق بها من
حملتهُcarried him قدماهhis two feet؟
حملتهُ قدماه؟
How did you fail to catch up with it—you
How did you fail, in it, to catch up with someone
whom your own two feet carried?
carried along by his own two feet?
