وَشاعِرٍand a poet عُجبُهُhis conceit مِنَamong العَجَبِwonders
وَشاعِرٍ عُجبُهُ مِنَ العَجَبِ
يُكثِرُhe does much مِنof سَبِّناreviling us بِلاwithout سَبَبِcause
يُكثِرُ مِن سَبِّنا بِلا سَبَبِ
And a poet whose conceit is a marvel
Heaps abuse on us without cause.
وَهوَand he إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِختَبَرتُهُI test him شَرِهٌgluttonous
وَهوَ إِذا ما اِختَبَرتُهُ شَرِهٌ
يُعجِبُهُit pleases him أَكلُهُhis eating عَلىon الرُكَبِthe knees
يُعجِبُهُ أَكلُهُ عَلى الرُكَبِ
And whenever I test him, he is a glutton;
He delights in eating on his knees.
يَحلِفُhe swears لاnot يَدخُلُenters العَصيبُthe sausage فَماa mouth
يَحلِفُ لا يَدخُلُ العَصيبُ فَما
مِنهُof his إِذاif لَمnot يَكُنit is مِنَof العَصَبِsinew
مِنهُ إِذا لَم يَكُن مِنَ العَصَبِ
He swears no sausage shall enter a mouth
Of his unless it is made of sinew.
إِذاwhen التَقَتencounters كَفُّهُhis palm بِفاكِهَةٍwith fruit
إِذا التَقَت كَفُّهُ بِفاكِهَةٍ
جَرَتit darts إِلىtoward المَوزِbananas لاnot إِلىtoward الرُطَبِripe dates
جَرَت إِلى المَوزِ لا إِلى الرُطَبِ
When his palm encounters fruit,
It darts toward bananas, not ripe dates.
Translation model: Sol 6.1