أَياO السَيِّدُmaster ماnot ساعِforearm (continues)
أَيا السَيِّدُ ما ساعِ
دُ(completes 'forearm') أَيمانِكَyour oaths مُشتَدُّstrong
دُ أَيمانِكَ مُشتَدُّ
O master, the arm
behind your oaths is not strong;
وَلاnor ماؤُكَyour water مَسكوبٌpoured forth
وَلا ماؤُكَ مَسكوبٌ
وَلاnor ظِلُّكُyour shade مُمتَدُّextended
وَلا ظِلُّكُ مُمتَدُّ
nor is your water poured forth,
nor does your shade extend.
وَبابُand the gate of الخَيرِgoodness وَالتَوفيand success (continues)
وَبابُ الخَيرِ وَالتَوفي
قِ(completes 'success') فيin وَجهِكَyour face مُنسَدُّbarred
قِ في وَجهِكَ مُنسَدُّ
And the gate of goodness and success
is barred in your face.
وَلاnor فيكَin you بِحَمدِwith praise to اللَGod (continues)
وَلا فيكَ بِحَمدِ اللَ
هِ(completes 'God') لاneither هَزلٌjest وَلاnor جِدُّearnestness
هِ لا هَزلٌ وَلا جِدُّ
Nor in you—praise be to God—
is there either jest or earnestness.
وَسِيّانِand alike لَدَيكَin your eyes الذَمblame (continues)
وَسِيّانِ لَدَيكَ الذَم
مُ(completes 'blame') مِنbecause of جَهلِكَyour ignorance وَالحَمدُand praise
مُ مِن جَهلِكَ وَالحَمدُ
And equal in your eyes are blame
and praise, through your ignorance.
وَلَمّاand when غَلَبَprevailed اليُبسُdryness
وَلَمّا غَلَبَ اليُبسُ
عَلىover رَأسِكَyour head وَالبَردُand cold
عَلى رَأسِكَ وَالبَردُ
And when dryness took hold
of your head, along with cold,
تَعَرَّضتَyou challenged لِمَنone whom تَفرَfear (continues)
تَعَرَّضتَ لِمَن تَفرَ
قُ(completes 'fear') مِنfrom أَعراضِهِhis flanks الأُسدُthe lions
قُ مِن أَعراضِهِ الأُسدُ
you challenged one whose flanks
even lions fear.
وَلَوand even if زاحَمَهُjostled him الطَودُthe towering mountain
وَلَو زاحَمَهُ الطَودُ
لَأَمسىit would end the day وَهوَwhile it was مُنهَدُّshattered
لَأَمسى وَهوَ مُنهَدُّ
And even if a towering mountain jostled him,
it would end the day shattered.
فَخُذso take دالِيَّةًa dāl-rhymed ode وَجهُface
فَخُذ دالِيَّةً وَجهُ
كَyour (suffix) مِنهاby it اليَومَtoday مُسوَدُّblackened
كَ مِنها اليَومَ مُسوَدُّ
So take an ode rhyming in dāl: your face
is blackened by it today.
وَلاand do not تَحسَبُthink أَنّيthat I بِin (prefix)
وَلا تَحسَبُ أَنّي بِ
هِجائيmy satire لَكَof you مُعتَدُّtaking pride
هِجائي لَكَ مُعتَدُّ
And do not think that I,
in satirizing you, take pride.
فَماfor not عِنديwith me عَلىagainst مِثلِthe like of
فَما عِندي عَلى مِثلِ
كَyou (suffix) لاneither غَيظٌanger وَلاnor حِقدُrancor
كَ لا غَيظٌ وَلا حِقدُ
For I feel toward the likes
of you neither anger nor rancor.
وَلَكِنbut أَسرَفَwent too far الظالِthe wrongdoer (continues)
وَلَكِن أَسرَفَ الظالِ
مُ(completes 'wrongdoer') وَالظُلمُand wrongdoing لَهُfor it حَدُّa limit
مُ وَالظُلمُ لَهُ حَدُّ
But the wrongdoer went too far,
and wrongdoing has a limit.
فَعاجَلتُso I hastened بِذَبحِto slaughter التَيthe he-goat (continues)
فَعاجَلتُ بِذَبحِ التَي
سِ(completes 'he-goat') حَتّىso that يَفزَعَtakes fright القِردُthe monkey
سِ حَتّى يَفزَعَ القِردُ
So I hastened to slaughter the he-goat,
so that the monkey would take fright.