عَلَىonذَلِكَthatلَيْلَةًnight
On that night.
فَإِذَاand whenتَوَرَّمَswelledوَاخْتَنَقَand chokedالدَّمُthe blood
And when it swelled and the blood clotted,
مَسَحَهُhe wiped itبِشَيْءٍwith somethingمِنْofصَابُونٍsoapوَandدَمِblood ofالْأَخَوَيْنِ1the two brothers
He wiped it with some soap and the blood of the two brothers [1],
وَقَطَرَand drippedعَلَيْهِon itشَيْئًاsomethingمِنْofسَمْنٍclarified butterوَأَطْبَقَand coveredعَلَيْهِon itخِرْقَةًa ragوَكَشَفَand uncoveredبَعْضَهُsome of it
And dripped on it some clarified butter, and covered it with a rag, and uncovered part of it.
فَلَاand notيَشُكُّdoubtsمَنْwhoرَآهُsees himأَنَّthatبِهِin himالْأَكَلَةَ2the gangrene
So whoever sees him will not doubt that he has gangrene [2],
أَوْorبَلِيَّةِaffliction ofشِبْهِlikeالْأَكَلَةِthe gangrene
or an affliction similar to gangrene.
وَandالْمُشَعِّبُthe mutilator
And the mutilator:
الَّذِيwhoيَحْتَالُschemesلِلصَّبِيِّfor the childحِينَwhenيُولَدُhe is born
Who schemes for the child when he is born,
بِأَنْby thatيُعْمِيَهُhe blinds himأَوْorيَجْعَلَهُmakes himأَعْسَمَ3left-handed? (or crippled?)
By blinding him or making him left-handed? [3]
أَوْorأَعْضَدَ4with a severed arm? (or paralyzed?)
or making him one-handed? [4]
لِيَسْأَلَso that he asksالنَّاسَthe peopleبِهِwith himأَهْلُهُhis family
So that his family begs people with him.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsجَاءَتْcameبِهِwith himأُمُّهُhis motherوَأَبُوهُand his fatherلِيَتَوَلَّىto undertakeذَلِكَthatمِنْهُfrom himبِالْغُرْمِwith the heavy lossالثَّقِيلِthe heavy
And perhaps his mother and father brought him so that he (the mutilator) would do that to him for a heavy fee,
لِأَنَّهُbecause itحِينَئِذٍthenعُقْدَةٌ5a knotوَغُلَّةٌand a source of grief/anguish
Because then it is a knot [5] and a cause of grief.
فَإِمَّاso eitherأَنْthatيَكْتَسِبَاthey (both) earnبِهِwith himوَandإِمَّاorأَنْthatيُكْرِيَاهُthey rent him outبِكِرَاءٍ6for a rentمَعْلُومٍknown
So either they earn with him, or they rent him out for a known fee [6].
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsأَكْرَوْاthey rented outأَوْلَادَهُمْtheir childrenمِمَّنْto those whoيَمْضِيgoesإِلَىtoأَفْرِيقِيَّةَAfrica
And perhaps they rented out their children to those who go to Africa,
فَيَسْأَلُso he begsبِهِمْwith themالطَّرِيقَthe roadأَجْمَعَallبِالْمَالِwith wealthالْعَظِيمِgreat
And he begs with them along the whole road, collecting great wealth.
فَإِنْfor ifكَانَhe wasثِقَةًtrustworthyمَلِيئًاsolventوَإِلَّاotherwiseأَقَامَhe providedبِالْأَوْلَادِfor the childrenوَandالْأُجْرَةِthe wageكَفِيلًاa guarantor
For if he was trustworthy and solvent, otherwise he would provide a guarantor for the children and the wage.
وَandالْفَلُّورُthe flayer (one who tricks about testicles)
And the flayer:
الَّذِيwhoيَحْتَالُschemesلِخُصْيَتِهِfor his testicleحَتَّىso thatيُرِيَكَhe shows youأَنَّهُthat heآدَرُ7having a hernia?
Who schemes for his testicle so that he shows you that he has a hernia? [7]
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsأَرَاكَhe shows youأَنَّthatبِهَاin itسَرَطَانًاcancerأَوْorخُرَّاجًاan abscessأَوْorغَرَبًاa swelling (or tumor)
And perhaps he shows you that in it there is cancer, an abscess, or a tumor...
أَوْorرُبَّمَاperhapsأَرَىhe showsذَلِكَthatفِيinدُبُرِهِhis anusبِأَنْby thatيُدْخِلَhe insertsفِيهِin itحُلْقُومًاa trachea (or throat)بِبَعْضِwith someالرِّئَةِthe lung
Or perhaps he shows that in his anus by inserting a trachea with some lung into it.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsفَعَلَتْdidذَلِكَthatالْمَرْأَةُthe womanبِفَرْجِهَاwith her genitals
And perhaps the woman did that with her genitals.
وَandالْكَاغَانُthe kaghan
And the kaghan:
الْغُلَامُthe boyالْمُكَدِّيthe beggarإِذَاifوَاجَرَ8he acted cleverly? (or played the role)
The cunning boy beggar [8]
وَكَانَand wasعَلَيْهِon himمَسْحَةُa trace/glowجَمَالٍof beautyوَعَمِلَand he didالْعَمَلَيْنِthe two worksمَعًاtogether
And he had a trace of beauty, and he did both works together.
وَandالْعَوَّاءُthe howler
And the howler:
الَّذِيwhoيَسْأَلُbegsبَيْنَbetweenالْمَغْرِبِsunsetوَandالْعِشَاءِnightfall
Who begs between sunset and nightfall.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsطَرَّبَhe chanted/sang with sweetnessإِذَاifكَانَhe hadلَهُfor himصَوْتٌa voiceحَسَنٌgoodوَandحَلْقٌa throatشَجِيٌّmelodious
And perhaps he sang sweetly if he had a good voice and a melodious throat.
Footnotes
- 1.دَمُ الْأَخَوَيْنِ
The blood of the two brothers is a type of red resin (dragon's blood).
- 2.الْأَكَلَةُ
Gangrene or a spreading sore.
- 3.أَعْسَمُ
One whose left hand is useless, a left-handed cripple?
- 4.أَعْضَدُ
One whose right arm is useless, a one-armed man?
- 5.عُقْدَةٌ
A knot (a difficult problem or a source of deep worry).
- 6.كِرَاءٌ مَعْلُومٌ
A known rent or hire.
- 7.آدَرُ
One suffering from a hernia.
- 8.وَاجَرَ
He acted craftily, using deception for begging.