أَبُوAbuنُوَاسٍNuwas
Abu Nuwas
وَكَانَAnd he wasأَبُوAbuنُوَاسٍNuwasيَرْتَعِي1grazingعَلَىatخِوَانِthe tableإِسْمَاعِيلَIsmailبْنِson ofنُوبَخْتِNawbakht
And Abu Nuwas was grazing at the table of Ismail ibn Nawbakht,
كَمَاasتَرْتَعِيgrazesالْإِبِلُthe camelsفِيinالْحَمْضِthe salt plantsبَعْدَafterطُولِlongالْخَلَّةِ2deprivation
as camels graze on salt plants after a long deprivation.
ثُمَّThenكَانَwasجَزَاؤُهُhis rewardمِنْهُfrom himأَنَّهُthat heقَالَsaid
Then his reward from him was that he said:
خُبْزُBreadإِسْمَاعِيلَof Ismailكَالْوَشْيِlike the embroidered fabricإِذَاwhenمَاitشُقَّis tornيُرْفَاis patched
Ismail's bread is like embroidered fabric; when it is torn, it is patched.
وَقَالَAnd he said
And he said:
وَمَاAnd notخُبْزُهُhis breadإِلَّاexceptكَكَلْبِlike dogبْنِson ofوَائِلٍWailلَيَالِيَthe nightsيَحْمِيhe protectsعِزَّهُhis gloryمَنْبِتَthe place of growthالْبَقْلِ3of the herbage
And his bread is nothing but like the dog of the son of Wail on the nights when he protects the growth of herbage.
أَبُوAbuالشَّمَقْمَقِal-Shamaqmaq
Abu al-Shamaqmaq
وَكَانَAnd he wasأَبُوAbuالشَّمَقْمَقِ4al-Shamaqmaqيَعِيبُcriticizingفِيinطَعَامِthe foodجَعْفَرِof Ja'farبْنِson ofأَبِيAbuزُهَيْرٍZuhayr
And Abu al-Shamaqmaq used to criticize the food of Ja'far ibn Abi Zuhayr,
وَكَانَAnd he hadلَهُhimضَيْفَانِtwo guestsفِيinضِيَافَةِthe hospitalityجَعْفَرٍof Ja'far
and he had two guests at Ja'far's hospitality.
وَهُوَAnd heمَعَwithذَلِكَthatيَقُولُsays
And despite that he says:
رَأَيْتُI sawالْخُبْزَthe breadعَزَّis scarceلَدَيْكَwith youحَتَّىuntilحَسِبْتُI thoughtالْخُبْزَthe breadفِيinجَوِّthe skyالسَّحَابِthe clouds
I saw bread is scarce with you until I thought bread is in the sky of clouds.
وَمَاAnd notرَوَّحْتَنَا5you sent us awayلِتَذُبَّto fend offعَنَّاfrom usوَلَكِنْbutخِفْتَyou fearedمَرْزِئَةَthe harmالذُّبَابِof flies
And you did not send us away to fend off [flies] from us, but you feared the harm of the flies.
وَقِيلَAnd it was saidلِلْجَمَّازِ6to al-Jammazرَأَيْنَاكَwe saw youفِيinدِهْلِيزِthe corridorفُلَانٍof so-and-so
And it was said to al-Jammaz: We saw you in the corridor of so-and-so,
وَبَيْنَand betweenيَدَيْكَyour hands
and in front of you