شِيمَةُTraitالْكَلْبِof the dogحِفْظُهُis its guardingلِوَلِيٍّfor a master
The trait of the dog is its guarding for a master...
وَعَنِand overالْحَيِّthe campفِيinدُجَىthe darknessاللَّيْلِof the nightذَبُّis defense
and in the darkness of the night, defense over the camp.
يَحْفَظُHe guardsالْجَارَthe neighborلِلْجِوَارِfor neighborliness
He guards the neighbor for the sake of neighborliness
وَيُمْسِيand he spends the eveningسَاهِرَsleeplessالْمُقْلَتَيْنِof both eyes
and spends his evening with sleepless eyes
يَحْنُوهُwhile afflicting himسَغَبُhunger
while hunger afflicts him.
يَرْقُدُSleepالنَّائِمُونَthe sleepersأَمْناًsecurely
The sleepers sleep securely
وَيُمْسِيwhile he spends the eveningخَائِفاًfearfulهَلَكَهُمْfor their ruin
and he spends the evening fearful for their ruin
يُحَاكِيهِمْemulating themصَبٌّa passionate lover
like a passionate lover emulating them.
وَتَرَAnd he leavesالْكَلْبَthe dogفِيinالْمَهَامِهِthe desertsغَوْثاًas a rescue
And the dog is left in the deserts as a rescue
وَيُجِيبُand he answersالْمَلْهُوفَthe distressedوَالنَّارُwhile the fireتَخْبُوis dying down
and he answers the distressed while the fire is dying down.
وَتَرَاهُAnd you see himيُنَابِحُbarking atالْكَلْبَthe dogخَوْفاًout of fear
And you see him barking at the dog out of fear
وَإِلَىand towardsالصَّوْتِthe soundفِيinدُجَىthe darknessاللَّيْلِof the nightيَحْبُوhe crawls
and towards the sound in the darkness of the night he crawls.
فَلِمَذَاSo whyأَنْحَسْتَهُdid you make unluckyالْحَظَّhis fortuneقُلْtellلِيme
So why did you make his fortune unlucky, tell me?
لِمَWhyتُشِينُdo you blemishحُسْنَهُhis beautyوَمَاwhile there isفِيهِin himسَبُّno blame
Why do you blemish his beauty while there is no blame in him?
أَنْشَدَنِيRecited to meبَعْضُsomeالْمَدَنِيِّينَof the people of Medina
Some of the people of Medina recited to me
يَصِفُdescribingكَلْباًa dogلَهُof hisبِالشِّدَّةِas being fierce
describing a dog of his as being fierce,
يُقَالُit is calledلَهُfor himمَوْقٌMawqبَسِيطٌBasit
he is called Mawq Basit:
يَاOمَوْقُMawqلَاmay you notذُقْتَtasteبُوسَthe miseryالْعَيْشِof livingيَاOمَوْقُMawq
O Mawq, may you never taste the misery of living, O Mawq,
لَاnorمُنِيتَmay you be afflictedبِشُرْبٍwith a drinkفِيهِin which isتَرْنِيقُturbidity
nor be afflicted with a drink in which there is turbidity.
ذُوPossessingهَامَةٍa headكَرَحَىlike the millstoneبِئْرٍof a wellمُلَمْلَمَةٍrounded
Possessing a head like the rounded millstone of a well,
وَبَرْثَنٍand a pawفِيهِin which isلِلْإِخْوَانِfor the brothersنَخْرِيقُscratching
and a paw that scratches the brothers.
صُمَاتُهُHis silenceغَضَبٌis angerوَنَبْحُهُand his barkingكَلْبٌis a dog (attack)
His silence is anger and his barking is a ferocious dog attack,
وَعِنْدَهُand with himسَغَبٌis hungerمَاwhatفِيهِin itتَرْقِيقُis softening
and with him is hunger that has no softening.