fadl al kilab ibn al marzuban

Page 5

إنَّIndeedمنwhoeverلمdoes notيكنbeعلىoverالناسpeopleذئباa wolf

Indeed, whoever is not a wolf over the people...

أكلتهُwill eat himفيinذاthisالزمانtimeالذئابُthe wolves.

...the wolves will eat him in this time.

غيرExcept thatأنَّthatالوجوهthe facesفيare inصورformsالناof peo-

Except that the faces are in the forms of peo-

س-pleوأبدانُهمand their bodiesعليهاupon themالثيابُare the garments.

-ple, and upon them are the garments of bodies.

لستَYou do notتَلقيmeetإلاexceptكَذوباًa liarبخيلاa miser

You do not meet except a liar, a miser,

بينbetweenعينيهِhis eyesللإياسِfor despairكتابُis a writing.

between whose eyes is a writing of despair.

وقالAnd saidآخرanotherكامل:Kamil:

And another [poet] named Kamil said:

ذهبGone areالذينthose whoseفضولهمbountiesمعلومةٌare known

Gone are those whose bounties are known,

ولهمand for themإذاwhenقحطdries upالزمانthe timeحَنانُis tenderness.

and who have tenderness when times are barren.

ذهبواThey departedفليسَand there is notلهمfor themنظيرٌan equalواحدٌsingle

They departed, and there is not a single equal for them;

أفلاDo you notتراهمsee themلاmay you have noأباfatherلكfor youكانواthey were

Do you not see them—may you have no father—that they were?

لمThere has notيبقَremainedمِنfromأهلthe peopleالفضائلof virtuesوالنُّهىand intellect

There has not remained from the people of virtues and intellect

إلاexceptفلانٌso-and-soباسمِهِby his nameوفُلانُand so-and-so.

except so-and-so by his name, and so-and-so.

وقالAnd saidآخرanotherكامل:Kamil:

And another [poet] named Kamil said:

ذهبGone areالذينthoseعليهمُfor whomوجدِيis my longing

Gone are those for whom my longing is,

وبقيتُand I remainedبعدَafterفراقِهمtheir partingوحديalone.

and I remained after their parting alone.

سلفٌA predecessorمضىpassedوبقيتُand I remainedبعدهمُafter them

A predecessor passed and I remained after them,

وكذاكand likewiseيذهبُwill goمنwhoأتىcomesبعديafter me.

and likewise will go whoever comes after me.

تركواThey leftالذيwhatجمعواthey gatheredلغيرهمُfor others

They left what they gathered for others,

وكذاكand likewiseأتركهُI will leave itلِمنto whoeverبعديis after me.

and likewise I will leave it for whoever is after me.