أماis it not آنthe time has come للخلّfor the dear friend المريضailing بأنto يبراrecover
أما آن للخلّ المريض بأن يبرا
فإنfor indeed صحيحsound الجسمof body منهbecause of him شكاcomplained of الضراhardship
فإن صحيح الجسم منه شكا الضرا
Is it not time for the ailing friend to recover?
Is it not time for the ailing friend to be healed?
For even one sound of body has complained of hardship because of him.
For truly, even the healthy body complains of the harm afflicted.
توالتfollowed in succession عليهupon him جوعةٌa bout of hunger بعدafter جوعةٍa bout of hunger
توالت عليه جوعةٌ بعد جوعةٍ
أخوكمyour brother لهاbecause of it قدindeed صارhas become كالقلمlike a pen المبرىwhittled
أخوكم لها قد صار كالقلم المبرى
One bout of hunger after another befell him.
Pang after pang of hunger has descended upon him in succession,
Because of it, your brother has become like a whittled pen.
Until your brother has become, through them, like a sharpened pen.
بهto him وكلwas assigned الجوعhunger المعطلthe crippler للقوىof strength
به وكل الجوع المعطل للقوى
فللّهso, by God ماhow أنكاهhurtful it is فيناto us وماand how أجراbrazen
فللّه ما أنكاه فينا وما أجرا
Hunger, the crippler of strength, was set upon him.
Entrusted to him is a hunger that nullifies all strength;
By God, how sorely it wounds us, and how brazen it is!
By God, how deep it wounds us, and how bold it is!
إذاwhen نمتُI sleep أمسىbecomes ليfor me ضجيعاًa bedfellow ملازماًinseparable
إذا نمتُ أمسى لي ضجيعاً ملازماً
وإنand if قمتُI rise أضحىbecomes كالغريمlike a creditor بناon us مغرىfixated
وإن قمتُ أضحى كالغريم بنا مغرى
When I sleep, it becomes my inseparable bedfellow.
When I sleep, it becomes my inseparable bedfellow,
And if I rise, it becomes like a creditor bent on pursuing us.
And when I rise, it is like a creditor obsessed with us.
وقدand indeed عشتI lived أياماًfor days بظلّin the shade of جنابكمyour presence
وقد عشت أياماً بظلّ جنابكم
فللّهso, by God عيشٌa life ماhow ألذّsweet وماand how أمراwholesome
فللّه عيشٌ ما ألذّ وما أمرا
And I lived for days in the shade of your presence.
I once lived days beneath the shade of your protection—
By God, what a life—how sweet and how wholesome!
By God, what a life! How sweet it was, how wholesome!
إلىuntil أنthat دهاناassailed us الدهرTime يوماone day بجدهin its earnestness
إلى أن دهانا الدهر يوما بجده
بعاداتwith the customary ways of بينparting ماhow أحدّsharp وماand how أفرىcutting
بعادات بين ما أحدّ وما أفرى
Until one day Time assailed us in grim earnest,
Until Time struck us one day with its severity,
with its customary partings—how sharp and how cutting!
With habits of separation—how sharp they are, how cutting!
ففرقناso it scattered us جمعاgathered together وكدّرand clouded صفوناour serenity
ففرقنا جمعا وكدّر صفونا
وجوّعناand made us hunger جوعاa hunger فقدناwe lost لهwith it الصبراpatience
وجوّعنا جوعا فقدنا له الصبرا
So it scattered us, once united, and clouded our serenity.
It scattered our gathering and muddied our serenity,
And made us hunger with a hunger we had no patience left to bear.
And starved us with a hunger for which we have lost all patience.
فإنso if شئتyou wish فلتبراthen recover لعلكperhaps you مدركيreaching me in time
فإن شئت فلتبرا لعلك مدركي
وإلاand if not فإنthen indeed الجوعhunger قدalready هيّأhas prepared القبراthe grave
وإلا فإن الجوع قد هيّأ القبرا
So, if you wish, recover—perhaps you may reach me in time.
So if you will, grant relief; perhaps you may yet rescue me,
And if not, hunger has already prepared the grave.
Otherwise, hunger has already prepared the grave.
بهذاwith this أشارadvised الناصحونthe well-wishers لعلكمperhaps you
بهذا أشار الناصحون لعلكم
ترقّونtake pity أوor تأتيcome لناto us منكمfrom you البشرىglad tidings
ترقّون أو تأتي لنا منكم البشرى
The well-wishers advised this, in the hope that you
With this the counselors have advised, hoping that you
might take pity, or that glad tidings might come to us from you.
Might show compassion, or that good tidings from you might come to us.
Sol 6.1