ودانٍ دَنا كالغيثِ حتى تَدفَّقَت

ودانٍ دَنا كالغيثِ حتى تَدفَّقَت

على تَعسِ حالي منه عَينُ ندىً تَجري

على تَعسِ حالي منه عَينُ ندىً تَجري

And one drew near like rain, until there gushed forth

He came close to me like rain, until

Upon my wretched plight, from him, a flowing spring of bounty.

A streaming tear flowed on my miserable state.

نعِمتُ له حُسنَ الثناءِ ضِيافةً

نعِمتُ له حُسنَ الثناءِ ضِيافةً

فجادَ كأنَّ الضيفَ أولى بما يَقري

فجادَ كأنَّ الضيفَ أولى بما يَقري

I delighted in offering him fine praise as hospitality;

I praised his kindness, hosting him generously,

So he gave freely, as though the guest had the greater claim to what he offered as hospitality.

As if the guest was more deserving of what would sustain him.

وزوَّدتُه ما قد سدَدتُ ببعضِه

وزوَّدتُه ما قد سدَدتُ ببعضِه

مسالكَه ما بينَ صورٍ إلى مِصرِ

مسالكَه ما بينَ صورٍ إلى مِصرِ

And I provisioned him with what I had already used in part to block

And I provided him with some of what

His routes between Tyre and Egypt.

Would pave his way from Sur to Misr.

فأصبحَ يُغذيني اسمُه إن ذكرتُه

فأصبحَ يُغذيني اسمُه إن ذكرتُه

وأعجبُ ما تُغذي السعادةُ بالذكرِ

وأعجبُ ما تُغذي السعادةُ بالذكرِ

So his name came to nourish me whenever I mentioned it;

So his name now sustains me when I mention it,

And the most wondrous nourishment good fortune gives is through remembrance.

And most wondrous is that happiness is sustained by memory.