ولقلَّماand indeed rarely حكمَpassed judgment الزَّماTime (word continues)
ولقلَّما حكمَ الزَّما
نُcompletion of الزمان: Time عَلىupon امرئٍa man إِلاexcept وحافاand acted unjustly
نُ عَلى امرئٍ إِلا وحافا
And rarely has Time passed judgment
Seldom does time rule a person
on a man without doing him wrong.
Except it befalls him with misfortune
وأَرىand I see نَوائِبَهits calamities سِراswift (word continues)
وأَرى نَوائِبَه سِرا
عاًcompletion of سراعاً: swift حينَwhen تَطلبُنيthey seek me خِفافاlight-footed
عاً حينَ تَطلبُني خِفافا
And I see its calamities swift,
And I see its calamities secretly
light-footed when they seek me out,
Approaching softly when they seek me
متَجمِّعاتٍgathered together ليfor me فكُنso I was (word continues)
متَجمِّعاتٍ لي فكُن
تُI (completes فكنت) أعدُّI reckon واحِدةًa single one كَفافاenough
تُ أعدُّ واحِدةً كَفافا
gathered against me; I had been
My gathered misfortunes, be kind
reckoning a single one enough.
And come one by one, that's enough
وإِذاand when الفَتىthe young man سَعتِstrove اللَّياthe nights (word continues)
وإِذا الفَتى سَعتِ اللَّيا
ليcompletion of الليالي: the nights فيin إِرادَتِهhis will خِلافاin opposition
لي في إِرادَتِه خِلافا
And when, for a young man, the nights strove
When a young man's night is long
in opposition to his will,
His desires lead him to defy fate
وتعمَّدَتهand deliberately targeted him بجَورِهاwith their injustice
وتعمَّدَته بجَورِها
عَدلَacted justly الحُسينal-Husayn ابنson of المُعافىal-Muʿāfā
عَدلَ الحُسين ابن المُعافى
and singled him out for their injustice,
And so by its tyranny it has wronged him
al-Husayn ibn al-Muʿāfā acted justly,
The fair Hussain son of Al-Mu'afa
فغداthen he began يمدُّextending يدَthe hand العَطاgifts (word continues)
فغدا يمدُّ يدَ العَطا
ياcompletion of العطايا: gifts فيamid نوائِبهاtheir calamities انتِصافاto obtain redress
يا في نوائِبها انتِصافا
then began extending the hand of bounty
So he now extends generosity's hand
amid their calamities, to redress the wrong.
To take revenge on its calamities
Sol 6.1