أَفَلاis there then no رِواقُa pavilion نَدىًgenerosity نَقومُwe stand بِظلِّهِin its shade
أَفَلا رِواقُ نَدىً نَقومُ بِظلِّهِ
فَلَعلَّso perhaps ظلَّthe shadow النائِباتِcalamities يَميلُturns aside
فَلَعلَّ ظلَّ النائِباتِ يَميلُ
Is there no pavilion of generosity in whose shade we may stand,
so perhaps the shadow of calamities will turn aside?
ولَعلَّكُمand perhaps you وَلعلَّand perhaps مُعتَقِداًbelieving بِهاin it
ولَعلَّكُم وَلعلَّ مُعتَقِداً بِها
وَلعلَّand 'perhaps' عِندَin the view of ذَويthose possessing النُّهىunderstanding تَعليلُconsolation
وَلعلَّ عِندَ ذَوي النُّهى تَعليلُ
And 'perhaps you,' and 'perhaps'—believing in it—
and 'perhaps,' to those of understanding, is consolation.
عَجَباًhow strange لِحالٍat a state كُنتُI used to أَخشَىfear أَنَّهاthat it
عَجَباً لِحالٍ كُنتُ أَخشَى أَنَّها
سَتَحولُwill change ثُمَّthen رَجَوتُI hoped أَنthat سَتَحولُwill change
سَتَحولُ ثُمَّ رَجَوتُ أَن سَتَحولُ
How strange a state: I once feared that it
would change, then hoped that it would change!
كَشفَتrevealed لِيَto me الأَيامُthe days صَفحَةَthe surface وَجهِهاof their face
كَشفَت لِيَ الأَيامُ صَفحَةَ وَجهِها
وَمَضَتand vanished سُتورٌcurtains بَينناbetween us وَسُدولُand veils
وَمَضَت سُتورٌ بَيننا وَسُدولُ
The days laid bare their face to me,
and the curtains and veils between us vanished,
حتَّىuntil وَجَدتُI found لَهاfor them كَريماًa generous man مُعدماًpenniless
حتَّى وَجَدتُ لَها كَريماً مُعدماً
أفَكلُّis then every مَنperson who وَجدَتbecame wealthy يَداهُhis two hands بَخيلُa miser
أفَكلُّ مَن وَجدَت يَداهُ بَخيلُ
until I found in their midst a generous man, penniless.
Is everyone whose hands have wealth a miser?
وَدَعَوتُand I called upon إِسماعيلَIsmail دَعوَةa plea واثِقٍone confident
وَدَعَوتُ إِسماعيلَ دَعوَة واثِقٍ
بِنَداهُin his generosity أَنthat سَيُجيبُwill answer إِسماعيلُIsmail
بِنَداهُ أَن سَيُجيبُ إِسماعيلُ
And I called upon Ismail with the plea of one confident
in his generosity, certain that Ismail would answer.
تَبعَتfollowed خَليقَتُهُhis character أورومَتَهُhis lineage وَفيand in
تَبعَت خَليقَتُهُ أورومَتَهُ وَفي
شَرَفَيهِماthe nobility of both ماthat which يُحتَذىis emulated ويَطولُand towers high
شَرَفَيهِما ما يُحتَذى ويَطولُ
His character followed his lineage; and in
the nobility of both lies an example to emulate that towers high.
Sol 6.1