فلمَّاso when خَبَّرانيthe two told me أيwhere (first fragment)
فلمَّا خَبَّراني أي
نَwhere (final fragment) وَقعُfalling الغَيثِthe rain فيin المَحلِthe drought
نَ وَقعُ الغَيثِ في المَحلِ
So when the two told me where
When they informed me where the rain was falling,
the rain had fallen amid drought,
And directed me to be generous in giving,
ودُلانيand the two guided me عَلىto بَذلِbestowal النthe… (word continues)
ودُلاني عَلى بَذلِ الن
نَدىbounty (continuation) فيin زَمنِa time of البُخلِstinginess
نَدى في زَمنِ البُخلِ
and guided me to the bestowal of
I hastened though my reason did not hasten with me,
bounty in a time of stinginess,
If only man would strive to seek excellence, O excellent one.
فَسارَعتُso I hastened ولَمand did not يُسرِعhasten
فَسارَعتُ ولَم يُسرِع
مَعيwith me منbecause of عَجَليmy haste عَقلِيmy reason
مَعي من عَجَلي عَقلِي
I hastened, but what did not keep pace
The stance of your doorkeepers appeared narrow to me,
with me, because of my haste, was my reason.
So judge me to a steep path,
وَليتَand would that المَرءَa man يَسعىstrives طَpursuit (first fragment)
وَليتَ المَرءَ يَسعى طَ
لَبَpursuit (final fragment) الفَضلِbounty أباO Abu (father of) الفَضلِal-Fadl
لَبَ الفَضلِ أبا الفَضلِ
And would that a man could strive in
By which you judge with justice.
pursuit of bounty, O Abu al-Fadl!
You have spoken well,
بدَتappeared وقفَةُthe stance of بوَّابكَyour gatekeeper
بدَت وقفَةُ بوَّابكَ
ليto me فيin أضيَقِthe narrowest of السُّبلِthe paths
لي في أضيَقِ السُّبلِ
Your gatekeeper's stance appeared
As you do well in action.
to me in the narrowest of paths.
It is not proper for the likes of you
فَحاكِمنيso take me to arbitration إِلىto نَجرٍinborn character
فَحاكِمني إِلى نَجرٍ
بِهby it تَحكمُyou judge بِالعَدلِwith justice
بِه تَحكمُ بِالعَدلِ
So submit our dispute to your inborn character,
To be veiled from the likes of me.
by which you judge with justice.
فَماfor… not أحسَنتَyou have excelled فيin القَولِspeech
فَما أحسَنتَ في القَولِ
كَماas تُحسِنُyou excel فيin الفِعلِaction
كَما تُحسِنُ في الفِعلِ
For you have not excelled in speech
as you excel in deeds.
فَماfor… not الواجِبُwhat is fitting منfrom مثلِكَone like you
فَما الواجِبُ من مثلِكَ
أنto يُحجَبَbe kept hidden عنfrom مِثلِيone like me
أن يُحجَبَ عن مِثلِي
For it is not fitting for one like you
to be kept from one like me.
Partial English translation: 11 of 16 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1