عجزتI was unable عنto obtain راتبِيmy stipend الأدنىthe lowest فواso alas! حرباloss!
عجزت عن راتبِي الأدنى فوا حربا
واهاًalas! لأشهرِfor the months of عامٍa year عجّزتmade me helpless طلباin seeking
واهاً لأشهرِ عامٍ عجّزت طلبا
I have failed to obtain my meagre stipend—alas, what loss!
I could not afford my meager salary, what a war!
Alas for a year's months that frustrated my pursuit!
Alas for months of the year that begged in vain
وإنand if أتونيthey come to me وقالواand they say إنَّهاindeed it is نِصَفٌhalves
وإن أتوني وقالوا إنَّها نِصَفٌ
فإنَّthen indeed أطيبَthe better نصفيهاits two halves الذيthe one that ذهباhas gone
فإنَّ أطيبَ نصفيها الذي ذهبا
And if they come to me and say, “It is in halves,”
And if they tell me it's half,
then the better of its two halves is the one already gone.
Then the sweetest half of it went away
ياO سادةًlords حجبتwere veiled عناfrom us غمائِمهمtheir clouds
يا سادةً حجبت عنا غمائِمهم
وليسَand is not غيثهمُtheir rain المعهودُthe customary محتجباwithheld
وليسَ غيثهمُ المعهودُ محتجبا
O lords whose clouds have been veiled from us,
O masters, their clouds concealed it from us
yet their accustomed rain is not withheld.
And their rain is not the rain we know that got held back
ياO خاتمَseal of الوزراthe ministers عدلاًin justice ومعرفةًand in knowledge
يا خاتمَ الوزرا عدلاً ومعرفةً
ياO مرْبعَspring pasture for الغُربَاthe strangers ياO منجعَrich grazing ground for الأدَباthe men of letters
يا مرْبعَ الغُربَا يا منجعَ الأدَبا
O seal of ministers in justice and knowledge,
O seal of ministers, justice and knowledge
O spring pasture for strangers, O rich grazing ground for men of letters.
O square of the West, refuge of literature
نعمَexcellent are الخواتيمُthe rings أعمالٌdeeds تصاغُare fashioned لكمfor you
نعمَ الخواتيمُ أعمالٌ تصاغُ لكم
حليornaments الجنانِParadise إذاwhen صاغَfashions الورَىhumankind ذهباgold
حلي الجنانِ إذا صاغَ الورَى ذهبا
How fine are the rings—deeds fashioned for you,
What fine seals are deeds done for you
ornaments of Paradise, when mortals fashion gold.
Jewels of paradise when people forge gold
حاشاmay it never be النباتthe plant الذيwhich أنشأتهI grew it لكمواfor you
حاشا النبات الذي أنشأته لكموا
يذوِيwither وقدْand already أنشأتhave raised أيديكمyour hands سحباclouds
يذوِي وقدْ أنشأت أيديكم سحبا
May the plant I have grown for you never
Shame on the plants you grew for them
wither, when your hands have already raised clouds.
That wither though your hands poured rain
كفواrestrain ابنson of غنامGhannam أوor كفواrestrain أخاthe brother of شجرShajar (literally, trees)
كفوا ابن غنام أو كفوا أخا شجر
منfrom قبلbefore أنthat تتلقواyou face نارهمtheir fire حطباas firewood
من قبل أن تتلقوا نارهم حطبا
Restrain Ibn Ghannam, or restrain Shajar's brother,
Leave Ibn Ghanam’s son or leave a tree branch brother
before you face their fire as firewood.
Before you get their firewood
Sol 6.1