تخيلتُI imagined فيin إنشاءِcomposing لفظيَmy words نجعةa quest for pasture
تخيلتُ في إنشاءِ لفظيَ نجعة
فماyet no نشأَتsprang up ليfor me لمعةٌa patch of greenery بسحابfrom a cloud
فما نشأَت لي لمعةٌ بسحاب
I imagined that composing my words would lead me to pasture;
I imagined in my poetic words an oasis
Yet no patch of greenery sprang up for me from any cloud.
Yet no gleam arose for me from the clouds
وكمand how often خلتُI supposed فيin فنِّthe art of الحسابreckoning إفادةprofit
وكم خلتُ في فنِّ الحساب إفادة
فكانَbut was حسابُthe reckoning of الدهرِtime غيرَdifferent from حسابيmy reckoning
فكانَ حسابُ الدهرِ غيرَ حسابي
And how often I imagined profit in the art of reckoning,
And how often I strove in the art of arithmetic a benefit
But time's reckoning was different from mine.
Yet the reckoning of fate was not my reckoning
إلىuntil أنthat دعَاcalled at بابthe door of التقىpiety رائدthe scout of الرجاhope
إلى أن دعَا باب التقى رائد الرجا
فكانَso was النوالُthe bounty الغمرُlavish رَجْعthe return of جوابيmy answer
فكانَ النوالُ الغمرُ رَجْع جوابي
Until hope's scout called at the door of piety,
Until the door of piety called the guide of hope
So lavish bounty was the answer returned to me.
So the attainment was an overflowing response to my plea
فياso, O لوزيرٍwhat a minister! عنconcerning تقاهُhis piety وبرِّهِand his kindness
فيا لوزيرٍ عن تقاهُ وبرِّهِ
رويتُI recounted حديثَthe account of المكرماتnoble deeds صَحابيmy companions
رويتُ حديثَ المكرمات صَحابي
Ah, what a minister! Of his piety and kindness
Oh minister, from his piety and kindness
I have told my companions the tale of noble deeds.
I narrated the hadith of favors as my companions
وياand O لكريمٍwhat a generous man! لستُI am not أحتاجُI need عندَهُwith him
ويا لكريمٍ لستُ أحتاجُ عندَهُ
إلىfor دفترٍa ledger آتيI bring بهwith it وكتابand a letter
إلى دفترٍ آتي به وكتاب
And what a generous man! With him, I have no need
And oh generous one, I do not need from him
For a ledger to bring along, or a letter.
A notebook I bring and a book
فتحتI opened بهthrough him بابَthe door of المدائحِpoems of praise والرَّجاand hope
فتحت به بابَ المدائحِ والرَّجا
وأغلقتand I closed عنagainst قصدِseeking المكارِمgenerosity بابيmy door
وأغلقت عن قصدِ المكارِم بابي
Through him I opened the door to praise and hope,
I opened through it the door of praise and hope
And closed my own door to seeking generosity.
And closed off from seeking noble deeds my door
فإنso if قصرَتْfell short منهof him صحيفةُthe page of مدْحتيmy praise
فإن قصرَتْ منه صحيفةُ مدْحتي
فماthen not قصرَتْfell short واللهby God صحفُthe pages of ثوابيmy reward
فما قصرَتْ والله صحفُ ثوابي
So if my page of praise has fallen short of him,
If the page of my praise falls short of him
Then, by God, the pages of my reward have not fallen short.
It surely did not fall short, by God, the pages of my reward
Sol 6.1