ياO سيِّديmy lord ياO ملاذَrefuge الطالبينthe petitioners ومنand one who
يا سيِّدي يا ملاذَ الطالبين ومن
بعلمِهthrough his knowledge ونداهُand his generosity أنجحَmade successful الطلباthe petition
بعلمِه ونداهُ أنجحَ الطلبا
O my lord, O refuge of petitioners, and you who
O my Lord, refuge of seekers, from whose
through your knowledge and generosity have made the petition succeed.
Knowledge and generosity the seeker succeeds
مباشرُadministrator والجامعand the mosque المعمورِwell-frequented قدalready منعواthey withheld
مباشرُ والجامع المعمورِ قد منعوا
وافيfull amount الحوالةِthe remittance عنfrom قصدِيmy aim فواso alas حرباwhat a loss
وافي الحوالةِ عن قصدِي فوا حربا
The administrator and the well-frequented mosque have withheld
The direct and frequented university prevented
the full remittance I sought—alas, what a loss!
The faithful messenger from my intent, so alas for war
فإنfor if أتوكَthey come to you وقالواand say إنَّهاit is indeed نصفٌhalf
فإن أتوكَ وقالوا إنَّها نصفٌ
فإنَّthen indeed أطيبَthe better نصفيهof its two halves الذيthe one that ذهباwent away
فإنَّ أطيبَ نصفيه الذي ذهبا
For if they come to you and say, “It is half,”
If they come to you and say it is but half
then surely the better of its two halves is the one that is gone.
Then the finest half of me is the part that left
خمسونfifty قالتsaid لفكرٍto a mind كانwas ذاpossessed of أدبٍliterary learning
خمسون قالت لفكرٍ كان ذا أدبٍ
أبعدis it after خمسينfifty منِّيfrom me تبتغيyou seek الأدباliterature
أبعد خمسين منِّي تبتغي الأدبا
Fifty said to a mind that was versed in literature:
Fifty, said to a courteous mind,
“After fifty from me, do you seek literature?”
After fifty, do you still seek courtesy?
Sol 6.1