وافيتَyou arrived منفرداًstanding apart عنfrom الأنظارِpeers
وافيتَ منفرداً عن الأنظارِ
فملأتso you filled بشراًwith joy أعينَthe eyes النُظّارِthe onlookers
فملأت بشراً أعينَ النُظّارِ
You arrived, standing apart from your peers,
You came alone, unseen by others' eyes,
And filled the onlookers’ eyes with joy.
Yet filled with joy the gazers with surprise,
وحدَوْتَand you drove onward للإسكندريةِtoward Alexandria عارضاًa rain cloud
وحدَوْتَ للإسكندريةِ عارضاً
أنشأتَهyou formed it فيin مصرَEgypt للأمصارِfor the cities
أنشأتَه في مصرَ للأمصارِ
And you drove a rain cloud toward Alexandria,
For Alexandria you set out with purpose,
Which you had formed in Egypt for the cities.
To raise it in Egypt above other climes,
وتنقلتُand I journeyed بكَwith you للمحامدِtoward noble deeds همّةٌan ambition
وتنقلتُ بكَ للمحامدِ همّةٌ
رأتِit saw التنقّلَjourneying شيمةَthe habit الأقمارِof moons
رأتِ التنقّلَ شيمةَ الأقمارِ
And I journeyed with you toward noble deeds, with an ambition
With you I travelled in praise and wonder,
That saw journeying as the way of moons.
Roaming seen as stars traverse the skies,
فكفيتَso you warded off ياO عزَّglory الكُفاةِof the able عوارضاًadversities
فكفيتَ يا عزَّ الكُفاةِ عوارضاً
حكمتْthey decreed بشيبِgraying of عوارضٍcheek-beards وعِذارِand sideburns
حكمتْ بشيبِ عوارضٍ وعِذارِ
So you, O glory of the able, warded off adversities
O peak of excellence you shunned false boasts,
That decreed gray upon cheek-beards and sideburns.
Judged by the grey of hair and counsel wise,
عبسَscowled الزمانُtime ولوand had قصدتُكI sought you تائباًrepentant
عبسَ الزمانُ ولو قصدتُك تائباً
قامتْit set out الىtoward الأسفارِjourneys بالأسفارِwith books
قامتْ الى الأسفارِ بالأسفارِ
Time scowled; and had I sought you repentant,
Time frowned though I came to you repentant,
It would have set out on journeys with books.
My journeys now but journeys of goodbyes,
لكننيbut I كالروضِlike a garden منamong عاداتِهits habits
لكنني كالروضِ من عاداتِه
أنْthat تنتحيهِseek it out ركائبُthe mounts الأمطارِof rain
أنْ تنتحيهِ ركائبُ الأمطارِ
But I am like a garden, whose wont it is
Yet I'm like a garden 'midst its ways,
For the rain’s mounts to make their way to it.
Where riding clouds bring down the rains and cries,
فأتيتُso I came نحوكَtoward you للسؤالِto petition موفَّقاًfavored with success
فأتيتُ نحوكَ للسؤالِ موفَّقاً
فظفِرْتُso I gained فيin الأوطانِthe native lands بالأوطانِhomes
فظفِرْتُ في الأوطانِ بالأوطانِ
So I came toward you to petition, favored with success,
Towards you I came asking and hopeful,
And in my native lands I gained homes.
To find in homelands only homelands' guise,
وإليكَand to you أشكوI complain جارياًa regular stipend حاولتهI sought it
وإليكَ أشكو جارياً حاولته
فوجدتُهso I found it قدalready مرّpassed عنيpast me جاريmy stipend
فوجدتُه قد مرّ عني جاري
And to you I complain of a stipend I sought to obtain;
Of a neighbor I complain who spited me,
I found it—my stipend—had already passed me by.
And passed as neighbors do before my eyes,
وابعثْand send إليهto it خيولَthe steeds جاهِكof your influence علّهاperhaps they
وابعثْ إليه خيولَ جاهِك علّها
تَثْنيهturn it back بالإطلاقِthrough release بينamid أسارِbondage
تَثْنيه بالإطلاقِ بين أسارِ
And send to it the steeds of your influence; perhaps they
Send to him your horses of high command,
Will turn it back through release amid bondage.
Perhaps they will return him from his lies.
Sol 6.1