سألتكI asked you حاجةa favor فسعيْتso you strove فيهاfor it
سألتك حاجة فسعيْت فيها
بتعذيرٍwith halfhearted effort نتيجتُهُits outcome اعتذارُan apology
بتعذيرٍ نتيجتُهُ اعتذارُ
I asked you for a favor, and you pursued it
I asked you for a favor, so you strove for it
With halfhearted effort whose outcome was an apology.
With excuses, which resulted in apology
وهانand it mattered little عليكto you مُنقلَبيmy return كئيباًdespondent
وهان عليك مُنقلَبي كئيباً
وللْحَسراتِand for regrets فيin الأحشاءthe entrails نارa fire
وللْحَسراتِ في الأحشاء نار
My return in sorrow mattered little to you,
And you thought little of my grief
While the fire of regret burned within my entrails.
While in my heart burns regret's fire
وليسand there is no لصاحبfor one with الحاجاتِneeds إلاexcept
وليس لصاحب الحاجاتِ إلا
كريمٌa generous man فيهin him جدٌّdiligence وانشمارand zeal
كريمٌ فيه جدٌّ وانشمار
For a man in need, there is no one but
For the seeker of needs there is only
A generous man of diligence and zeal.
A generous one, serious and active
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle نامslept عنهاunmindful of them سائلوهاthose asking for them
إذا ما نام عنها سائلوها
تَنَبَّهhe awakens لاnot يَقَرُّsettles لهfor him قرارrest
تَنَبَّه لا يَقَرُّ له قرار
When those seeking their needs sleep unmindful of them,
If those seeking sleep, he wakes
He awakens and can find no rest.
Restless, not resting for a moment
سواءalike عندهto him فيin كلevery حالcircumstance
سواء عنده في كل حال
أفاتَتْwhether it went unmet حاجةa need أمor فاتwas missed ثارvengeance
أفاتَتْ حاجة أم فات ثار
To him, in every circumstance, it is the same:
To him, the state is the same
Whether a need goes unmet or vengeance slips away.
Whether a need was missed or revenge was lost
كأنas though أخاهhis brother عُضْوٌa limb منهof him فيهاin it
كأن أخاه عُضْوٌ منه فيها
ففيهso into him تحُزُّcut بالفَوْتthrough failure الشفارthe blades
ففيه تحُزُّ بالفَوْت الشفار
As though, in this need, his brother were a limb of his,
It's as if his brother is a part of him in it
So blades cut into him when it goes unmet.
So in loss he feels the stabbing pain
ويلْحَىand he reproaches نفسَهُhimself أنthat يعذِروهthey excuse him
ويلْحَى نفسَهُ أن يعذِروه
وليسand there is no لهfor him علىover القدرfate الخيارchoice
وليس له على القدر الخيار
And he reproaches himself for their having to excuse him,
And he blames himself for excusing them
Though he has no choice over fate.
With no choice over fate's decree
لهhe has عندat الغُدُوِّsetting out in the morning لهاfor it وفيهاand in it
له عند الغُدُوِّ لها وفيها
حِذَارfor fear of الفَوْتِfailure قلبa heart مستطارdistraught
حِذَار الفَوْتِ قلب مستطار
When he sets out in the morning for it and pursues it,
For it, at dawn and within it
His heart is distraught for fear it may go unmet.
His heart quivers, fearing its loss
يحاميhe guards أنlest يفوتpass beyond reach بهاwith it قضاءٌa decree of fate
يحامي أن يفوت بها قضاءٌ
كأنas though المكرماتِnoble deeds لهfor him ذِمارa sacred charge to defend
كأن المكرماتِ له ذِمار
He guards it lest a decree of fate carry it away,
He guards against failing to fulfill it
As though noble deeds were his sacred charge.
As if favors are accounted debts
Sol 6.1