يضِنُّbegrudges أبوfather of عيسىIsa عليناtoward us بقطنةٍwith a tuft of cotton
يضِنُّ أبو عيسى علينا بقطنةٍ
كأنas though أباfather of إسحاقَIshaq ليسis not بحاضرِpresent
كأن أبا إسحاقَ ليس بحاضرِ
Abu Isa begrudges us a tuft of cotton,
Abu Isa is stingy with a piece of cotton towards us
as though Abu Ishaq were not present.
As if Abu Ishaq is not present
وفيand in جودِgenerosity إبراهيمIbrahim طالmay it be prolonged بقاؤهhis life
وفي جودِ إبراهيم طال بقاؤه
لناfor us عِوضrecompense مُعتاضُهُone who takes it in exchange غيرnot خاسِرa loser
لنا عِوض مُعتاضُهُ غير خاسِر
And in Ibrahim's generosity—long may he live—
And due to Ibrahim's generosity, his stay with us was prolonged
we have recompense whose recipient suffers no loss.
His substitute does not make us lose
إليكto you أباfather of عيسىIsa بقطنكwith your cotton إنناindeed we
إليك أبا عيسى بقطنك إننا
لناwe have سيدٌa lord مستأثِرsole possessor بالمآثرof noble deeds
لنا سيدٌ مستأثِر بالمآثر
Keep your cotton, Abu Isa, for we
O Abu Isa, your cotton, we
have a lord who holds a monopoly on noble deeds.
Have a master who excels in glories
أبتrefused لابنfor the son of حمادHammad مساعيهhis endeavors أنthat يُرىbe seen
أبت لابن حماد مساعيه أن يُرى
إذاwhen ابتدرrushed ahead الساعونthose striving غيرَnot مبادرhastening forward
إذا ابتدر الساعون غيرَ مبادر
Ibn Hammad's endeavors would not let him be seen
I refused Ibn Hammad's efforts to be seen
hanging back when the strivers race ahead.
If the eager ones start without being first
كريمa generous man يرىconsiders الأموالwealth شرّthe worst ذخيرةٍa treasure
كريم يرى الأموال شرّ ذخيرةٍ
بعينٍwith an eye ترىsees المعروفkindness خيرthe best الذخائرtreasures
بعينٍ ترى المعروف خير الذخائر
A generous man who deems wealth the worst treasure,
A generous one who sees wealth as the worst treasure
with an eye that sees kindness as the best of treasures.
With an eye that sees benefaction as the best treasures
تناولنيhe reached out to me منهfrom it ببرٍّwith kindness شكرتُهُI thanked him
تناولني منه ببرٍّ شكرتُهُ
عليهfor it ولمand did not يطلبseek بهin return for it شكرthanks شاكرone who gives thanks
عليه ولم يطلب به شكر شاكر
He reached out to me with some of that kindness; I thanked him
He offered me some out of righteousness, I thanked him
for it, though he sought no grateful person's thanks in return.
For it and he did not ask for any thanksgiving from the thankful one
رأىhe saw نِيقاsomething exquisite (uncertain reading) يستقرقexhausts (uncertain spelling) النعتَdescription كلهall of it
رأى نِيقا يستقرق النعتَ كله
جميلاًbeautiful محيّاهits countenance حميدpraiseworthy المخابرِinner qualities
جميلاً محيّاه حميد المخابرِ
He saw something exquisite that exhausted all description [reading uncertain],
He saw Naqa deserve all the praise
beautiful in countenance, praiseworthy in its inner qualities.
Beautiful, his honesty, praiseworthy in fellowship
تضنis stingy بهwith it الأمthe mother الرؤومtender علىtoward ابنهاher son
تضن به الأم الرؤوم على ابنها
وإنand even if كانhe were مأمولاًlooked to لسدّto relieve المفاقرِneed
وإن كان مأمولاً لسدّ المفاقرِ
A tender mother would begrudge it to her son,
A merciful mother is stingy towards her son
even if she looked to him to relieve her poverty.
Though he is hoped to fill the gaps
لهit has نَفَسٌa breath قبلَbefore المذاقِtasting كأنماas though
له نَفَسٌ قبلَ المذاقِ كأنما
بديهتهits first impression أنفاسُbreaths غيداءَa supple maiden عاطرِfragrant
بديهته أنفاسُ غيداءَ عاطرِ
It has a breath before the tasting, as though
He has a soul, before tasting, as if
its first waft were the breaths of a fragrant, supple maiden.
Its intuition is the breath of a fragrant blossom
تحيةُa greeting مُشتمٍّone who smells مَلذَّةُa delight طاعمٍone who eats
تحيةُ مُشتمٍّ مَلذَّةُ طاعمٍ
إذاwhen ملكتهُheld it الكفُّthe palm نزهةa delight ناظرa beholder
إذا ملكتهُ الكفُّ نزهة ناظر
A greeting for whoever smells it, a delight for whoever eats it,
The greeting of a smeller is the pleasure of a taster
when the palm holds it, a pleasure for the beholder.
If the palm possesses it, it is a delight for the beholder
فأهداهso he gave it ليto me أهدىmay give لهto him اللهGod نعمةًa blessing
فأهداه لي أهدى له الله نعمةً
محصَّنةًfortified منagainst سوءthe harm دَوْرturning الدوائرmisfortunes
محصَّنةً من سوء دَوْر الدوائر
So he gave it to me—may God give him a blessing
So he gifted it to me, may Allah gift him a
fortified against the harm of fortune's turns.
Protected blessing from the turns of fate
وكنتand I was أخاa companion of ضَعفٍweakness فأنهضthen he roused مُنَّتيmy strength
وكنت أخا ضَعفٍ فأنهض مُنَّتي
وماand not زالceased معروفاًknown بأيمنfor the most auspicious طائرomen
وما زال معروفاً بأيمن طائر
And I was beset by weakness, and he roused my strength;
And I was a brother of weakness, so he rehabilitated my favour
he has always been known for the most auspicious omen.
And he still performs good with the rightest omen
وإنيand indeed I لأرجوsurely hope منهfrom him قطناًcotton لكسوتيfor my clothing
وإني لأرجو منه قطناً لكسوتي
وأيand what كريمٍgenerous man مُطعِمٍgiver of food غيرُnot ساترone who clothes
وأي كريمٍ مُطعِمٍ غيرُ ساتر
And I do hope for cotton from him to clothe me;
And I still hope to get a piece of cotton from him for my clothes
what generous giver of food does not also clothe?
And which generous feeder is not a coverer?
وماand no لأبيfor the father of عيسىIsa هنالكin that مِنَّةٌa benefaction
وما لأبي عيسى هنالك مِنَّةٌ
ولكنْbut لإبراهيمto Ibrahim تاجُthe crown المفاخرglories
ولكنْ لإبراهيم تاجُ المفاخر
And Abu Isa has no claim to credit here,
And Abu Isa has no favour over there
but the crown of glories belongs to Ibrahim.
But Ibrahim has the crown of prides
فتىًa young man حلsettled منin بيتthe house of الحُلُومةforbearance والتقىand piety
فتىً حل من بيت الحُلُومة والتقى
وبذلand the giving of العطاياgifts منزلاًa dwelling غيرnot داثرdecaying
وبذل العطايا منزلاً غير داثر
A young man settled in the house of forbearance and piety,
A young man came from the house of bounty and fate met him
and gift-giving, in a dwelling that never falls to ruin:
And gave away gifts settling in a non-perishing place
محلاًan abode إذاwhen وافاهcame to him للرِّفدfor bounty وفدهhis visitors
محلاً إذا وافاه للرِّفد وفده
رأىsaw خيرthe best معمورٍinhabited dwelling وأفضلand the finest عامرinhabitant
رأى خير معمورٍ وأفضل عامر
an abode where, when his visitors come seeking bounty,
A place, whenever its supplying delegation visits it
they see the best dwelling and the finest dweller.
Sees the best developed and most virtuous populated
فتىa young man لاnot تراهyou see him فاخراًboasting بمكانهof his station
فتى لا تراه فاخراً بمكانه
علىdespite أنهthat he is فوقabove النجومthe stars الزواهرshining
على أنه فوق النجوم الزواهر
A young man you never see boasting of his station,
A young man you do not see him bragging about his status
though he is above the shining stars.
Though he is above the shiny stars
وماand not وضعْتهplaced him همةٌhigh aspiration دونbelow مَفْخرٍa source of glory
وما وضعْته همةٌ دون مَفْخرٍ
ولكنهاbut it أعلتْهraised him فوقabove المفاخرِglories
ولكنها أعلتْه فوق المفاخرِ
His ambition has not placed him beneath a station of glory,
And no ambition placed him below pride
but has raised him above all glories.
But it raised him above prides
إذاwhen شِيمُthe traits of الأحرارfreeborn men حالتchanged فأصبحتthen became
إذا شِيمُ الأحرار حالت فأصبحت
إماءًslave women أبىhe refused منهنamong them غيرَother than الحرائرِfreeborn women
إماءً أبى منهن غيرَ الحرائرِ
When the traits of freeborn men change and become
When the morals of the noble attach, they become
slave women, he accepts none of them but the freeborn women.
Slave girls who refuse all but the noblewomen
Sol 6.1