رأيتُI saw حمَّالاًa porter مُبينَplainly showing العمىblindness
رأيتُ حمَّالاً مُبينَ العمى
يعثرhe stumbles بالأكْمover hillocks وفيand in الوَهْدِhollows
يعثر بالأكْم وفي الوَهْدِ
I saw a porter, plainly blind,
I saw a blind porter stumbling
stumbling over hillocks and in hollows,
Among valleys and pits
مُحتَمِلاًcarrying ثِقْلاًa burden علىupon رأْسهhis head
مُحتَمِلاً ثِقْلاً على رأْسه
تضعُفُfalls short عنهof bearing it قُوَّةُthe strength الجَلْدِof a hardy man
تضعُفُ عنه قُوَّةُ الجَلْدِ
carrying a burden upon his head
Bearing a heavy load on his head
too great for even a sturdy man's strength,
Too much for his skin's endurance
بينamong جِمَالاتherds of camels وأشباهِهاand their likenesses
بين جِمَالات وأشباهِها
منof بَشَرٍhumans نامُواthey slept عنheedless of المجْدِhonor
من بَشَرٍ نامُوا عن المجْدِ
amid herds of camels and their likenesses
Among lazy good-for-nothings
among humans asleep to honor.
Who slept away from glory
أضحىhe had come to be بأَخْزىin the most humiliating حالةٍstate بينهمamong them
أضحى بأَخْزى حالةٍ بينهم
وكلُّهمand all of them فيin عيشةٍa life رغْدِof ease
وكلُّهم في عيشةٍ رغْدِ
He was in the most humiliating state among them,
He lives in shameful condition among them
while all of them lived a life of ease.
Though all live in luxury
وكلهمand all of them يَصْدِمُهbump into him عامداًdeliberately
وكلهم يَصْدِمُه عامداً
أوor تائهَwandering اللُّبِّin mind بلاwithout عمدِintent
أو تائهَ اللُّبِّ بلا عمدِ
And each of them bumped into him deliberately,
Each one bumps into him intentionally
or absent-mindedly, without intent.
Or wanders about without purpose
والبائسُand the wretched man المسكِينُthe destitute man مستسْلِمٌresigned
والبائسُ المسكِينُ مستسْلِمٌ
أذلُّmore abject للمكروهbefore hardship منthan عبْدِa slave
أذلُّ للمكروه من عبْدِ
And the wretched, destitute man was resigned,
Yet the miserable wretch submits
more abject before hardship than a slave.
More servile than any slave
وماand not اشْتهىhe desired ذاكthat ولكنَّهbut he
وما اشْتهى ذاك ولكنَّه
فرَّhe fled منfrom اللُّؤْمmeanness إلىinto الجَهْدِtoil
فرَّ من اللُّؤْم إلى الجَهْدِ
And he had no wish for that, but he
Not that he desired this but
fled from meanness into toil.
He fled hardship for effort
فَرَّhe fled إلىto الحْملِcarrying loads علىdespite ضعفهhis weakness
فَرَّ إلى الحْملِ على ضعفه
منfrom كَلَحاتthe scowls المُكْثِرof the wealthy man الوغْدِthe churl
من كَلَحات المُكْثِر الوغْدِ
He fled to bearing loads, despite his weakness,
He fled to bear his burden in weakness
from the scowls of the wealthy churl.
From stinginess of the glutton
فَعُذْتُso I sought refuge منfrom أمْثالthe likes of أحْوالِهِhis circumstances
فَعُذْتُ من أمْثال أحْوالِهِ
باللّهin God والحُرِّand the noble man أبيAbu (father of) سَعْدِSa'd
باللّه والحُرِّ أبي سَعْدِ
So I sought refuge from circumstances like his
So I seek refuge in Allah and the free man
in God and the noble Abu Sa'd—
My father Saad the generous
السَّبِطِopen (generous) الكفِّof hand الذيwho لمhas not يزلceased
السَّبِطِ الكفِّ الذي لم يزل
مُسْتَمْطِرُوهُthose seeking his rain فيin ثَرىًmoist earth جعْدِclumped with moisture
مُسْتَمْطِرُوهُ في ثَرىً جعْدِ
the open-handed one, who has always had
The steadfast, open-handed one who
those seeking his rain on rich, moist earth;
Is always watered in fertile Jad
الصّادِقِtrue الوعْدِto his promise علىdespite أنهthe fact that he
الصّادِقِ الوعْدِ على أنه
ماhas not زالceased فعَّالاًa man of many deeds بلاwithout وعْدِa promise
ما زال فعَّالاً بلا وعْدِ
true to his promise, though
The trustworthy one true to his word
he has always been a man of deeds, without promises;
Though he acts without promises
الوارِثِinheriting السُّؤْدَدeminence أسْلافُهُhis forebears
الوارِثِ السُّؤْدَد أسْلافُهُ
ذيpossessed of المجدglory منfrom قَبْلٍbefore ومنand from بعْدِafter
ذي المجد من قَبْلٍ ومن بعْدِ
whose forebears inherited eminence,
The inheritor of glorious ancestors
possessed of glory, both before and after;
Of glory before and after
العاسِفdriving hard المالَwealth لِسُؤَّالهfor his petitioners
العاسِف المالَ لِسُؤَّاله
والسالكand following الرأيَjudgment علىalong القصْدِa measured course
والسالك الرأيَ على القصْدِ
who drives his wealth hard for his petitioners,
Who spends wealth freely when asked
and follows a measured course in judgment;
And takes the middle course
الدائمconstant العهْدِin his pledge ولكنَّهbut he
الدائم العهْدِ ولكنَّه
يصْعدhe rises منfrom عهْدa pledge إلىto عهْدِa pledge
يصْعد من عهْد إلى عهْدِ
steadfast in his pledge, yet he
Loyal in covenant but he
rises from one pledge to another,
Ascends from covenant to covenant
مستبدِلاًsubstituting عهْداًa pledge بماfor what is دُونهbelow it
مستبدِلاً عهْداً بما دُونه
والعزْمُand the resolve منْهُon his part ثابتُfirm العَقْدِin its binding
والعزْمُ منْهُ ثابتُ العَقْدِ
taking a higher pledge in place of a lesser,
Exchanging one covenant for another
and the knot of his resolve holds firm;
His resolve firmly tied
المُبْرِقِflashing forth البشرَgood cheer الملِثِّunceasingly showering الجَدَاbounty
المُبْرِقِ البشرَ الملِثِّ الجَدَا
مُجانباًavoiding قَعْقَعَةَthe clatter الرعْدِof thunder
مُجانباً قَعْقَعَةَ الرعْدِ
flashing good cheer, ceaselessly raining bounty,
The brilliant witty one, loud thunder
while avoiding the clatter of thunder.
Avoids idle prattle
يستكتمhe requests secrecy for العُرفَkindness علىdespite أنهthe fact that he
يستكتم العُرفَ على أنه
يُفشيهhe spreads it فيin غوْرٍlowlands وفيand in نجدِuplands
يُفشيه في غوْرٍ وفي نجدِ
He asks that his kindness be kept secret, though
He hides his nobility yet spreads it
he spreads it through lowlands and uplands.
In wilderness and settlement
منamong أجْحَدِthe most denying الناسpeople لنعمىof a favor لهof his own
من أجْحَدِ الناس لنعمى له
تزدادit grows إسْفاراًmore manifest علىdespite الجَحْدِdenial
تزداد إسْفاراً على الجَحْدِ
He is one of the greatest deniers of his own bounty,
The most stubborn people for blessings on him
which grows more radiant despite denial.
Grow blinder in ingratitude
Sol 6.1