أقولI say لسائليto the one asking me بكabout you ياO ابنson of يحيىYahya
أقول لسائلي بك يا ابن يحيى
حَمادِpraise! لمنto the one whom سألتَyou asked بهabout him حمادِpraise!
حَمادِ لمن سألتَ به حمادِ
I say to the one asking me about you, O son of Yahya:
I say to those who ask of you, O son of Yahya
Praise to the one you asked about—praise!
Glory to those you asked glory for
ولمand did not أحمدI praise بهin him إلاexcept حميداًone worthy of praise
ولم أحمد به إلا حميداً
بإجماعby the unanimous agreement of المُصَالحِthe friendly one والمُعَاديand the hostile one
بإجماع المُصَالحِ والمُعَادي
And in him I have praised only a praiseworthy man,
And I glorified no one but the Glorious
By the unanimous agreement of friend and foe.
With the consensus of allies and foes alike
فقالthen he said وإنand even if مُطِلْتَyou are kept waiting زُهاءَnearly حَوْلٍa year
فقال وإن مُطِلْتَ زُهاءَ حَوْلٍ
فقلتso I said وإنand even if مُطلتI am kept waiting إلىuntil التنادِthe Day of Calling
فقلت وإن مُطلت إلى التنادِ
Then he said, “Even if you are kept waiting nearly a year?”
So he said, even if you prolong for a year
So I said, “Even if I am kept waiting until the Day of Calling.”
I said, even if you prolong to eternity
متىwhenever يَمْطُلْdelays أبوfather of حسنٍHasan علِيٌّAli
متى يَمْطُلْ أبو حسنٍ علِيٌّ
فَعِلَّةُthen the cause of مَطْلِهِhis delay عَوَزُlack of means الجوادِthe generous man
فَعِلَّةُ مَطْلِهِ عَوَزُ الجوادِ
Whenever Abu Hasan, Ali, delays,
When has Abu Hasan Ali ever prolonged?
The cause of his delay is a generous man's lack of means.
For the cause of his prolonging is lack of generosity
ومحبِسُهand his withholding of العطيةَthe gift مستزيداًseeking to increase
ومحبِسُه العطيةَ مستزيداً
نَدَىthe bounty of يَدِهhis hand وليسand he is not بمستزادِasked for more
نَدَى يَدِه وليس بمستزادِ
And he holds back the gift, seeking to increase
And his imprisonment of bounty, seeking increase
His hand's bounty, though he is not asked for more.
Dew of his hand, though no seeker of increase
وماand not ضرَّharmed المؤمِّلthe hopeful one مطْلُdelay in fulfilling وعْدٍa promise
وما ضرَّ المؤمِّل مطْلُ وعْدٍ
تظلcontinues لهfor him العطيةthe gift فيin ازديادِincrease
تظل له العطية في ازديادِ
A promise's delay does not harm the hopeful man
Prolonging of hope harms not the prolonger
When the gift for him keeps growing.
Bounty remains increasing for him
فكلُّfor every فتىًyoung man كريمgenerous فيهin him مطْلٌdelay
فكلُّ فتىً كريم فيه مطْلٌ
ببذلin bestowing نوالهhis bounty فرطan excess of احتشادِpreparation
ببذل نواله فرط احتشادِ
For every generous young man, delay
For every noble youth has some prolonging
In bestowing his bounty comes from excessive preparation.
In bestowing gifts, throng overflowing
يُزايدhe outbids نفْسَهhimself فيin الرفدgiving حتىuntil
يُزايد نفْسَه في الرفد حتى
يطولَgrows long المطلُthe delay منbecause of طولthe length of الزيادِthe increase
يطولَ المطلُ من طول الزيادِ
He outbids himself in giving, until
He competes with himself in sustenance
The delay grows long as he keeps adding more.
So the prolonging lengthens with the increase
ولمand did not يمطلdelay جوادٌa generous man قَطُّever إلاexcept that
ولم يمطل جوادٌ قَطُّ إلا
أتاكcame to you حِبَاؤهhis gift ضخمimmense in السَّوادِbulk
أتاك حِبَاؤه ضخم السَّوادِ
And no generous man has ever delayed
No generous one ever prolonged
Without his gift coming to you, immense in bulk.
Except his loved ones came, crowd most black
إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle حاملٌa pregnant female جرَّتْcarried beyond term بحملٍwith a fetus
إذا ما حاملٌ جرَّتْ بحملٍ
أتمَّتْshe completed شخصَهits form عندat الولادِbirth
أتمَّتْ شخصَه عند الولادِ
When a pregnant mother carries her young past term,
When a burdened camel is pulled by burden
She completes its form at birth.
It completes its form during birth
وماand not مطلُthe delaying of ابنthe son of يحيىYahya سائليهhis petitioners
وما مطلُ ابن يحيى سائليه
ليوحشهمto discourage them بذاكby that منfrom العِوادِreturning
ليوحشهم بذاك من العِوادِ
Nor does Ibn Yahya delay his petitioners
Prolonging of the son of Yahya is no disdain
To discourage them thereby from returning,
To alienate them, of that habit
ولاnor ليروضَto tame نفْساًa soul ذاتَpossessed of شُحٍّstinginess
ولا ليروضَ نفْساً ذاتَ شُحٍّ
ولاnor ليفكَّto free عزماًa resolve ذاpossessed of صفادِa fetter
ولا ليفكَّ عزماً ذا صفادِ
Nor to tame a soul possessed of stinginess,
Nor to tame a soul of meanness
Nor to free a resolve bound in fetters.
Nor to undo resolve tightly bound
وماand not منof شأنهhis nature استكثارdeeming excessive عُوْدٍa return visit
وما من شأنه استكثار عُوْدٍ
ولاnor استثقالُfinding burdensome معروفٍa kindness مُعادِrepeated
ولا استثقالُ معروفٍ مُعادِ
It is not his way to deem return visits excessive,
It is not his way, too many gifts
Nor to find repeated kindness burdensome.
Or finding favor burdensome when reciprocated
فداهmay they be his ransom الماطلونthose who delay لكيso that يفُكُّواthey may loosen
فداه الماطلون لكي يفُكُّوا
وثاقthe bonds of البخلavarice عنfrom أيدٍhands جِعادِclenched
وثاق البخل عن أيدٍ جِعادِ
May those who delay be his ransom—seeking to loosen
Those who prolong ransom him to undo
The bonds of avarice from tight-clenched hands.
Shackles of stinginess from hands all withered
ولاand may not عدمlack المؤمِّلthe hopeful one منهfrom him مطلاًa delay
ولا عدم المؤمِّل منه مطلاً
تتمare perfected بهthrough it الصنائعbenefactions والأياديand favors
تتم به الصنائع والأيادي
And may the hopeful man never lack a delay from him
No lack of prolonging from him
Through which benefactions and favors are perfected.
By which good deeds and hands perfected
Sol 6.1