أباO father of حسنٍHasan لمnot أمْسِI have been منof حالthe state of بالكمْyour mind
أبا حسنٍ لم أمْسِ من حال بالكمْ
وإنand though كنتُمyou have been تُمسونyou become منof حالِthe state of بالياmy mind
وإن كنتُم تُمسون من حالِ باليا
O Abu Hasan, I have not been in your thoughts,
Abu Hasan, I have not changed in my affection for you all
even though you have been in mine.
Even if you have changed in your affection for me
أتَنْسونَdo you forget منone who يَرعَىkeeps watch over لكْمfor you كلَّevery ليلةٍnight
أتَنْسونَ من يَرعَى لكْم كلَّ ليلةٍ
نجومَthe stars of القوافيrhymes والنجومَand the stars التَّوالِيَاfollowing one another
نجومَ القوافي والنجومَ التَّوالِيَا
Do you forget one who watches for you every night
Do you forget the one who composes verses for you every night?
the stars of rhymes and the stars following one another?
The rhyming stars and the successive stars?
تُذيقوننيyou give me a taste حتىuntil إذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَشَوَّقَتْgrew eager
تُذيقونني حتى إذا ما تَشَوَّقَتْ
مُنايَmy hopes بداappeared ليto me مُنْكُمُfrom you ماwhat بداappeared لياto me
مُنايَ بدا لي مُنْكُمُ ما بدا ليا
You give me a taste, until longing awakens
You made me yearn until when my soul desired
in my hopes—then I see from you what I have seen.
One of you appeared to me as he appeared to me
فتذويقُthen a giving of a taste إشباعsatiation هَدَىmay guide اللَّهGod سعيكُمْyour efforts
فتذويقُ إشباع هَدَى اللَّه سعيكُمْ
وإلاand if not فحسماًthen a decisive severance يتركُleaves القلبَthe heart سالياfree of longing
وإلا فحسماً يتركُ القلبَ ساليا
Then give a taste that satisfies—may God guide your efforts—
Your bestowing to satiate is guided by Allah's guidance
or else make a clean break that leaves the heart free of longing.
Otherwise, decisively, the heart moves on
أمبتورةٌis it cut short عنديtoward me صنيعةُthe kindness of كاملa perfect man
أمبتورةٌ عندي صنيعةُ كامل
وقدand indeed شَهِدَتْhave attested آراؤهhis judgments بكمالياto my perfection
وقد شَهِدَتْ آراؤه بكماليا
Is a perfect man's kindness toward me cut short,
In my eyes the work of Kamal is incomplete
though his judgments have attested to my perfection?
Though his views have been witnessed as perfect
فتىًa young man زيدَwas granted more فيin الأخلاقِcharacter والخَلْقِand physique بسطَةًabundance
فتىً زيدَ في الأخلاقِ والخَلْقِ بسطَةً
بأمثالهاthrough its like نالَattained الرجالُmen المعالياthe heights
بأمثالها نالَ الرجالُ المعاليا
A young man granted abundance in character and physique,
A young man, Zayd, excelled in morals and creation with openness
through such qualities men have attained the heights.
With the likes of him, men attained glories
أتمَّperfected لهfor him الإحسانُbenevolence حُسْنَthe beauty of روائهِhis appearance
أتمَّ له الإحسانُ حُسْنَ روائهِ
وأضحىand he became منwith الإحسانbenevolence والحُسْنِand beauty حالياadorned
وأضحى من الإحسان والحُسْنِ حاليا
Benevolence perfected the beauty of his appearance,
Goodwill perfected the goodness of his narration
and he became adorned with benevolence and beauty.
And he became immersed in goodwill and goodness
يقولhe says لمنْto whoever يلحاهrebukes him فيfor بَذْلِgiving مالِهِhis wealth
يقول لمنْ يلحاه في بَذْلِ مالِهِ
أَأُنفِقُshall I spend أياميmy days وأُمْسِكand I keep مالياmy wealth
أَأُنفِقُ أيامي وأُمْسِك ماليا
He says to whoever reproaches him for giving his wealth:
He says to those who insist he give his money
"Shall I spend my days and keep my wealth?"
"Should I spend my days and withhold my money?"
نسبناهُwe traced his lineage والقومand the people الكرامthe noble إلىto العُلىgreatness
نسبناهُ والقوم الكرام إلى العُلى
فكانso he was صريحاًof pure descent والكرامُand the noble مَوالياclients
فكان صريحاً والكرامُ مَواليا
We traced his lineage, and that of the noble, to greatness;
We attributed him, and the generous people, to the Most High
he was of pure descent, while the noble were clients.
So he was candid while the generous were loyal
لعَمْريby my life لئنindeed if أضحىhas become يَسُرُّdelights زمانَهhis era
لعَمْري لئن أضحى يَسُرُّ زمانَه
سناءٌsplendor لقدsurely ساءَsaddened السنينَthe years الخوالياgone by
سناءٌ لقد ساءَ السنينَ الخواليا
By my life, if his era is now gladdened
By my life, if his time has become auspicious
by splendor, it has surely saddened the bygone years.
It was ill-omened, those past years!
ولمand not يَخْلُhas lacked منof شوقٍlonging إلىfor وجههhis face غدٌtomorrow
ولم يَخْلُ من شوقٍ إلى وجهه غدٌ
فلاso may not انصرفَdepart الأمسُyesterday المُودَّعbidden farewell تالياfollowing in succession
فلا انصرفَ الأمسُ المُودَّع تاليا
And no tomorrow has lacked longing for his face;
No day has passed without yearning for his face
so may yesterday, bidden farewell, never depart in its turn.
So yesterday's farewell did not turn away
فداهُmay they ransom him أُناسٌpeople أرخَصَcheapened الحمدَpraise بُخْلُهُمtheir stinginess
فداهُ أُناسٌ أرخَصَ الحمدَ بُخْلُهُم
وأعلىand raised the price of عطاياهُمْtheir gifts فأضحتْso they became غوالياcostly
وأعلى عطاياهُمْ فأضحتْ غواليا
May he be ransomed by people whose stinginess cheapens praise
Ransomed by people whose stinginess belittled praise
and raises the price of their gifts, making them costly.
And their highest gifts became like embezzlement
يُجِدُّونthey renew أثواباًgarments وماand not يَرْتَضُونهاthey approve of them
يُجِدُّون أثواباً وما يَرْتَضُونها
ويَرْضُونَand they are content with أعراضاًreputations رِماماًrotten بوالياworn-out
ويَرْضُونَ أعراضاً رِماماً بواليا
They renew their garments, yet are not content with them,
They dress in robes but are not content with them
but are content with reputations rotten and threadbare.
And they are content with threadbare rags
Sol 6.1