ياO مُخلِفَbreaker of الميعادِthe promise كْمhow often تَجْفُونيyou shun me
يا مُخلِفَ الميعادِ كْم تَجْفُوني
وَمُجَوِّدَand master of الإنشادِrecitation كَمْhow often تَهْجُونيyou lampoon me
وَمُجَوِّدَ الإنشادِ كَمْ تَهْجُوني
O breaker of promises, how often you shun me!
O you who break promises, how much do you spurn me
And master of recitation, how often you lampoon me!
And you who excell in poetry, how much do you satirize me
أفماdo you not ترىyou see فيamong ذيthis البَريَّةِhumankind قاسياًsomeone cruel
أفما ترى في ذي البَريَّةِ قاسياً
فتَذُمَّand so condemn قَسوَتَهُhis cruelty بِشِعركَwith your poetry دُونيinstead of me
فتَذُمَّ قَسوَتَهُ بِشِعركَ دُوني
Do you not see among these people someone cruel,
Do you not see the one in the desert being harsh
and condemn his cruelty in your verse instead of me?
So you blame his harshness in your poetry except for me
مَاnot إنْemphatic particle عدَوْتُكَI passed you over فيin ثَنائيmy praise عامِداًdeliberately
مَا إنْ عدَوْتُكَ في ثَنائي عامِداً
فبِأَيِّthen for what ذَنبٍfault فيهِin it قَدindeed تَعدُونيyou pass me over
فبِأَيِّ ذَنبٍ فيهِ قَد تَعدُوني
I have not deliberately passed you over in my praise;
I have never intentionally avoided praising you
then for what fault in it do you pass me over?
So with what sin do you now avoid me
أناI شاكِرٌgrateful للعُرْفِfor kindness نَشْرَproclaiming يَدٍa hand's bounty فكَمْso how often
أنا شاكِرٌ للعُرْفِ نَشْرَ يَدٍ فكَمْ
عِندَbefore العَميدِal-ʿAmīd (the chief) المُرتضىal-Murtaḍā (the approved one) تَشكُونيyou complain about me
عِندَ العَميدِ المُرتضى تَشكُوني
I am grateful for kindness, proclaiming a hand's bounty; yet how often
I am thankful for the gentleness in extending a hand so how much
you complain about me before al-ʿAmīd al-Murtaḍā!
Do you complain about me to the esteemed leader
ياO قاسِياًcruel one والقافُand the letter qāf مِنهُof it نُقطَةٌa dot
يا قاسِياً والقافُ مِنهُ نُقطَةٌ
ومُعَرِّضاًand courting فيin شِعرِهِhis poetry للهُونِhumiliation
ومُعَرِّضاً في شِعرِهِ للهُونِ
O cruel one—with a single dot on that word's qāf—
O you who are harsh and the Qaf in it is a dot
and one who courts humiliation in his verse,
And in your poetry you expose me to humiliation
رِفْقاًbe gentle بشَيخٍwith an old man فيin ودادكَlove for you مُخلصٌsincere
رِفْقاً بشَيخٍ في ودادكَ مُخلصٌ
بِهَواكَby love for you طُلَthroughout زَمانِهِhis lifetime مَفتونُenthralled
بِهَواكَ طُلَ زَمانِهِ مَفتونُ
be gentle with an old man sincere in his love for you,
Have mercy on an old man sincerely devoted to your love
enthralled by love for you throughout his life.
His time has been spent obsessed with your love
Sol 6.1