كَريمٌa generous man يُحاكيrivals البَحرَthe sea جودُthe generosity بنانِهِof his fingertips
كَريمٌ يُحاكي البَحرَ جودُ بنانِهِ
عَلىalthough أَنَّهُhe is أَحلىsweeter مِنthan الشَهدِhoney للنَفسِto the soul
عَلى أَنَّهُ أَحلى مِن الشَهدِ للنَفسِ
A noble man, whose fingertips’ largesse rivals the sea,
A generous man whose fingertips’ bounty rivals the sea,
though to the soul it is sweeter than honey;
Though he is sweeter than honey to the soul.
وَمَنبعُand a wellspring آدابٍliterary arts تَحلّىhe adorned himself بِحَملِهاby possessing them
وَمَنبعُ آدابٍ تَحلّى بِحَملِها
فَيُزريthus he puts to shame بِسحبانSahban وَيربيand surpasses عَلىbeyond قسِّQuss
فَيُزري بِسحبان وَيربي عَلى قسِّ
and a wellspring of cultured graces, adorned by bearing them—
And a wellspring of literary arts, adorned by possessing them,
so he eclipses Sahban and surpasses Quss.
Thus he puts Sahban to shame and surpasses Quss.
مَواهِبُهُhis gifts دَرٌan abundant flow عَلىupon كُلِّevery مُعتَفٍseeker of bounty
مَواهِبُهُ دَرٌ عَلى كُلِّ مُعتَفٍ
وَأَلفاظُهُand his words دُرٌّpearls عَلىupon صَفحَةِthe page الطِرسِof the parchment
وَأَلفاظُهُ دُرٌّ عَلى صَفحَةِ الطِرسِ
His gifts pour copiously upon every supplicant,
His gifts flow abundantly to every seeker of bounty,
and his words are pearls upon the parchment’s page.
And his words are pearls upon the parchment page.
يَرىhe considers بَذلَgiving آلافٍthousands قَليلاًlittle وَغَيرُهُand someone other than him
يَرى بَذلَ آلافٍ قَليلاً وَغَيرُهُ
يَرىhe considers الغايةَthe limit القُصوىthe utmost إِذاwhen جاءَhe comes بِالفَلسِwith a fils (a small copper coin)
يَرى الغايةَ القُصوى إِذا جاءَ بِالفَلسِ
He deems the giving of thousands a trifle, while another
He deems giving thousands a trifle, while another
deems it the utmost height if he brings forth a mere copper fals.
Thinks he has reached the utmost when he brings a single fils.
Sol 6.1