أَتَأمَلُdo you hope أَنto تَنالَattain نَدىthe bounty of كَريمٍa generous man
أَتَأمَلُ أَن تَنالَ نَدى كَريمٍ
نَداهُhis bounty أَوَّلُfirst وَالغَيثُand the rain ثانِsecond
نَداهُ أَوَّلُ وَالغَيثُ ثانِ
Do you hope to gain a generous man's bounty,
I hope to attain the bounty of a generous cloud
Whose bounty comes first, and rain second,
Whose first rain is bountiful and the latter rain copious
وَيَجريand it races وَالمَجَرَةُand the Milky Way فيin عَنانِa shared rein
وَيَجري وَالمَجَرَةُ في عَنانِ
فَلاso it does not يَخفىremain hidden عَلىfrom ناءٍone far away وَدانِand one nearby
فَلا يَخفى عَلى ناءٍ وَدانِ
And races abreast of the Milky Way,
It flows freely and unhindered
Hidden from neither far nor near?
So it is not concealed from any valley or hill
تَصَوَّرَhe took shape فيin القُلوبِthe hearts فَلَيسَso he does not يَنأىgrow distant
تَصَوَّرَ في القُلوبِ فَلَيسَ يَنأى
عَلىdespite نَأيِthe remoteness of المَحَلَّةِthe abode وَالمَكانِand the place
عَلى نَأيِ المَحَلَّةِ وَالمَكانِ
He has taken shape in hearts and does not grow distant,
It has imprinted itself in hearts so it does not distance
Despite the remoteness of his abode and dwelling place.
Itself from any place or region
إِذاwhen عَبَسَfrowns الزَمانُTime فَمِلthen turn إِلَيهِto him
إِذا عَبَسَ الزَمانُ فَمِل إِلَيهِ
تَجِدهُyou will find him البِشرَcheerfulness فيin وَجهِthe face of الزَمانِTime
تَجِدهُ البِشرَ في وَجهِ الزَمانِ
When Time frowns, turn to him:
When times are gloomy, it is the bringer of glad tidings
You will find him the smile on Time's face.
You will find it the bearer of good news in the face of trying times
تَقاصَرَfell short عَنof نَداهُhis bounty باعُthe reach of شُكريmy gratitude
تَقاصَرَ عَن نَداهُ باعُ شُكري
قُصورَthe falling short of الزَجِّthe spear's butt عَنof زَلَقِthe swift glide of اللِسانِthe tongue-like spear-tip
قُصورَ الزَجِّ عَن زَلَقِ اللِسانِ
The reach of my gratitude fell short of his bounty,
My gratitude falls short in thanking it
As a spear's butt falls short of its darting, tongue-like tip.
Like faulty eloquence falling short of a glib tongue
وَآسىand I grieve أَنthat تَطولَshould reach يَدايَmy two hands مِنهُthrough him
وَآسى أَن تَطولَ يَدايَ مِنهُ
إِلىto ماwhat لاnot يُطاوِلهُcan match it لِسانيmy tongue
إِلى ما لا يُطاوِلهُ لِساني
And I grieve that, through him, my hands should reach
I grieve that my hands cannot reach it
What my tongue cannot match.
Nor can my tongue equal it
كَأَنَّas though نَدىthe bounty of يَدَيهِhis two hands عِناقُan embrace of بَينٍparting
كَأَنَّ نَدى يَدَيهِ عِناقُ بَينٍ
فَلَيسَso it does not يَسُرُّنيdelight me إِلّاexcept that شَجانيit grieves me
فَلَيسَ يَسُرُّني إِلّا شَجاني
His hands' bounty is like a parting embrace:
As if its bounty were a loving embrace
It never delights me without also grieving me.
And nothing delights me except my fervent longing
لَهَجتُI kept speaking بِذِكرِهِin mentioning him لِأُبَيَّنَso that I might explain عَنهُabout him
لَهَجتُ بِذِكرِهِ لِأُبَيَّنَ عَنهُ
فَضاقَso proved too narrow بِوَصفِهِfor describing him ذَرعُthe reach of البَيانِeloquence
فَضاقَ بِوَصفِهِ ذَرعُ البَيانِ
I kept speaking of him, seeking to describe him,
I talked of it to try to explain it
But eloquence's reach proved too narrow to portray him.
But describing it exceeds the bounds of expression
حَنانيbent me ثُقلُهُhis weight وَلَوَand even if اِنَّindeed قَوساًa bow
حَناني ثُقلُهُ وَلَوَ اِنَّ قَوساً
تَلَقّىmet مَنكَبَيَّmy two shoulders لَماwould not حَنانيhave bent me
تَلَقّى مَنكَبَيَّ لَما حَناني
His weight bent me; even if a bow
My yearning for it is a burden, even if
Rested against my shoulders, it would not have bent me.
A bow spanned my shoulders, it would not relieve my yearning
فَهاso here أَناI am مِنهُthrough him مُفتَقِرٌneedy وَغانٍand rich
فَها أَنا مِنهُ مُفتَقِرٌ وَغانٍ
وَقَلبيand my heart فيهِregarding him مُنطَلِقٌunfettered وَعانِand captive
وَقَلبي فيهِ مُنطَلِقٌ وَعانِ
So here I am, through him, both needy and rich,
So here I am, needy and longing for it
And my heart, where he is concerned, both free and captive.
With my heart set free towards it, finding relief
Sol 6.1