وَمُحتَكِمٍand one holding sway فيin الخُمصِslenderness طَوراًat times وَفيand in البُدنِfullness
وَمُحتَكِمٍ في الخُمصِ طَوراً وَفي البُدنِ
فَقَدfor indeed دَقَّis slimmer عَنthan حِقفٍa curved sand dune وَقَدand indeed جَلَّis fuller عَنthan غُصنِa bough
فَقَد دَقَّ عَن حِقفٍ وَقَد جَلَّ عَن غُصنِ
And one who holds sway, now in slenderness, now in fullness:
At times aloof, at others intimate and close,
For he is slimmer than a curved sand dune, yet fuller than a bough.
He has turned from branch and bough.
تَبَدّىhe appeared فَأَبدىand so revealed لِيَto me الجَوىburning heartache بِصُدودِهِthrough his turning away
تَبَدّى فَأَبدى لِيَ الجَوى بِصُدودِهِ
وَأَسنىand lavished عَطِيّاتِgifts الفُؤادِthe heart مِنَof الحُزنِsorrow
وَأَسنى عَطِيّاتِ الفُؤادِ مِنَ الحُزنِ
He appeared and revealed heartache to me through his turning away,
He revealed himself, showing me his inner pain,
And lavished gifts of sorrow upon the heart.
Bestowing the generosity of his heart’s grief.
وَقَدand indeed سَوَّدَhad blackened الديوانُthe bureau بَعضَsome of ثِيابِهِhis garments
وَقَد سَوَّدَ الديوانُ بَعضَ ثِيابِهِ
وَأَحسَنُand most beautiful ماwhen تُستَوضَحُis clearly seen الشَمسُthe sun فيin الدَجنِclouded gloom
وَأَحسَنُ ما تُستَوضَحُ الشَمسُ في الدَجنِ
And the bureau had blackened some of his garments;
The registry has blackened some of its pages,
And the sun is loveliest when discerned amid clouded gloom.
And the sun is fairest at dawn’s first light.
فَلاقَتهُso they met him أَبياتٌverses تُناسِبُbefit وَجهَهُhis face
فَلاقَتهُ أَبياتٌ تُناسِبُ وَجهَهُ
نَدَبتُI summoned لَهاfor them فِكريmy thought وَأَخدَمتُهاand put at their service ذِهنيmy mind
نَدَبتُ لَها فِكري وَأَخدَمتُها ذِهني
So verses befitting his face met him—
Words met him, fitting his demeanor,
I summoned my thought for them and put my mind at their service.
I dedicated my thoughts to them and made them my mind’s labor.
فَأَغضَبتُهُso I angered him أَنthat قُلتُI said ياO أَحسَنَfairest of الوَرىhumankind
فَأَغضَبتُهُ أَن قُلتُ يا أَحسَنَ الوَرى
وَكادَand he nearly بِأَنto يُفضيproceed إِلىto الشَتمِinsults وَاللَعنِand curses
وَكادَ بِأَن يُفضي إِلى الشَتمِ وَاللَعنِ
So I angered him by saying, "O fairest of humankind!"
I angered him when I said, “O fairest of mankind!”
And he nearly resorted to insults and curses.
He nearly broke into curses and imprecations.
إِذاif غاظَangers وَصفُdescribing الناسِpeople بِالحُسنِas beautiful أَهلَهُits possessors
إِذا غاظَ وَصفُ الناسِ بِالحُسنِ أَهلَهُ
فَلِمَthen why لَمdid not يُخَرِّقtear to shreds ثَوبَهُhis robe يوسُفُYusuf الحُسنِof beauty
فَلِمَ لَم يُخَرِّق ثَوبَهُ يوسُفُ الحُسنِ
If calling people beautiful angers those who possess beauty,
When people’s praise for beauty angers its owner,
Then why did Yusuf of beauty not tear his robe to shreds?
Why did Joseph not tear his garment of beauty?
Sol 6.1