أَمّاas for أَبوAbu (father of) بِشرٍBishr فَقَدso indeed أَضحىhas become الوَرىmankind
أَمّا أَبو بِشرٍ فَقَد أَضحى الوَرى
كَلّاًdependent عَلىon نَفَحاتِهِhis bounties وَنَوالِهِand his largesse
كَلّاً عَلى نَفَحاتِهِ وَنَوالِهِ
As for Abu Bishr, mankind has now become
As for Abu Bishr, he has become a model
dependent on his bounties and largesse.
Of generosity in his breath and drink.
فَمَتىso whenever تُلِمُّyou visit بِهِupon him تَؤُبyou return مُستَيقِناًcertain
فَمَتى تُلِمُّ بِهِ تَؤُب مُستَيقِناً
أَنthat لَيسَis not أَولىmore entitled مِنthan سِواهُanyone other than him بِمالِهِto his wealth
أَن لَيسَ أَولى مِن سِواهُ بِمالِهِ
So whenever you visit him, you return convinced
So if you find fault with him, you will repent, certain
that he has no greater claim to his wealth than anyone else.
That none is worthier of his wealth than he.
كَرَمٌgenerosity يَزيدُsurpasses عَلىbeyond الكِرامِthe generous وَتَحتَهُand beneath it
كَرَمٌ يَزيدُ عَلى الكِرامِ وَتَحتَهُ
أَدَبٌrefinement يَفُكُّfrees القَلبَthe heart مِنfrom أَغلالِهِits shackles
أَدَبٌ يَفُكُّ القَلبَ مِن أَغلالِهِ
Generosity surpassing that of the generous, and beneath it
A nobility exceeding all nobles, and beneath it
refinement that frees the heart from its shackles.
A refinement that frees the heart of its fetters.
أُبلِيتُI was granted مِنهُfrom him مَوَدَّةًfriendship عَبدِيَّةًʿAbdī
أُبلِيتُ مِنهُ مَوَدَّةً عَبدِيَّةً
راشَتfeathered نِباليmy arrows كُلَّهاall of them بِنِبالِهِwith his arrows
راشَت نِبالي كُلَّها بِنِبالِهِ
I was granted by him an ʿAbdī friendship
I have received from him a sincere devotion
that feathered all my arrows with his arrows.
That has pierced all my arrows with his arrows,
حَتّىso much so لَوَif اَنَّكَthat you تَستَشِفُّpeer into ضَميرَهُhis inner heart
حَتّى لَوَ اَنَّكَ تَستَشِفُّ ضَميرَهُ
لَرَأَيتَنيyou would surely see me فيin الصَدرِthe forefront مِنof آمالِهِhis hopes
لَرَأَيتَني في الصَدرِ مِن آمالِهِ
So much so that, if you could peer into his heart,
So that if you could see into his conscience
you would surely see me foremost among his hopes.
You would see me in his breast among his hopes.
أَوَand (questioning) ماnot رَأَيتَyou saw الوَردَthe roses أَتحَفَناhe presented us بِهِwith them
أَوَ ما رَأَيتَ الوَردَ أَتحَفَنا بِهِ
إِتحافَbestowing a gift مَنone who خَطَرَoccurred الصَديقُthe friend بِبالِهِto his mind
إِتحافَ مَن خَطَرَ الصَديقُ بِبالِهِ
And did you not see the roses he presented us,
Or have you not seen the roses with which he gifted us
as one gives a gift when his friend comes to mind?
A gift from one whose friend came to mind?
وَرداًrose-red كَتَوريدِlike the flushing of الخُدودِthe cheeks تَلَوَّنَتbecame colored
وَرداً كَتَوريدِ الخُدودِ تَلَوَّنَت
خَجَلاًfrom shyness وَأَبيَضَand white ones فيin بَياضِthe whiteness of فَعالِهِhis deeds
خَجَلاً وَأَبيَضَ في بَياضِ فَعالِهِ
Rose-red, like the flushing of cheeks that change color
Roses blushing red like cheeks, variegated
from shyness, and white ones matching the whiteness of his deeds.
With shyness, white in the whiteness of his deeds.
وَالقَهوَةُand the wine الصَهباءُgolden-red ظَلَّتcontinued تُستَقىbeing drawn
وَالقَهوَةُ الصَهباءُ ظَلَّت تُستَقى
مِنfrom طَيِّباتِthe good things of المُجتَنىthe harvest وَحَلالِهِand its lawful yield
مِن طَيِّباتِ المُجتَنى وَحَلالِهِ
And the golden-red wine continued to be drawn
And coffee, pale, kept being served
from the good things of the harvest and its lawful yield.
From the pure joys and the lawful gains.
مَشمولَةًcooled by the north wind تُغنيenriches المُقِلَّthe poor man وَإِنَّماand only
مَشمولَةً تُغني المُقِلَّ وَإِنَّما
ذاكَthat الغِنىwealth التَزييدُthe increase فيin إِقلالِهِhis poverty
ذاكَ الغِنى التَزييدُ في إِقلالِهِ
Cooled by the north wind, it enriches the poor man—yet
Inclusive, giving joy to the destitute, and yet
that wealth is only an increase in his poverty.
That wealth is but increase in his austerity.
وَمُلَحَّباًand a flayed beast لاقىmet المَنِيَّةَdeath حاسِراًunarmored
وَمُلَحَّباً لاقى المَنِيَّةَ حاسِراً
وَالمَوتُand death أَحمَرُred واقِفاًstanding بِحِيالِهِbefore it
وَالمَوتُ أَحمَرُ واقِفاً بِحِيالِهِ
And a flayed beast that met death unarmored,
And he met his death disappointed,
with red Death standing before it.
While death stood red before him.
فَكَباso it fell كَماjust as يَكبوfalls الكَمِيُّthe armored warrior تَصَرَّفَتhad changed
فَكَبا كَما يَكبو الكَمِيُّ تَصَرَّفَت
أَيّامُهُhis days وَاِنبَتَّand he was cut off مِنfrom أَبطالِهِhis champions
أَيّامُهُ وَاِنبَتَّ مِن أَبطالِهِ
So it fell as an armored warrior falls, with a reversal of
So he fell as the brave fall; his days
his fortunes, cut off from his champions.
Passed and the heroes sprang from his loins.
فَأَتىso it arrived وَقَدand already عَرَّتهُhad stripped it مُرهَفَةُkeen-edged المُدىthe knives
فَأَتى وَقَد عَرَّتهُ مُرهَفَةُ المُدى
مِنof روحِهِits life جَمعاًtogether وَمِنand of سِربالِهِits garment
مِن روحِهِ جَمعاً وَمِن سِربالِهِ
So it arrived, the keen-edged knives having stripped it
He came, and the miles had ravaged him,
of its life and its garment together.
Stripping his soul and his garments.
لَوif كانَwere يُهدىgiven لِاِمرِئٍto a man ماwhat لاnot يُرىis seen
لَو كانَ يُهدى لِاِمرِئٍ ما لا يُرى
يُهدىbeing given لِعُظمِbecause of the greatness of فِراقِهِits separation وَذِيالِهِand its trailing sweep
يُهدى لِعُظمِ فِراقِهِ وَذِيالِهِ
If a man could be given what is never seen
Had it been proper to give to one unseen
being given, because of its vast separation and trailing sweep,
What cannot be seen, to his sublime absence and train -
لَرَدَدتُI would surely return تُحفَتَهُhis gift عَلَيهِto him وَإِنand even though عَلَتit rises
لَرَدَدتُ تُحفَتَهُ عَلَيهِ وَإِن عَلَت
عَنabove ذاكَthat وَاِستَهدَيتُand I would request a gift بَعضَsome of خِصالِهِhis qualities
عَن ذاكَ وَاِستَهدَيتُ بَعضَ خِصالِهِ
I would return his gift to him, though it rises
I would have returned his gift to him, though exalted
above that, and request some of his qualities as a gift.
From that, I have drawn some of his qualities.
Sol 6.1