لَيْتَwould that شِعرِيmy knowing ماwhat مُقْتَضَىthe grounds for حِرْمانيmy deprivation
لَيْتَ شِعرِي ما مُقْتَضَى حِرْماني
دُونَto the exclusion of غَيْرِيothers besides me والإلْفُand fellowship لِلرَّحْمنِfor the All-Merciful
دُونَ غَيْرِي والإلْفُ لِلرَّحْمنِ
If only I knew what warrants my deprivation,
I wish I knew why I'm deprived
while others are spared, and fellowship belongs to the All-Merciful.
While others are graced by the Merciful
أتَرَانيdo you deem me لاnot أَسْتَحِقُّI deserve لِكَوْنيbecause I am
أتَرَاني لا أَسْتَحِقُّ لِكَوْني
جامِعاًgathering شَمْلَthe company of قارِئيreciters of القرآنِthe Qur'an
جامِعاً شَمْلَ قارِئي القرآنِ
Do you deem me undeserving because I am
Is it because I gather people
one who brings the Qur'an's reciters together?
To recite the Holy Quran?
أَمْor لِكَوْنيbecause I am فيin إثْرthe wake of كلِّevery صَلاةٍprayer
أَمْ لِكَوْني في إثْر كلِّ صَلاةٍ
بيَthrough me يُدْعَىsupplication is made لِدَوْلَةfor the rule of السُّلْطانِthe sultan
بيَ يُدْعَى لِدَوْلَة السُّلْطانِ
Or because, after every prayer,
Or is it because after every prayer
supplication is made through me for the sultan's rule?
I pray for the state and the sultan?
وَبِأَيِّand on what الأَسْبابِgrounds يُعْطَىis given مَكانٌa place
وَبِأَيِّ الأَسْبابِ يُعْطَى مَكانٌ
صَدَقاتِthe alms of السُّلطانِthe sultan دُونَrather than مَكانِanother place
صَدَقاتِ السُّلطانِ دُونَ مَكانِ
And on what grounds is one place given
For what reason are some given places
the sultan's alms, to the exclusion of another?
In the sultan's charity, not others?
حُمِلَتْwere brought مِنْfrom عَطائِهِhis bounty أَلْفُa thousand دِيناdinars (beginning)
حُمِلَتْ مِنْ عَطائِهِ أَلْفُ دِينا
رِdinars (ending) إِلَيناto us مِنْfrom بَعْدِهاafter them أَلْفانِtwo thousand
رِ إِلَينا مِنْ بَعْدِها أَلْفانِ
From his bounty a thousand dinars were brought
A thousand dinars were sent to us
to us, followed by another two thousand.
Then two thousand more came after
ماnot أتانيreached me منهاof it ولاand not even الدِّرْهَمُthe dirham الفَرْsingle (beginning)
ما أتاني منها ولا الدِّرْهَمُ الفَرْ
دُsingle (ending) وَهذاand this حقيقةُthe reality of العُدْوانِinjustice
دُ وَهذا حقيقةُ العُدْوانِ
Not even a single dirham of it reached me,
Yet I received not one dirham
and this is injustice indeed.
Such is the essence of wrongdoing
زَعَمَclaimed ابنُthe son of البَهاءِal-Baha أَنَّthat عَطاياthe gifts of
زَعَمَ ابنُ البَهاءِ أَنَّ عَطايا
الْمَلِكِal-Malik (the king) الصَّالحِal-Salih (the Righteous) العَظِيمِgreat in الشَّانِstanding
الْمَلِكِ الصَّالحِ العَظِيمِ الشَّانِ
Ibn al-Baha claimed that the gifts
Ibn al-Baha claimed the generous gifts
of al-Malik al-Salih, great in standing,
Of the great king of exalted repute
ماnot كَفَتْsufficed سائِرَall المدارِسِthe schools
ما كَفَتْ سائِرَ المدارِسِ
أَوْor ضُمَّwere added إليهاto them مِنْfrom مالِهاtheir funds دِرْهَمانِtwo dirhams
أَوْ ضُمَّ إليها مِنْ مالِها دِرْهَمانِ
did not suffice for all the schools,
Did not suffice all the schools
or that two dirhams from their funds were added to them.
Even if a dirham or two were added
وَلَعَمْرِيand by my life لَقَدْindeed تَوَفَّرَwas left over نِصْفُhalf of
وَلَعَمْرِي لَقَدْ تَوَفَّرَ نِصْفُ
الْمالِthe money مِنهاfrom them وَراحَand went فيinto النِّسْيانِoblivion
الْمالِ مِنها وَراحَ في النِّسْيانِ
And by my life, there remained a full half
By my life, half the money was available
of the money from those gifts, and it vanished into oblivion.
But forgotton, left to dissipate
إنْif أَكُنْI am ماwhat أقولُهُI say it مِنهof it دَعْوَىa claim
إنْ أَكُنْ ما أقولُهُ مِنه دَعْوَى
فاطلُبُونيthen require of me عليهconcerning it بالبُرْهانِwith proof
فاطلُبُوني عليه بالبُرْهانِ
If what I say of it is merely a claim,
If I say this falsely of him
then demand proof of it from me.
Then seek proof against me
أوَand (interrogative) ماnot كانَwas عِدَّةَthe number of الفُقهاthe jurists
أوَ ما كانَ عِدَّةَ الفُقها
ألْفُa thousand فَقِيهٍjurist مِنْfrom بَعِدِهاafter them مِئَتَانِtwo hundred
ألْفُ فَقِيهٍ مِنْ بَعِدِها مِئَتَانِ
Was not the number of jurists
Were not the number of scholars
a thousand jurists, followed by two hundred more?
Afterwards two hundred, before one thousand?
فاحْسبُوهاthen calculate it بَمُقْتَضَىin accordance with الصَّرْفِthe exchange rate دِيناa dinar (beginning)
فاحْسبُوها بَمُقْتَضَى الصَّرْفِ دِينا
راًa dinar (ending) وَرُبْعاًand a quarter لِلْجِلَّةِfor the eminent الأَعْيانِnotables
راً وَرُبْعاً لِلْجِلَّةِ الأَعْيانِ
Then reckon it at the exchange rate: a dinar
Count it by what was spent in dinars
and a quarter for the eminent notables.
And quarters for the prominent ones
تَجِدُوهاyou will find it ألْفاًa thousand وخَمْسَand five مِئاتٍhundreds
تَجِدُوها ألْفاً وخَمْسَ مِئاتٍ
غَيْرَapart from ماwhat خَصَّهاwas allotted to it مِنَfrom يَدِthe hand of الوَزَّانِthe weigher
غَيْرَ ما خَصَّها مِنَ يَدِ الوَزَّانِ
You will find it comes to one thousand five hundred,
You will find it one thousand five hundred
apart from what the weigher's hand allotted it.
Besides what the treasurer took
أنَاI لاnot أنْسُبُI ascribe البَهاءَal-Baha عَلَىregarding ذاthat (beginning)
أنَا لا أنْسُبُ البَهاءَ عَلَى ذا
لِكَthat (ending) إلاَّexcept لِقِلَّةِto a lack of الإِيمانِfaith
لِكَ إلاَّ لِقِلَّةِ الإِيمانِ
I ascribe al-Baha's conduct in this
I do not attribute this to Baha
to nothing but a lack of faith.
Save for his weak faith
هُوَhe وَلَّىappointed أهْلَthe people of الخيانَةِtreachery فماso not ... (incomplete)
هُوَ وَلَّى أهْلَ الخيانَةِ فما
وَتَوَلَّىand allied himself with الunclear fragment الخَوَّانِthe traitor
وَتَوَلَّى ال الخَوَّانِ
He appointed the treacherous, so he did not ...
He betrayed the people yet swore by God
and allied himself with [unclear fragment] the traitor.
He did not betray the treacherous
كُلَّماwhenever جاءَتِarrived الدَّنانيرُthe dinars
كُلَّما جاءَتِ الدَّنانيرُ
يَنْقَضُّswoops down عليهاupon them البَهاءُal-Baha كالشَّيْطانِlike the devil
يَنْقَضُّ عليها البَهاءُ كالشَّيْطانِ
Whenever the dinars arrive,
Whenever dinars arrived
al-Baha swoops upon them like the devil.
Baha pounced on them like a demon
مَدَّstretched out فيهاinto them يَدَthe hand of الخيانَةِtreachery
مَدَّ فيها يَدَ الخيانَةِ
فامْتَدَّso stretched out إليهtoward him بالذَّمِّin reproach كلُّevery لِسانِtongue
فامْتَدَّ إليه بالذَّمِّ كلُّ لِسانِ
He stretched his hand of treachery into them,
He stretched out his hand in betrayal
so every tongue stretched toward him in reproach.
So all tongues denounced him
وَلَعَمْرِيand by my life لَوِif اتَّقَىfeared اللهَGod فيin
وَلَعَمْرِي لَوِ اتَّقَى اللهَ في
السِّرِّsecret اتَّقَتْهُwould have feared him الأَنامُpeople فيin الإعْلانِpublic
السِّرِّ اتَّقَتْهُ الأَنامُ في الإعْلانِ
And by my life, had he feared God in
By my life, had he feared God in secret
secret, people would have feared him in public.
People would have feared him openly
وَعَلَىand in كلِّevery حالَةٍcircumstance أَحْمَدُI praise
وَعَلَى كلِّ حالَةٍ أَحْمَدُ
اللهَGod الذَّيwho مِنْfrom سْؤَالِهِbegging him أُعْفانِيspared me
اللهَ الذَّي مِنْ سْؤَالِهِ أُعْفانِي
And in every circumstance I praise
In any case, I thank God
God, who spared me from having to beg him.
Who spared me from asking
فَلَقَدْfor indeed حَلَّbefell فيin المَدارِسِthe schools فيin
فَلَقَدْ حَلَّ في المَدارِسِ في
الأَخْذِreceiving كَثْرَةُan abundance of الأَذَىabuse وَالهَوانِand humiliation
الأَخْذِ كَثْرَةُ الأَذَى وَالهَوانِ
For the schools have been beset, in
For great harm and humiliation befell
receiving gifts, by much abuse and humiliation.
The schools in taking from them
وأُزِيلَتْand were stripped away بالسَّبِّby insults أعْراضُthe reputations of
وأُزِيلَتْ بالسَّبِّ أعْراضُ
مَنْthose who فيهاin them فماso did not قامَcompensated الرِّبْحُthe gain بالخُسرانِfor the loss
مَنْ فيها فما قامَ الرِّبْحُ بالخُسرانِ
And insults have swept away the honor
And by insult the honor was removed
of those within; the gain did not offset the loss.
Of those in them, so loss came not profit
كيفَhow أنْسَىI forget قَوْلَthe words of الشِّهَابِal-Shihab جِهاراًopenly
كيفَ أنْسَى قَوْلَ الشِّهَابِ جِهاراً
قَبَّحَmay disgrace اللهُGod كلَّevery ذِيwearer of طَيْلَسانِa taylasan (head-and-shoulder shawl)
قَبَّحَ اللهُ كلَّ ذِي طَيْلَسانِ
How can I forget al-Shihab's openly spoken words:
How can I forget the Shihab’s public words
“May God disgrace every wearer of a taylasan!
God curse all with loose tongues
خَدَعُوناthey deceived us واللهِby God مَمَّاbecause of what يَمُدُّوthey stretch out (beginning)
خَدَعُونا واللهِ مَمَّا يَمُدُّو
نَthey stretch out (ending) أَكُفَّاpalms كَكِفَّةِlike the pan of المِيزانِthe balance
نَ أَكُفَّا كَكِفَّةِ المِيزانِ
They deceived us, by God, with the way they stretch out
They deceived us, by God, concerning
palms like the pan of a balance.”
What they give, palms not scales
آهِah واضَيْعَةَoh, the ruin of المَساكِينِthe poor
آهِ واضَيْعَةَ المَساكِينِ
إنْif وُلِّيَhe is put in charge of أَمْرَthe matter of الطَّعامِfood فيin رَمَضانِRamadan
إنْ وُلِّيَ أَمْرَ الطَّعامِ في رَمَضانِ
Ah, the ruin of the poor,
Oh the plight of the poor
if he is put in charge of food in Ramadan!
If one was entrusted with food in Ramadan
Sol 6.1