أَخٌa brother كَذَوبlike liquid الشَهدhoney طَعمُthe taste of إِخائِهِhis brotherly love
أَخٌ كَذَوب الشَهد طَعمُ إِخائِهِ
إِذاwhen اختلفتalternate بيضthe white ones of اللَياليthe nights وَسودُهاand their black ones
إِذا اختلفت بيض اللَيالي وَسودُها
A brother whose brotherly love tastes like liquid honey,
A brother whose brotherhood is as sweet as honey
A brother whose friendship tastes like the purest melting honey,
when the white nights and the black alternate.
When the nights alternate between white and black
Whenever the white nights and the black ones alternate.
كأُمنيةlike the wish of المَلهوفone in distress حَزماًin resolve وَنائِلاًand bounty
كأُمنية المَلهوف حَزماً وَنائِلاً
وَعَوناًand aid عَلىagainst عَمياءِthe dark obscurity of أَمرٍan affair يُكيدهاhe outwits it
وَعَوناً عَلى عَمياءِ أَمرٍ يُكيدها
Like a distressed man's wish—in resolve and bounty,
Like the wish of one yearning, hopeful and attained
He is like the wish of the distressed for resolve and generosity,
and aid against an affair's darkness, which he outwits.
And aid against a scheming, blind affair
And an aid against a blinding plight that plots against him.
لهhe has نِعمٌfavors عِنديwith me ضَعُفتُI have grown weak بشكرهاin giving thanks for them
له نِعمٌ عِندي ضَعُفتُ بشكرها
عَلىdespite أَنَّهthe fact that he فيon كُلِّevery يَومday يَزيدهاhe adds to them
عَلى أَنَّه في كُلِّ يَوم يَزيدها
He has done me favors whose thanks I lack the strength to give,
For him I have blessings I was too weak to thank
He has bestowed favors upon me I am too weak to repay with thanks,
though every day he adds to them.
Yet he increases them daily in every way
Even as he increases them every single day.
تحمّلhe took on عَنّيin my stead شُكرَهاthanks for them فَأَراحَنيand so relieved me
تحمّل عَنّي شُكرَها فَأَراحَني
وَللشكرِand for gratitude مِرقاةٌa stairway كؤودarduous صُعودهاits ascent
وَللشكرِ مِرقاةٌ كؤود صُعودها
He took on the thanks for them in my stead, relieving me;
He relieved me of thanking him, and gave me rest
He shouldered the burden of gratitude for me, giving me ease,
and gratitude has a stairway whose ascent is arduous.
For gratitude has steps hard for climbing
For gratitude is a ladder arduous to climb.
كَأَنَّas though عليهِincumbent on him الشُكرَthe thanks فيfor كُلِّevery نِعمَةٍfavor
كَأَنَّ عليهِ الشُكرَ في كُلِّ نِعمَةٍ
يقلِّدُنيهاhe hangs it about my neck بادياًinitially وَيُعيدُهاand renews it
يقلِّدُنيها بادياً وَيُعيدُها
As though he owed the thanks for every favor
As if for every blessing he makes me wear
As if the debt of thanks falls upon him for every bounty
he hangs about my neck, first bestowing it, then renewing it.
Necklaces, presenting them again and again
With which he adorns me, beginning anew and repeating the gift.
Sol 6.1