قُلْtell لابنِto the son of فَهْدٍFahd وإنand even though شطَّتْhave grown distant مَنازِلُهhis dwellings
قُلْ لابنِ فَهْدٍ وإن شطَّتْ مَنازِلُه
وكمand many a بعيدٍdistant man علىto العافينthose seeking bounty ماnot بَعُداhas gone far
وكم بعيدٍ على العافين ما بَعُدا
Tell Ibn Fahd, though his dwellings lie far away—
Tell the son of Fahd, though his dwellings spread far,
and many a man is beyond the reach of those seeking bounty, though not far away—
How far is far for the healthy, how little the breadth!
إنَّindeed الغُصونَthe boughs التيthat رَوَّيْتَهاyou watered them شحَبَتْhave grown pale
إنَّ الغُصونَ التي رَوَّيْتَها شحَبَتْ
وكيفand how نُضرتُهاtheir lushness والماءُwhile the water قدalready نَفَداhas run out
وكيف نُضرتُها والماءُ قد نَفَدا
that the boughs you watered have grown pale;
The branches you watered have withered away;
and how could they be lush when the water has run out?
How can they be verdant when water's run short?
غَشِيتُI visited بعدَكafter you منسوباًone credited إلىwith أدبٍliterary learning
غَشِيتُ بعدَك منسوباً إلى أدبٍ
يجفوtreats harshly الأديبَthe man of letters ويُطفيand extinguishes نُورَهhis light حسدَاout of envy
يجفو الأديبَ ويُطفي نُورَه حسدَا
After you, I visited a man reputed to be versed in letters,
Since you left I've pretended to master the art
who treats the man of letters harshly and extinguishes his light out of envy.
That spurns the true master and dampens his torch through envy.
Sol 6.1