أَبَتrefused لَحظاتthe glances عَزمِكَyour resolve أَنto تَناماsleep
أَبَت لَحظات عَزمِكَ أَن تَناما
وَقَدand indeed حَمَّلتهاyou burdened them المِنَنthe favors الجِساماimmense
وَقَد حَمَّلتها المِنَن الجِساما
The glances of your resolve refused to sleep,
And you had laden them with mighty favors.
فَأَصبحتthus became الشآمSyria عَلَيكfor you وَقفاًan endowment
فَأَصبحت الشآم عَلَيك وَقفاً
وكنتand you were بِكَفِّin the palm of قاطنهاits inhabitant شماماa fragrant melon
وكنت بِكَفِّ قاطنها شماما
Thus Syria became an endowment for you,
And you were a fragrant melon in its inhabitant's palm.
فَياso, O لِلَّهِto God دَرّكyour excellence منas حُسامa sharp sword
فَيا لِلَّهِ دَرّك من حُسام
تقلَّدgirded on منfrom عَزائمهits resolves حُساماa sharp sword
تقلَّد من عَزائمه حُساما
So, God bless you—what a sword you are,
That girded itself with a sword of its own resolves!
مَتىwhen جِئتَyou came الشآمSyria وَكانَand were شَرقاًin the East
مَتى جِئتَ الشآم وَكانَ شَرقاً
رَكائِبُكَyour riding camels الَّتيwhich أَبَداًalways تراماare sought after
رَكائِبُكَ الَّتي أَبَداً تراما
When did you come to Syria, while in the East were
Your riding camels, forever sought after?
أَباO Abu حسنHasan فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you مُنذُsince سَبعٍseven years
أَبا حسن فَإِنَّكَ مُنذُ سَبعٍ
عهدتكI have known you أَوor أَقولI say يَزِدنَthey add عاماa year
عهدتك أَو أَقول يَزِدنَ عاما
O Abu Hasan, for seven years now—
I have known you, or, let me say, a year more—
بِأَرضِin the land of القُدسِJerusalem وَالعُلماءand the scholars فيهاin it
بِأَرضِ القُدسِ وَالعُلماء فيها
تَزالyou remain لَدىat مَجالِسهاits gatherings إِماماan imam
تَزال لَدى مَجالِسها إِماما
In the land of Jerusalem, where the scholars are,
You have remained an imam at its gatherings.
وَكنتَand you used to تَرىregard المَديحpraise عَلَيكَof you عاراًa disgrace
وَكنتَ تَرى المَديح عَلَيكَ عاراً
وَتأباهand reject it قَصائدكyour odes التِماماall together
وَتأباه قَصائدك التِماما
And you regarded praise of you as a disgrace,
And your odes, all together, reject it,
لِعِلمِكَbecause you know أَنَّهُthat it لَوif كانَwere شَخصاًa person
لِعِلمِكَ أَنَّهُ لَو كانَ شَخصاً
كَلامspeech الناسpeople كنتyou would be لَهُfor it زِماماa bridle
كَلام الناس كنت لَهُ زِماما
For you know that, were it a person—
People's speech—you would be its bridle.
Sol 6.1