أراكَI see you تَجُودُyou give generously ولاand not تسألُyou are asked
أراكَ تَجُودُ ولا تسألُ
وقدand yet كنتَyou were صباًenamored بماof what تَبْذُلُyou give away
وقد كنتَ صباً بما تَبْذُلُ
I see you give freely, without being asked,
I see you being generous without asking,
though you once loved what you give away.
Though once you were youthfulness in what you give.
شذوذan anomaly منof الجودgenerosity مُسْتَغربٌdeemed strange
شذوذ من الجود مُسْتَغربٌ
علىto النّاسِpeople فيin كلِّevery مَنْone who يُفضِلbestows bounty
على النّاسِ في كلِّ مَنْ يُفضِل
A rare form of generosity, deemed strange
Generosity that astonishes,
by people in anyone who bestows bounty.
Preferring people in whoever it favors.
وأقصىand the furthest قُصَارىlimit نوالِbounty of الكرامِthe noble
وأقصى قُصَارى نوالِ الكرامِ
علىgiven قِصَرِthe brevity of العمرlife مُسْتَعْجَلhastened
على قِصَرِ العمر مُسْتَعْجَل
And the very utmost bounty of the noble
And the utmost giving of the generous
is hastened, for life is short.
In the shortness of life being hastened.
وصِنفٌand a sort منof الناسِpeople صنفٌa sort ظريفٌamusing
وصِنفٌ من الناسِ صنفٌ ظريفٌ
يقولُit speaks ولكنَّand yet لاnot يَفْعَلit acts
يقولُ ولكنَّ لا يَفْعَل
And one sort of people is an amusing sort:
And a kind of people, a gentle kind,
it speaks, and yet does not act.
Who say but do not do.
ولولاand were it not for أبوAbu (father of) عمروٍAmr المُنتقىthe chosen one
ولولا أبو عمروٍ المُنتقى
لقلتُI would have said مضىpassed away السادةُthe lords الأولof old
لقلتُ مضى السادةُ الأول
And were it not for Abu Amr, the chosen one,
And if it were not for refined Abu Amr,
I would have said: the lords of old are gone.
I would say the masters of old have passed.
إذاif خطّhe penned سطراًa line فنثراًthen in prose ونظماًand in verse
إذا خطّ سطراً فنثراً ونظماً
تُفَوَّقare deemed superior دهراًfor ages لهfor him الأنْمُلthe fingertips
تُفَوَّق دهراً له الأنْمُل
If he pens a line, in prose and verse,
When he writes a line, whether prose or verse,
his fingertips are deemed superior for ages.
He surpasses the age by his pen.
وإنand if سلّhe drew عضباًa keen sword فطعناًthen with thrusts وضَرْباًand with blows
وإن سلّ عضباً فطعناً وضَرْباً
يُضَرِّمُkindles نيرانَهُhis fires الجحفَلُthe mighty army
يُضَرِّمُ نيرانَهُ الجحفَلُ
And if he draws a keen sword, then with thrusts and blows
And if he draws a sword, stabbing and striking,
the mighty army kindles his fires.
The sparks of his fire inflame the flint stones.
Sol 6.1