مَدَحتُI praised أَباAbu (father of) العَبّاسِal-Abbas لِلحَينِto ruin ضَلَّةًmisguidedly
مَدَحتُ أَبا العَبّاسِ لِلحَينِ ضَلَّةً
أُؤَمِّلُI hope for فيهِin him فَضلَgenerosity مَنone whose مالُهُhis wealth فَضلُsurplus
أُؤَمِّلُ فيهِ فَضلَ مَن مالُهُ فَضلُ
I praised Abu al-Abbas, misguidedly, to my ruin,
I have praised Abu Al-Abbas wrongly for a while,
hoping to find in him the generosity of one with wealth to spare.
Hoping for the favor of one whose favor is futile.
مَدَحتُI praised اِمرَأًa man لَوif كانَwere بِالغَيثِin the rain مابِهِwhat is in him
مَدَحتُ اِمرَأً لَو كانَ بِالغَيثِ مابِهِ
لَماwould not بَلَّwetted وَجهَface الأَرضِthe earth مِنfrom قَطرِهِits drops وَبلُa downpour
لَما بَلَّ وَجهَ الأَرضِ مِن قَطرِهِ وَبلُ
I praised a man—if the rain had in it what is in him,
I praised a man who, had he possessed rain,
no downpour of its drops would wet the face of the earth.
The face of the earth would not be damp from his drizzle.
لَئيمَbase الجُدودِforefathers وَالفِعالِand deeds فَماso ... not لَهُhe has
لَئيمَ الجُدودِ وَالفِعالِ فَما لَهُ
أَبٌa father داخِلٌincluded فيamong الأَكرَمينَthe noblest وَلاnor فِعلُa deed
أَبٌ داخِلٌ في الأَكرَمينَ وَلا فِعلُ
Base in ancestry and deeds, he has neither
Wretched in generosity and action - what fault has he?
a father among the noblest nor a noble deed.
A father counted among the most generous without action.
لَهُhe has هِمَّةٌresolve لَوفَرَّقَif ... scattered اللَهُGod شَملَهاits entirety
لَهُ هِمَّةٌ لَوفَرَّقَ اللَهُ شَملَها
عَلىamong الناسِthe people لَمnot يُجمَعbe gathered لِمَكرُمَةٍfor a noble deed شَملُa company
عَلى الناسِ لَم يُجمَع لِمَكرُمَةٍ شَملُ
He has such resolve that, if God scattered all of it
He has ambition - had Allah dispersed it among people,
among mankind, no company would gather for a noble deed.
No assembly of honor would have been gathered for benevolence.
لَهُhe has حَسَبٌancestral honor لَوif كانَwere لِلشَمسِbelonging to the sun لَمnot تُنِرshine
لَهُ حَسَبٌ لَو كانَ لِلشَمسِ لَم تُنِر
وَلِلماءِand belonging to water لَمnot يَعذُبbe sweet وَلِلنَجمِand belonging to the star لَمnot يَعلُrise high
وَلِلماءِ لَم يَعذُب وَلِلنَجمِ لَم يَعلُ
His ancestral honor is such that, if the sun had it, it would not shine;
He has a pedigree - had it belonged to the sun, it would not have shone,
and if water had it, it would not be sweet; and if the star had it, it would not rise high.
Or to water, it would not have been fresh, or to a star, it would not have risen.
Sol 6.1