قُلsay لِأَبيto Abu جَعفَرٍJa'far وَإِنَّand indeed لَهُhe has
قُل لِأَبي جَعفَرٍ وَإِنَّ لَهُ
يَداًa hand يَنالُreceives البَعيدُthe far-off نائِلَهاits bounty
يَداً يَنالُ البَعيدُ نائِلَها
Say to Abu Ja'far—he indeed has
a hand whose bounty even the far-off receive;
تَأبىrefuses يَدُthe hand of الغَيثِrain أَنto تُساجِلَهاcompete with it
تَأبى يَدُ الغَيثِ أَن تُساجِلَها
وَيَقصُرُand falls short الدَهرُtime إِنif يُطاوِلَهاit tries to outmatch it
وَيَقصُرُ الدَهرُ إِن يُطاوِلَها
the hand of rain refuses to rival it,
and Time falls short if it tries to outmatch it—
بَقيتَmay you endure فيamong وائِلٍWa'il فَحينَإِذٍand then
بَقيتَ في وائِلٍ فَحينَإِذٍ
تبقىwill endure رُبىthe heights of المَجدِglory وَالعَلاءِand eminence لَهاfor it
تبقى رُبى المَجدِ وَالعَلاءِ لَها
May you endure among Wa'il; then
its heights of glory and eminence will endure.
مَنَعتَyou protected بِالمُرهَفاتِwith keen-edged swords جارِمَهاits offender
مَنَعتَ بِالمُرهَفاتِ جارِمَها
وَعُلتَand you sustained بِالمَكرُماتِwith noble gifts عائِلَهاits needy one
وَعُلتَ بِالمَكرُماتِ عائِلَها
With keen-edged swords you protected its offender,
and with noble gifts sustained its needy.
تَعُدُّit counts أَفعالَكَyour deeds الحَصينَةَimpregnable إِنif
تَعُدُّ أَفعالَكَ الحَصينَةَ إِن
قَبيلَةٌa tribe عَدَّدَتenumerates مَعاقِلَهاits strongholds
قَبيلَةٌ عَدَّدَت مَعاقِلَها
It counts your impregnable deeds whenever
a tribe numbers its strongholds.
كَمhow much لَكَyou have فيهاwithin it مِنof نائِلٍbounty وَندىًand generosity
كَم لَكَ فيها مِن نائِلٍ وَندىً
سُدتَyou became lord of بِهاthrough this بَكرَهاits Bakr وَوائِلَهاand its Wa'il
سُدتَ بِها بَكرَها وَوائِلَها
How much bounty and generosity you have bestowed there!
Through this you became lord of its Bakr and its Wa'il.
أُذيعُshall I proclaim جَدواكَyour bounty أَمor أَكونُshall I be كَمَنlike one who
أُذيعُ جَدواكَ أَم أَكونُ كَمَن
يَكتُمُconceals شُؤبوبُهاits cloudburst وَوابِلَهاand its pouring rain
يَكتُمُ شُؤبوبُها وَوابِلَها
Shall I proclaim your bounty, or be like one who
conceals its cloudburst and its pouring rain?
هاbehold إِنَّهاindeed it is نِعمَةٌa favor إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتit is recalled
ها إِنَّها نِعمَةٌ إِذا ذُكِرَت
كانَتit was عَطاءًa gift وَكُنتَand you were باذِلَهاits giver
كانَت عَطاءً وَكُنتَ باذِلَها
Behold, it is a favor: whenever it is recalled,
it is a gift, and you are its giver.
لَنwill not يَتَوَلّىundertake إِتمامَcompletion of آخِرِهاits end
لَن يَتَوَلّى إِتمامَ آخِرِها
إِلّاexcept كَريمٌa generous man أَنشاinitiated أَوائِلَهاits beginnings
إِلّا كَريمٌ أَنشا أَوائِلَها
None will undertake to see it through to the end
save a generous man who first brought it into being.
كُنتَyou were بِبِدءِby beginning الإِحسانِkindness عاجِلَهاits prompt giver
كُنتَ بِبِدءِ الإِحسانِ عاجِلَها
فَكُنso be بِعودِby renewing الإِحسانِkindness آجِلَهاits later giver
فَكُن بِعودِ الإِحسانِ آجِلَها
You gave it promptly by beginning your kindness;
so give it hereafter by renewing your kindness.
Sol 6.1