نَسعىwe strive وَأَيسَرُand the least of هَذاthis السَعيِstriving يَكفيناsuffices us
نَسعى وَأَيسَرُ هَذا السَعيِ يَكفينا
لَولاwere it not for تَكَلُّفُناour burdening ourselves with ماwhat لَيسَdoes not يَعنيناconcern us
لَولا تَكَلُّفُنا ما لَيسَ يَعنينا
We strive, though the least of this striving would suffice us,
were it not that we burden ourselves with what does not concern us.
نَروضُwe discipline أَنفُسَناourselves أَقصىthe utmost رِياضَتِهاtheir training
نَروضُ أَنفُسَنا أَقصى رِياضَتِها
عَلىto مُواتاةِaccommodating دَهرٍan age لاnot يُواتيناaccommodate us
عَلى مُواتاةِ دَهرٍ لا يُواتينا
We discipline ourselves with the utmost discipline
to accommodate an age that will not accommodate us.
فَلَيتَso, if only مُسلِفَناthe one who lends us الأَعمارَlifetimes أَنظَرَناhad granted us respite
فَلَيتَ مُسلِفَنا الأَعمارَ أَنظَرَنا
مُجامِلاًgraciously فَتَأَنّىand then delayed فيin تَقاضيناclaiming repayment from us
مُجامِلاً فَتَأَنّى في تَقاضينا
If only the lender of our lifetimes had granted us respite,
graciously, and been slow to claim his due from us.
إِنif أَنتَyou أَحبَبتَyou wished أَنto تَلقىmeet ذَويpeople with أَسَفٍgrief
إِن أَنتَ أَحبَبتَ أَن تَلقى ذَوي أَسَفٍ
عَلىfor فَقيدِهِمِtheir departed one فَاِحلُلthen lodge بِواديناin our valley
عَلى فَقيدِهِمِ فَاِحلُل بِوادينا
If you wish to meet people grieving
for their departed one, then lodge in our valley.
رَزِيَّةٌa calamity مِنamong رَزاياthe calamities of الدَهرِtime شاغِلَةٌpreoccupying
رَزِيَّةٌ مِن رَزايا الدَهرِ شاغِلَةٌ
لِناصِرِthe defender of الدينِthe faith عَنfrom أَنthat يَنصُرَhe defend الديناthe faith
لِناصِرِ الدينِ عَن أَن يَنصُرَ الدينا
A calamity among time’s calamities is keeping
the defender of the faith from defending the faith.
لاno عَينَeye إِلّاexcept that وَقَدand indeed باتَتhas spent the night مُؤَرَّقَةًkept awake
لا عَينَ إِلّا وَقَد باتَت مُؤَرَّقَةً
لَهُfor him وَلاand no قَلبَheart إِلّاexcept that باتَhas spent the night مَحزوناgrieving
لَهُ وَلا قَلبَ إِلّا باتَ مَحزونا
No eye but has spent the night sleepless
for him, and no heart but has spent it grieving.
كانَwas الَّذيwhat مَنَعَwithheld الإِخوانَthe friends إِنif سُئِلواthey were asked
كانَ الَّذي مَنَعَ الإِخوانَ إِن سُئِلوا
تَركَrefraining from المَلامِreproach عَلىfor الإِغرامِpassionate attachment ماعوناa small kindness
تَركَ المَلامِ عَلى الإِغرامِ ماعونا
What friends withheld, when they were asked,
was the small kindness of sparing one reproach for passionate attachment.
لَولاbut for الأَميرُthe emir أَبوAbu العَبّاسِal-Abbas ماnot اِنكَشَفَتwas revealed
لَولا الأَميرُ أَبو العَبّاسِ ما اِنكَشَفَت
لَناto us العَواقِبُthe outcomes عَنconcerning أَمرٍsomething يُعَزّيناthat consoles us
لَنا العَواقِبُ عَن أَمرٍ يُعَزّينا
But for the emir Abu al-Abbas, nothing would have emerged
from the turn of events to bring us consolation.
يَجتَمِعُunites الدينُfaith وَالدُنياand worldly life لِرائِدِناfor our scout
يَجتَمِعُ الدينُ وَالدُنيا لِرائِدِنا
فيin مُنعِمٍa benefactor حَسُنَتhave been good آثارُهُhis deeds فيناamong us
في مُنعِمٍ حَسُنَت آثارُهُ فينا
Faith and worldly life unite for our scout
in a benefactor whose deeds have done us good.
مُظَفَّرٌvictorious لَمnot نَزَلwe have ceased نَلقىwe encounter بِطَلعَتِهِat his appearance
مُظَفَّرٌ لَم نَزَل نَلقى بِطَلعَتِهِ
كَواكِبَthe stars of السَعدِgood fortune وَالطَيرِand the birds المَياميناauspicious
كَواكِبَ السَعدِ وَالطَيرِ المَيامينا
A victorious man, at whose appearance we have always seen
the stars of good fortune and auspicious birds.
تَهديmake their way الفُتوحُthe victories مِنَfrom الآفاقِthe horizons عامِدَةًheading deliberately toward
تَهدي الفُتوحُ مِنَ الآفاقِ عامِدَةً
مُبارَكاًa blessed man مِنof بَنيthe sons of العَبّاسِal-Abbas مَيموناfortunate
مُبارَكاً مِن بَني العَبّاسِ مَيمونا
Victories come from the horizons, heading straight for
a blessed and fortunate man of the sons of al-Abbas.
إِذاwhenever أَرَدناwe wish وَرَدناwe come to water بَحرَthe sea of نائِلِهِhis bounty
إِذا أَرَدنا وَرَدنا بَحرَ نائِلِهِ
فَنَوَّلَتناand then gave us يَداهُhis two hands مِلءَthe full measure of أَيديناour hands
فَنَوَّلَتنا يَداهُ مِلءَ أَيدينا
Whenever we wish, we come to the sea of his bounty,
and his two hands give us all our hands can hold.
وَلَوand if نَشاءُwe wish شَرَعناwe waded فيinto تَطَوُّلِهِhis munificence
وَلَو نَشاءُ شَرَعنا في تَطَوُّلِهِ
شُروعَناour own wading فَأَخَذناand then we took مِنهُfrom him ماwhatever شيناwe wished
شُروعَنا فَأَخَذنا مِنهُ ما شينا
And if we wished, we could wade into his munificence,
wading as we pleased, and take from him whatever we wished.
أَموجِهيwill you send me forth? أَنتَyou إيصاءًwith a recommendation وَتَقدِمَةًand an introduction
أَموجِهي أَنتَ إيصاءً وَتَقدِمَةً
يَزكوmay flourish بِهاthrough it سَبَبيmy connection عِندَwith اِبنِIbn طولوناTulun
يَزكو بِها سَبَبي عِندَ اِبنِ طولونا
Will you send me forth with a recommendation and introduction
through which my connection with Ibn Tulun may flourish?
وَمُطلِقٌand will you remit مِنfrom خَراجيmy land-tax ماwhat أَعُدُّI reckon بِهِby it
وَمُطلِقٌ مِن خَراجي ما أَعُدُّ بِهِ
دَيناًa debt عَلىowed by ناصِرِthe defender of الإِسلامِIslam مَضموناguaranteed
دَيناً عَلى ناصِرِ الإِسلامِ مَضمونا
And will you remit from my land-tax what I reckon
as a guaranteed debt owed by the defender of Islam?
وَكَمand how often سُئِلتَyou were asked فَماyet not أُلفيتَwere you found ذاpossessed of بَخلٍstinginess
وَكَم سُئِلتَ فَما أُلفيتَ ذا بَخلٍ
وَلاnor وَجَدناhave we found عَطاءًa gift مِنكَfrom you مَمنوناtainted with reminders of favor
وَلا وَجَدنا عَطاءً مِنكَ مَمنونا
And how often you have been asked, yet never found miserly,
nor have we found a gift from you tainted by reminders of favor.
Sol 6.1