لِيَI have اِبنُa son عَمٍّa paternal uncle مَعروفُهُhis kindness كَثَبٌclose at hand
لِيَ اِبنُ عَمٍّ مَعروفُهُ كَثَبٌ
فيهِin him وَفيand in بَعضِsome of شَأنِهِhis affairs عَجَبُsomething strange
فيهِ وَفي بَعضِ شَأنِهِ عَجَبُ
I have a cousin whose kindness is close at hand;
My cousin is well-known and in him is a strange peculiarity,
there is something strange in him and in some of his ways.
He refuses all the world yet will get close when he nears need.
يَنأىis far off اِقتِنائيmy acquiring الدُنياthe world بِأَجمَعِهاin its entirety
يَنأى اِقتِنائي الدُنيا بِأَجمَعِها
وَيَقرَبُand draws near الصُنعُkindness حينَwhen يَقتَرِبُhe approaches
وَيَقرَبُ الصُنعُ حينَ يَقتَرِبُ
Possessing the whole world lies far beyond my reach,
Though he falls short in some duties, God is with him wherever he goes.
yet kindness draws near when he draws near.
I think he forgets the hands he's blessed with, the gifts he's been given.
كانَmay … be لَهُfor him اللَهُGod حَيثُwherever كانَhe is وَإِنand even if
كانَ لَهُ اللَهُ حَيثُ كانَ وَإِن
كانَhe is مُخِلّاًneglectful بِبَعضِof some of ماwhat يَجِبُis required
كانَ مُخِلّاً بِبَعضِ ما يَجِبُ
May God be with him wherever he is, even if
O best of those whose harshness people suffer yet Arabs follow,
he neglects some of what he ought to do.
What you ordered yesterday is known in towns, confusion stirred up.
أَظُنُّهُI think he أُنسِيَwas made to forget الَّذيwhat وُهِبَتwere given
أَظُنُّهُ أُنسِيَ الَّذي وُهِبَت
يَداهُhis two hands نِسيانَهُhis forgetting الَّذيwhat يَهَبُhe gives
يَداهُ نِسيانَهُ الَّذي يَهَبُ
I think he was made to forget what was given
Either you began knowing or all Baghdad's people have lied.
to his hands, just as he forgets what he gives.
ياO خَيرَbest مَنthose whom أَوجَفَتhastened لِطاعَتِهِin obedience to him العُجthe non-Arabs (continued on line 10)
يا خَيرَ مَن أَوجَفَت لِطاعَتِهِ العُج
مُcompletion of 'the non-Arabs' وَسارَتand journeyed فيin حَوزَةِa domain العَرَبُthe Arabs
مُ وَسارَت في حَوزَةِ العَرَبُ
O best of those whom the non-Arabs hastened to obey,
and in whose domain the Arabs journeyed:
القَولُthe report فيماabout what أَمَرتَyou ordered أَمسِyesterday بِهِregarding it
القَولُ فيما أَمَرتَ أَمسِ بِهِ
مُشتَهَرٌwidely known فيin البِلادِthe lands مُضطَرِبُunsettled
مُشتَهَرٌ في البِلادِ مُضطَرِبُ
The report of what you ordered yesterday
is widely known throughout the lands, yet unsettled.
إِمّاeither تَكونُyou are اِبتَدَأتَyou have begun عارِفَةًan act of kindness
إِمّا تَكونُ اِبتَدَأتَ عارِفَةً
وَأَهلَand (here, or) the people of بَغدادَBaghdad كُلُّهُمall of them كَذَبواthey lied
وَأَهلَ بَغدادَ كُلُّهُم كَذَبوا
Either you have begun an act of kindness,
or all the people of Baghdad have lied.
Partial English translation: 7 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1