ماnot كَسَبناwe gained مِنfrom أَحمَدِAhmad بنِson of عَلِيٍّAli
ما كَسَبنا مِن أَحمَدِ بنِ عَلِيٍّ
وَمِنَand from النيلِthe Nile غَيرَexcept حُمّىfever النيلِthe Nile
وَمِنَ النيلِ غَيرَ حُمّى النيلِ
We gained nothing from Ahmad ibn Ali
What we gained from Ahmad bin Ali
And from the Nile, except the Nile’s fever.
Except the fever of the Nile,
وَضَلالٌand folly مِنّيon my part وَخُسرانُand a waste of سَعيٍeffort
وَضَلالٌ مِنّي وَخُسرانُ سَعيٍ
طَلَبيmy seeking النَيلَbounty عِندَwith غَيرِone who is not مُنيلِa giver
طَلَبي النَيلَ عِندَ غَيرِ مُنيلِ
It is folly on my part, and wasted effort,
And my own misguidance and fruitless endeavor
To seek bounty from one who gives none.
Seeking the Nile where it cannot be attained
ياO أَباfather of الصَقرِthe falcon كَمhow many يَدٍa favor لَكَof yours عِنديowed by me
يا أَبا الصَقرِ كَم يَدٍ لَكَ عِندي
ذاتِpossessing عَرضٍbreadth فيin المَكرُماتِnoble deeds وَطولِand length
ذاتِ عَرضٍ في المَكرُماتِ وَطولِ
O Abu al-Saqr, how many favors I owe you,
O Abu Al-Saqr, how many generous hands you have
Broad and long in noble generosity!
With ample gifts and great length
كَشِفاءِlike a cure for السَقامِsickness فيin عُقبِthe wake of يَأسٍdespair
كَشِفاءِ السَقامِ في عُقبِ يَأسٍ
مِنof تَلافيهِremedying it أَوor شِفاءِquenching الغَليلِburning thirst
مِن تَلافيهِ أَو شِفاءِ الغَليلِ
Like a cure for sickness after despair
Like the cure of sickness after despair
Of remedying it, or a quenching of burning thirst.
From its cessation or relief of affliction
اِكفِنيspare me دِقَّةَthe pettiness of اللِئامِthe base بِتَخفيby reduc-
اِكفِني دِقَّةَ اللِئامِ بِتَخفي
فِكَ-ing by you ماwhat جادَyielded مِنfrom خَراجيmy land tax الثَقيلِburdensome
فِكَ ما جادَ مِن خَراجي الثَقيلِ
Spare me the pettiness of the base by your reducing
Save me from the malice of villains with subtlety
What is yielded from my burdensome land tax.
And release my heavy taxes
Sol 6.1