ياO صفيّchosen one of الإسلامِIslam دعوةa plea from عبدٍa servant
يا صفيّ الإسلامِ دعوة عبدٍ
قَدْindeed حَسَاsipped كأسَthe cup of صَفْوِthe pure essence of ودّكyour affection صرفاunmixed
قَدْ حَسَا كأسَ صَفْوِ ودّك صرفا
O Ṣafī al-Islām, hear a servant's plea,
O noblest pillar of Islam, the call of a servant
Who has sipped the cup of your pure affection, unmixed.
Who has tasted the cup of your affection as a draught
قَدْindeed أتاكمْhe came to you منof المديحِpraise بعقْدٍwith a necklace
قَدْ أتاكمْ من المديحِ بعقْدٍ
حسنهits beauty مثلlike وَصفِكمyour qualities ليسis not يَخْفَىhidden
حسنه مثل وَصفِكم ليس يَخْفَى
He has brought you a necklace of praise,
Who has come to you with a necklace of praise
Its beauty, like your qualities, plain to see:
Whose beauty, like your description, is not hidden
كالصبَاlike the east wind رِقّةًin delicacy وكالروضِand like a garden نَشْراًin fragrance
كالصبَا رِقّةً وكالروضِ نَشْراً
وكأَخلاقكand like your character الشرّيفةِnoble لُطْفَاin gentleness
وكأَخلاقك الشرّيفةِ لُطْفَا
Delicate as the east wind, fragrant as a garden,
As gentle as the morning breeze and as blossoming as a garden
And as gentle as your noble character.
And as noble as your virtuous manners
كعقُودِlike necklaces of الجمانِpearls يعجزis incapable عَنْهُof it
كعقُودِ الجمانِ يعجز عَنْهُ
كلّeveryone منwho صرَّعmatched the hemistich rhymes of القريضَverse وقَفْىand gave it rhyme
كلّ من صرَّع القريضَ وقَفْى
Like necklaces of pearls, it is beyond the skill
Like strands of pearls that baffle
Of all who fashion verse and set it to rhyme.
All who string verses and stop
خُذْلَهُtake for him مِنْfrom عصابةٍa band خالفُواthey disobeyed
خُذْلَهُ مِنْ عصابةٍ خالفُوا
الأمْرَthe command وأخطَوْاand they committed خَطيئةُan offense لَيسis not تُعفَاforgiven
الأمْرَ وأخطَوْا خَطيئةُ لَيس تُعفَا
Recover his due from a band who disobeyed
Take him from a gang who opposed
The command and committed an unforgivable offense.
The order and made an unforgivable mistake
قومpeople سوءِof evil أَصْغَواthey tilted إنايَmy vessel وقدthough already
قوم سوءِ أَصْغَوا إنايَ وقد
أَتْرَعْتُهُI filled it to the brim مِنfrom نوالِكمْyour bounty فتكفّاso it overturned
أَتْرَعْتُهُ مِن نوالِكمْ فتكفّا
Wicked men who tilted my vessel, though
Evil people who listened to my woe after
I had filled it to the brim with your bounty—so it overturned.
I sought provision from you, so spare me
قدindeed أنالَتْgranted كفّاكَyour two hands عَبدَكyour servant خَمْسينَfifty
قد أنالَتْ كفّاكَ عَبدَك خَمْسينَ
فأَخْفَواso they concealed نِصْفاًhalf وأعطوهُand they gave him نِصفاhalf
فأَخْفَوا نِصْفاً وأعطوهُ نِصفا
Your two hands had granted your servant fifty,
Your palm has granted your servant fifty
But they hid half and gave him half.
So they hid half and gave him half
وأبَىand refused اللهُGod أنْthat تكونَshould be
وأبَى اللهُ أنْ تكونَ
عَطيّاتكمُyour gifts خَمسةٌfive وعشرينَand twenty حرفاḥarfs (coins)
عَطيّاتكمُ خَمسةٌ وعشرينَ حرفا
And God would not allow
And God refused that
Your gifts to be twenty-five ḥarfs.
Your gifts be twenty five letters
وأَراهاand I see it تخَالفَتْhave interfered دونكbehind your back الأَيديthe hands
وأَراها تخَالفَتْ دونك الأَيدي
علىtoward نَقْصِهاreducing it ومثلكَwhile one like you وفَّىgives in full
على نَقْصِها ومثلكَ وفَّى
And I see hands have meddled with it behind your back,
And I saw that the hands fell short before you
To diminish it, while one like you gives in full.
In decreasing it, while the like of you fulfilled
ولأَنتَand indeed you الَّذِيthe one who بهthrough whom يُدْفَعُis driven away الفَقْرُpoverty
ولأَنتَ الَّذِي به يُدْفَعُ الفَقْرُ
ويُعطِيand gives الأموالَwealth ألفاًa thousand فألفاthen another thousand
ويُعطِي الأموالَ ألفاً فألفا
And you indeed are the one through whom poverty is driven away,
Because you are the one by whom poverty is warded off
And who gives wealth, a thousand, then another thousand.
And who gives money in thousands and thousands
أينَwhere مِنكَcompared with you السَّماthe sky سموّاًin loftiness وجوداًand generosity
أينَ مِنكَ السَّما سموّاً وجوداً
أَنتَyou أسمَىloftier قدراًin rank وأسمحُand more generous كَفاًof hand
أَنتَ أسمَى قدراً وأسمحُ كَفاً
How can the sky compare with you in loftiness and bounty?
Where is the lofty heaven more lofty and generous than you
You are loftier in rank and more generous of hand.
You are of the highest worth and the most open-handed
Sol 6.1