قَدindeed وَعَظَتنيadmonished me بِكَthrough you اللَياليthe nights
قَد وَعَظَتني بِكَ اللَيالي
بِغَيرِهِthrough another يوعِظُis admonished السَعيدُthe fortunate one
بِغَيرِهِ يوعِظُ السَعيدُ
The nights have admonished me through you.
The fortunate heed a lesson drawn from another.
أُبدِئI begin قِلىًaversion أَوor أَعِدI renew جَفاءًestrangement
أُبدِئ قِلىً أَو أَعِد جَفاءً
فَرَبُّكَfor your Lord المُبدِئُthe Originator المُعيدُthe Restorer
فَرَبُّكَ المُبدِئُ المُعيدُ
Shall I begin with aversion, or renew estrangement?
For your Lord is the Originator, the Restorer.
أَنتَyou أَميرٌa prince وَأَنتَand you قاضٍa judge
أَنتَ أَميرٌ وَأَنتَ قاضٍ
وَشَأنُكَand your affair الوَعدُthe promise وَالوَعيدُand the warning
وَشَأنُكَ الوَعدُ وَالوَعيدُ
You are a prince, and you are a judge.
And yours are promise and warning.
كَاليَومُlike the day بانَتbecame apparent فَضيلَتاهُits two virtues
كَاليَومُ بانَت فَضيلَتاهُ
بِأَنَّهُin that it جُمعَةٌFriday وَعيدُand a feast day
بِأَنَّهُ جُمعَةٌ وَعيدُ
Like a day whose two virtues were plain:
It was both Friday and a feast day.
ثُمَّthen اِنقَضىpassed فَهُوَand it is غَيرُnever آتٍreturning
ثُمَّ اِنقَضى فَهُوَ غَيرُ آتٍ
مِنamong وَصفِهِits descriptions النازِحُthe departed البَعيدُthe distant
مِن وَصفِهِ النازِحُ البَعيدُ
Then it passed, never to return.
Among its descriptions now are “departed” and “far away.”
تُعاقِبُfollow one another الأَنعُمُthe blessings الرَزاياthe calamities
تُعاقِبُ الأَنعُمُ الرَزايا
وَيَخلُفُand succeeds الجابِهَthe one who faces القَعيدُthe one who sits behind
وَيَخلُفُ الجابِهَ القَعيدُ
Blessings and calamities follow one another,
And the one who sits behind succeeds the one who faced them.
أَحسِنhow fine بِماwhat القَيلُthe chieftain فيهِtoward it غادٍgoes
أَحسِن بِما القَيلُ فيهِ غادٍ
لَولَمif only not يَكُنwere قَصرَهُhis palace الصَعيدُthe earth
لَولَم يَكُن قَصرَهُ الصَعيدُ
How fine the place toward which the chieftain goes,
If only the earth were not his palace.
Sol 6