اسمعlisten أباAbu (father of) القاسمِal-Qasim الموفيstanding aloft علىupon شَرَفٍa height
اسمع أبا القاسمِ الموفي على شَرَفٍ
يفوتُeludes قائسَهُits measurer بُعداًin distance إِذاwhen قاساhe measures
يفوتُ قائسَهُ بُعداً إِذا قاسا
Listen, Abu al-Qasim, who stands upon a height
that lies far beyond the reach of anyone who tries to measure it.
ياO تاركَone who leaves الناسpeople حَسْرَىexhausted دونshort of غايتِهِhis goal
يا تاركَ الناس حَسْرَى دون غايتِهِ
كأَنّماas though الناسُpeople ليسواthey are not عندهin his eyes ناساpeople
كأَنّما الناسُ ليسوا عنده ناسا
O one who leaves people exhausted, short of his goal,
as though, in his eyes, people were not people.
ماwhat للعمامةِwith the turban قدindeed كادhas almost احتباسُكَهاyour withholding it
ما للعمامةِ قد كاد احتباسُكَها
عنيfrom me يُعَمِّمُنيputs a turban on me منfrom دونهاapart from it الياساdespair
عني يُعَمِّمُني من دونها الياسا
What of the turban? Your withholding it
from me has almost made despair my turban in its stead.
أماdo … not? ترىyou see القرَّthe bitter cold يرمينيshoots at me ولاand no بدَescape ليfor me
أما ترى القرَّ يرميني ولا بدَ لي
بأنthat أكونَI should be لسهمfor the arrow of القرِّthe cold قِرْطاساa paper target
بأن أكونَ لسهم القرِّ قِرْطاسا
Do you not see the cold shooting at me? I have no choice
but to be a paper target for the cold’s arrow.
إنif تُهْدِyou give ليto me ماsomething that يقيprotects رأسيmy head ويُدْفِئهُand warms it
إن تُهْدِ لي ما يقي رأسي ويُدْفِئهُ
تكنْyou will be كأَنَّكَas though you قدalready أهديتَyou had given ليto me راساa head
تكنْ كأَنَّكَ قد أهديتَ لي راسا
If you give me something that protects my head and warms it,
it will be as though you had given me a head.
Sol 6.1