يضيقُis too narrow بشكرِfor giving thanks for ماwhat توليهyou bestow it باعيmy reach
يضيقُ بشكرِ ما توليه باعي
ويقصرand falls short عنof تناولِهِreaching it ذراعيmy arm
ويقصر عن تناولِهِ ذراعي
My reach is too short to thank you for what you bestow,
My gratitude falls short of what you grant
And my arm falls short of encompassing it.
And my arms fail to reach it
خَلَفْتَyou succeeded جدودَكyour forefathers الخلفاءَthe caliphs جوداًin generosity
خَلَفْتَ جدودَك الخلفاءَ جوداً
فأنتso you are لماof what رَعَوْاthey tended منof ذاكَthat راعيa guardian
فأنت لما رَعَوْا من ذاكَ راعي
You have succeeded your forefathers, the caliphs, in generosity,
You surpassed your ancestors the Caliphs in generosity
So you tend the bounty they once tended.
So you are to what they herded the shepherd
إلاah! (apparently intended as ألا) ياO أيهاyou (vocative address) الغيثُthe rain المرجَّىlonged for
إلا يا أيها الغيثُ المرجَّى
نداهُits bounty or moisture للسِّباخِfor the salt flats وللبقاعand for the tracts of land
نداهُ للسِّباخِ وللبقاع
Ah, O long-awaited rain,
O you the hoped rain
Whose bounty is for salt flats and tracts of land.
Its call to the plains and lands
هَوِيتَyou loved المستطاعَthe attainable منof المعاليlofty deeds
هَوِيتَ المستطاعَ من المعالي
وماand that which كهواكlike your love غيرother than المستطاعthe attainable
وما كهواك غير المستطاع
You loved the lofty deeds within reach,
You attained what can be attained of glories
Yet a love like yours is beyond reach.
And nothing but the attainable is your desire
لُهَىًgifts يُلْهينناdistract us عنfrom أهلِthe people of عصرٍan age
لُهَىً يُلْهيننا عن أهلِ عصرٍ
تُناطare tied لهاهُمُtheir gifts بلهىto the uvulas of السِّباعthe beasts of prey
تُناط لهاهُمُ بلهى السِّباع
Gifts distract us from the people of an age
A pastime that distracts us from the people of an era
Whose gifts are tied to the throats of beasts of prey.
Whose madness is distracted by beasts' madness
وليسand is not البائسُthe wretched one المخدوعُthe duped one إلاexcept الfirst part of 'the one who'
وليس البائسُ المخدوعُ إلا ال
ذيsecond part of 'the one who' يرجوhopes for النباهةَeminence بالخداعthrough deceit
ذي يرجو النباهةَ بالخداع
And the wretched dupe is none but the one
The wretch deceived is none but he
Who hopes for eminence through deceit.
Who hopes for glory through deception
أباO Abu (father of) العباسal-Abbas ياO بدرَfull moon of المعاليlofty deeds
أبا العباس يا بدرَ المعالي
لرانيهto its beholder وياand O شمسَsun of المساعيendeavors
لرانيه ويا شمسَ المساعي
Abu al-Abbas, O full moon of lofty deeds
O Abu Al-Abbas, O full moon of glories
To its beholder, and O sun of endeavor!
For its beholder, O sun of endeavors
أتىarrived عَلَفُfodder الحمامِthe pigeons علىon المطاياthe pack animals
أتى عَلَفُ الحمامِ على المطايا
فضاقتْso became too cramped عنfor مطاياهits pack animals رِباعيmy dwellings
فضاقتْ عن مطاياه رِباعي
The pigeons' feed arrived on pack animals,
The pigeons' fodder came on thoroughbreds
And my dwellings were too cramped for the beasts that bore it.
So my stables fell short of thoroughbreds
وظنَّand thought الناسُthe people أنَّthat لناwe have ضياعاًestates
وظنَّ الناسُ أنَّ لنا ضياعاً
فذلكso that is بعضُsome of غلاَّتِthe yields of الضياعthe estates
فذلك بعضُ غلاَّتِ الضياع
People thought that we owned estates,
And people thought we have estates
And that this was part of those estates' yield.
That is some of the expensiveness of estates
أباO Abu (father of) العباسal-Abbas ياO أحلىsweeter ثناءٍpraise
أبا العباس يا أحلى ثناءٍ
علىto الأسماعِthe ears منthan حُلْوِthe sweetness of السماعmusic
على الأسماعِ من حُلْوِ السماع
Abu al-Abbas, O you whose praise is sweeter
O Abu Al-Abbas, O sweetest praise
To the ears than the sweetness of music!
To the ears, sweeter than hearing
لئنif indeed أشْبَعْتَyou have sated منfrom جوعٍhunger حماميmy pigeons
لئن أشْبَعْتَ من جوعٍ حمامي
فكمthen how many أشبعتَyou have sated منof ناسٍpeople جياعhungry
فكم أشبعتَ من ناسٍ جياع
If indeed you have sated my hungry pigeons,
If you have satiated my pigeons' hunger
Then how many hungry people you have sated!
How much have you satiated starving people
Sol 6.1