كلَّفْتِنيyou burdened me ماwhat لَمْnot أُطِقْI could bear فيin الصِبَّاyouth
كلَّفْتِني ما لَمْ أُطِقْ في الصِبَّا
فَكَيفَso how والشَّيبُwhile gray hair بِفُودِيat my temple نَزِيلْa guest
فَكَيفَ والشَّيبُ بِفُودِي نَزِيلْ
You burdened me with what I could not bear in youth;
how, then, when gray hair is a guest at my temple?
والشِّعْرُand poetry لاneither بَيْعٌa sale وَلاnor حَلَّةٌa robe
والشِّعْرُ لا بَيْعٌ وَلا حَلَّةٌ
وَلاnor سِراجٌSiraj (also: a lamp) منهُfrom it يَسْوَىis worth فَتِيلْa wick
وَلا سِراجٌ منهُ يَسْوَى فَتِيلْ
And poetry brings neither a sale nor a robe,
nor does it make Siraj worth a wick.
والنَّاسُand the people فيin أوسعِthe most abundant عِيدٍa festival وَقَدand indeed
والنَّاسُ في أوسعِ عِيدٍ وَقَد
يَشكُوcomplains الطَّبِيبُthe physician اليومَtoday شَكْوَthe complaint of العَلِيلْthe sick man
يَشكُو الطَّبِيبُ اليومَ شَكْوَ العَلِيلْ
And people celebrate Eid in the greatest plenty, yet
today the physician complains as the sick man does.
وَهِرَّتيand my cat قَدْindeed هَوِيَتْhas grown fond of هِجرَتيforsaking me
وَهِرَّتي قَدْ هَوِيَتْ هِجرَتي
إذْsince نارُناour fire فيat العِيدEid نَارُthe fire of الخَلِيلْAbraham (God's friend)
إذْ نارُنا في العِيد نَارُ الخَلِيلْ
And my cat has grown fond of forsaking me,
since our fire at Eid is Abraham's fire.
فَمُرْso give the order تَقيَّTaqi (pious) الدِّينِal-Din (of the faith) فيin طَبْخِناour cooking
فَمُرْ تَقيَّ الدِّينِ في طَبْخِنا
نَسْعَىwe strive فَقَصْدُfor the pursuit of الصُّلْحِreconciliation قَصْدٌan aim جَمِيلْbeautiful
نَسْعَى فَقَصْدُ الصُّلْحِ قَصْدٌ جَمِيلْ
So give the word, Taqi al-Din, about our cooking;
we will strive, for seeking reconciliation is a worthy aim.
وَنِعْمَand excellent is مَنthe one who وَكَّلَهُmade him his trustee هَيّناًwith ease
وَنِعْمَ مَن وَكَّلَهُ هَيّناً
وَحَسْبُناand sufficient for us اللَّهُGod وَنِعْمَand excellent is الوَكِيلْthe trustee
وَحَسْبُنا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الوَكِيلْ
And blessed is he who readily makes him his trustee;
and God suffices us—what an excellent trustee!
Sol 6.1