أَخلَقَتhas worn out ريطَتيmy mantle وَأَودىand has perished القَميصُthe shirt
أَخلَقَت ريطَتي وَأَودى القَميصُ
وَإِزاريand my waistcloth وَالبَطنُand the belly خاوٍempty خَميصُhollow
وَإِزاري وَالبَطنُ خاوٍ خَميصُ
My mantle is worn out, and my shirt has perished,
My clothes are torn and my shirt is ripped
And my waistcloth too; my belly is empty and hollow.
My loincloth and belly are empty and dismayed
وَخَلاand became empty مَنزِليmy home فَلاso no شَيءَthing فيهِin it
وَخَلا مَنزِلي فَلا شَيءَ فيهِ
لَستُI am not مِمَّنamong those who يُخشىare feared عَلَيهِfor him اللُّصوصُthieves
لَستُ مِمَّن يُخشى عَلَيهِ اللُّصوصُ
My home is empty: there is nothing in it.
My home is empty, nothing is in it
I am not one for whom thieves need be feared.
I'm not someone who fears thieves
وَاِستَحَلَّand deemed lawful الأَميرُthe governor حَبسَwithholding عَطائيmy stipend
وَاِستَحَلَّ الأَميرُ حَبسَ عَطائي
خالِدٌKhalid إِنَّindeed خالِداًKhalid لَحَريصُtruly grasping
خالِدٌ إِنَّ خالِداً لَحَريصُ
The governor has deemed it lawful to withhold my stipend—
The ruler deemed it lawful to withhold my gifts
Khalid; indeed, Khalid is grasping.
Khalid, indeed Khalid is avaricious
ذوpossessing اِجتِهادٍzeal عَلىin العِبادَةِworship وَالخَيand goodness (continued)
ذو اِجتِهادٍ عَلى العِبادَةِ وَالخَي
رِcompletion of 'goodness' فيin رِزقِناour livelihood تَعويصُmaking difficult
رِ في رِزقِنا تَعويصُ
Zealous in worship and goodness,
Diligent in worship and good
Yet our livelihood is made difficult.
God made concessions in the Book for the needy
رَخَّصَgranted dispensation اللَهُGod فيin الكِتابِthe Book لِذيfor one with العُذan excuse (continued)
رَخَّصَ اللَهُ في الكِتابِ لِذي العُذ
رِcompletion of 'excuse' وَماbut no عِندَwith خالِدٍKhalid تَرخيصُdispensation
رِ وَما عِندَ خالِدٍ تَرخيصُ
God granted dispensation in the Book to one with an excuse,
But Khalid has no leniency
But Khalid grants no dispensation.
He burdened the poor destitute with an alternative
كَلَّفَrequired البائِسَthe wretched man الفَقيرَthe poor بَديلاًa substitute
كَلَّفَ البائِسَ الفَقيرَ بَديلاً
هَلis there لَهُfor him عَنهُfrom it مَعدِلٌa way around أَوor مَحيصُan escape
هَل لَهُ عَنهُ مَعدِلٌ أَو مَحيصُ
He made the wretched poor man provide a substitute:
Is there for him a substitute or refuge?
Has he any way around it, or any escape?
The sick old man with a limp
العَليلَthe sick man الكَبيرَthe aged ذاhaving العَرجِlameness الظّاlimping (continued)
العَليلَ الكَبيرَ ذا العَرجِ الظّا
لِعَcompletion of 'limping' أَعشىdim-sighted بِعَينِهِin his eye تَلحيصُnarrowing of the eye
لِعَ أَعشى بِعَينِهِ تَلحيصُ
The sick old man, lame and limping,
Blind in his eye, groping
Dim-sighted, with his eye narrowed.
O Abul Haytham, bestow on me
ياO أَباAbu (father of) الهَيثَمal-Haytham المُباركthe blessed جُدbe generous ليto me
يا أَبا الهَيثَم المُبارك جُد لي
بِعَطاءٍwith an allowance ماnot شَأنُهُits condition تَنقيصُreduction
بِعَطاءٍ ما شَأنُهُ تَنقيصُ
O blessed Abu al-Haytham, be generous to me
A gift, do not diminish it
With an allowance that suffers no deductions,
With my sustenance, for we have suffered
وَبِرِزقيand with my sustenance فَإِنَّناfor indeed we قَدalready رَزَحناhave been brought low
وَبِرِزقي فَإِنَّنا قَد رَزَحنا
مِنfrom ضَياعِneglect وَلِلعِيالِand the dependents have بَصيصُa faint gleam
مِن ضَياعِ وَلِلعِيالِ بَصيصُ
And with my sustenance, for we have indeed been brought low
Loss, and the family has little
By neglect; the children have a faint gleam in their eyes,
Like the chicks gathered by the nest
كَبَصيصِlike the gleam الفَرخَينِthe two nestlings ضَمَّهُماenfolded them both العُشthe nest (continued)
كَبَصيصِ الفَرخَينِ ضَمَّهُما العُش
شُcompletion of 'nest' وَغاذَand a feeder بِهِماfor them both أَسيرٌa captive قَنيصُcaught as prey
شُ وَغاذَ بِهِما أَسيرٌ قَنيصُ
Like the gleam of two nestlings enfolded by their nest,
Guarded by a captive hawk
While their feeder is a captive, caught as prey.
You see the house ragged and bleak
وَتَرىand you see البَيتَthe house مُقشَعِراًbleak قَواءًempty
وَتَرى البَيتَ مُقشَعِراً قَواءً
مِنamong نَواحيهِits corners دَورَقٌa jug وَأَصيصُand an earthen pot
مِن نَواحيهِ دَورَقٌ وَأَصيصُ
And you see the house bleak and empty,
On its sides are patches and tatters
In its corners, a jug and an earthen pot,
With torn clothes and worn out bowls
وَبِجادٌand a woollen cloak مُمَزَّقٌtattered وَخِوانٌand a dining table
وَبِجادٌ مُمَزَّقٌ وَخِوانٌ
نَدَرَتhas fallen off رِجلُهُits leg وَأُخرىand another رَهيصُbattered
نَدَرَت رِجلُهُ وَأُخرى رَهيصُ
And a tattered woollen cloak, and a table:
One leg gone, the other limping
One leg has fallen off, and another is battered.
Yet it once had smooth legs
وَلَقَدand indeed كانَit was ذاpossessing قَوائِمَlegs مُلسٍsmooth
وَلَقَد كانَ ذا قَوائِمَ مُلسٍ
يُؤكَلُis eaten اللَّحمُthe meat فَوقَهُupon it وَالخَبيصُand khabis pudding
يُؤكَلُ اللَّحمُ فَوقَهُ وَالخَبيصُ
Indeed, it once had smooth legs,
On which meat and greens were served
Meat and khabis pudding were eaten upon it.
So it was, things went astray in Egypt
شَطَنَتhave wandered far هَكَذاthus شَوارِدُstrays بِالمِصin the city (continued)
شَطَنَت هَكَذا شَوارِدُ بِالمِص
رِcompletion of 'city' وَعَنّيand from me لَمdid not يُلهِهِdistract him التَّربيصُwaiting
رِ وَعَنّي لَم يُلهِهِ التَّربيصُ
Thus strays have wandered far through the city;
And I was not distracted by ostentation
Nor did waiting distract him from me.
He busied himself in every sea and land
وَتَوَلّىand took command فيin كُلِّevery بَحرٍsea وَبَرٍّand land
وَتَوَلّى في كُلِّ بَحرٍ وَبَرٍّ
هَمُّهُhis concern العَرسُmarriage فيهِin it وَالتَّحصيصُand apportionment
هَمُّهُ العَرسُ فيهِ وَالتَّحصيصُ
And in every sea and land holds sway—
His concern was feasts and gain
His concern there is marriage and apportionment—
Lofty over me, the last beloved
مُتَعالٍlording it عَلَيَّover me آخَرُanother مَحبوdelighted (continued)
مُتَعالٍ عَلَيَّ آخَرُ مَحبو
رٌcompletion of 'delighted' يُغاديهِcomes to him each morning بَطَّةٌa duck وَمَصوصُand vinegar-cooked meat
رٌ يُغاديهِ بَطَّةٌ وَمَصوصُ
Another delighted man, lording it over me.
Accompanied by ducks and plucked
A duck and vinegar-cooked meat greet him each morning,
Roasted meat and heads
وَشِواءٌand roast meat مُلَهوَجٌunderdone وَرُؤوسٌand heads
وَشِواءٌ مُلَهوَجٌ وَرُؤوسٌ
وَصُيودٌand game قَدalready حازَهاhas gathered them التَّنقيصُdeductions
وَصُيودٌ قَد حازَها التَّنقيصُ
And underdone roast, and heads,
Diminished by carving
And game that deductions have gathered.
Then weights will inevitably meet scales
ثُمَّthen لاno بُدَّalternative يَلتَقيmeets الوَزنُthe weighing بِالقِسwith justice (continued)
ثُمَّ لا بُدَّ يَلتَقي الوَزنُ بِالقِس
طِcompletion of 'justice' لَدىat الحَشرِthe Gathering فَاِحذَرواso beware أَنlest يَبوصواthey escape
طِ لَدى الحَشرِ فَاِحذَروا أَن يَبوصوا
Then the weighing must meet with justice
At the Gathering, so beware of fraud
At the Gathering; so beware lest they escape.
Give much wealth on the side and collect it
أَكثِرواamass much المُلكَwealth جانِباًto one side وَاِجمَعوهُand gather it
أَكثِروا المُلكَ جانِباً وَاِجمَعوهُ
سَوفَwill يوديbring ruin بِذلِكَto that التَنقيصُdiminution
سَوفَ يودي بِذلِكَ التَنقيصُ
Pile up wealth to one side, and gather it:
Thus will diminish your loss
Diminution will bring all that to ruin.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1