بِعَيشِكَby your life هَلhave? جُزيتَyou been rewarded عَنِfor القَوافيthe rhymes
بِعَيشِكَ هَل جُزيتَ عَنِ القَوافي
بِغَيرِwith anything other than أَجَدتَyou did well أَوor لاmay not فُضَّbe broken فوكَyour mouth
بِغَيرِ أَجَدتَ أَو لا فُضَّ فوكَ
By your life, have you been rewarded for your rhymes
With your livelihood, have you been rewarded for rhymes
By your life, have you ever been rewarded for your rhymes
With anything but “Well done!” or “May your mouth never be broken!”?
Without striving, or was it fruitless for you?
With anything but 'You excelled!' or 'May your mouth be blessed'?
جَزاأُكَyour reward مِنfrom كَريمٍa generous man أَوor بَخيلٍa miser
جَزاأُكَ مِن كَريمٍ أَو بَخيلٍ
رَقيقاًdelicate كانَwas شِعرُكَyour verse أَوor رَكيكاfeeble
رَقيقاً كانَ شِعرُكَ أَو رَكيكا
Your reward from a generous man or a miser,
Your reward from a generous one or a miser
Your recompense from the generous and the miser alike—
Whether your verse was delicate or feeble,
Was your poetry delicate or coarse?
Whether your poetry be refined or feeble—
كَلامٌtalk لَيسَdoes not يُغنيavail عَنكَfor you شَيئاًanything
كَلامٌ لَيسَ يُغني عَنكَ شَيئاً
إِذاif لَمnot يَقتُلِkill الآمالَthe hopes فيكاwithin you
إِذا لَم يَقتُلِ الآمالَ فيكا
Is talk that does you no good at all,
Words will not avail you anything
Is mere speech that avails you nothing,
If it does not kill the hopes within you.
If they do not kill hopes in you
If indeed it does not kill the hopes within you.
وَرُبَّتَماand sometimes يَمُنُّremind of favors عَلَيكَto you قَومٌsome people
وَرُبَّتَما يَمُنُّ عَلَيكَ قَومٌ
كَأَنَّكَas though you قَدalready غَدَوتَyou had become بِهِمthrough them مَليكاa king
كَأَنَّكَ قَد غَدَوتَ بِهِم مَليكا
And sometimes people remind you of their favors,
And oftentimes a people may confer upon you
And oftentimes, people act as though bestowing a favor,
As though through them you had become a king.
As though you have become their king
As if, through them, you had become a king.
إِذاwhen أَرسَلتَyou sent forth قافِيَةًa rhyme شَروداًwandering
إِذا أَرسَلتَ قافِيَةً شَروداً
فَقَدthen indeed أَيقَظتَyou awakened فيamong الناسِthe people الشُكوكاthe doubts
فَقَد أَيقَظتَ في الناسِ الشُكوكا
When you send forth a wandering rhyme,
When you send out a rhyme aimlessly
If you send forth a captivating verse that roams the world,
Then you have awakened doubts among people.
You have awakened suspicions in people
You have but awakened doubts among the people.
وَقَدand may تُبلىyou be afflicted بِأَحمَقَwith a fool يَدعيهاhe claims it as his own
وَقَد تُبلى بِأَحمَقَ يَدعيها
فَإِنthen if تَغضَبyou grow angry لِذَلِكَat that يَدعيكاhe claims you as his own
فَإِن تَغضَب لِذَلِكَ يَدعيكا
And you may be afflicted with a fool who claims it as his own;
It may be worn out by a fool claiming it
You may be afflicted by a fool who claims it as his own,
Then if you grow angry at that, he claims you too.
If you get angry at that, he will claim you
And should you grow angry at this, he accuses you instead.
Sol 6.1