تَحَرّانِيhas singled me out الزَّمانُtime بِكُلِّwith every خَطْبٍcalamity
تَحَرّانِي الزَّمانُ بِكُلِّ خَطْبٍ
وَعانَدَنِيand opposed me الْقَضاءُfate بِغَيْرِwithout ذَنْبِfault
وَعانَدَنِي الْقَضاءُ بِغَيْرِ ذَنْبِ
Time has singled me out for every calamity,
And fate has opposed me without any fault of mine.
كَأَنَّas though الدَّهْرَtime يُحْزِنُهُsaddens it سُرُورِيmy joy
كَأَنَّ الدَّهْرَ يُحْزِنُهُ سُرُورِي
أَوِor الأَيّامَthe days يُظْمِئُهُنَّmakes them thirsty شُرْبِيmy drinking
أَوِ الأَيّامَ يُظْمِئُهُنَّ شُرْبِي
As though my joy saddened time,
Or my drinking made the days thirst.
أَياO زَمَنَage of اللِّئامِthe base إِلىuntil مَwhat point? حَمْلاًburdening
أَيا زَمَنَ اللِّئامِ إِلى مَ حَمْلاً
عَلَيَّupon me وَبَعْضُand part of ماwhat حُمِّلْتُI have been made to bear حَسْبِيis enough for me
عَلَيَّ وَبَعْضُ ما حُمِّلْتُ حَسْبِي
O age of the base, how long will you heap burdens
Upon me, when even part of what I bear is enough?
أَماwill not? يَحْظَىfind favor الْكِرامُthe noble لَدَيْكَwith you يُوْماًone day
أَما يَحْظَى الْكِرامُ لَدَيْكَ يُوْماً
فَأَرْكَبَso I may ride فِيكَin you عَيْشاًa life غَيْرَnot صَعْبِhard
فَأَرْكَبَ فِيكَ عَيْشاً غَيْرَ صَعْبِ
Will the noble not find favor with you one day,
So I may ride through your days on a life of ease?
أَعُدْماًpoverty? وَاغْتِراباًand exile وَاكْتِئاباًand despair
أَعُدْماً وَاغْتِراباً وَاكْتِئاباً
لَقَدْindeed أَغْرَيْتَyou incited بِيagainst me ياO دَهْرُTime نَحْبِيmy death
لَقَدْ أَغْرَيْتَ بِي يا دَهْرُ نَحْبِي
Must I suffer poverty, exile, and despair?
You have indeed set my death upon me, O Time.
لَعَلَّperhaps فَتىًa young man حَمَيْتُI protected بِهِthrough him حَياتِيmy life
لَعَلَّ فَتىً حَمَيْتُ بِهِ حَياتِي
زماناًfor a time وَالخُطُوبُwhile calamities يُرِدْنَseek نَهْبِيto plunder me
زماناً وَالخُطُوبُ يُرِدْنَ نَهْبِي
Perhaps a young man through whom I once guarded my life
For a time, while calamities sought to plunder me,
يُعِينُwill help كَماas أَعانَhe helped فَيَجْتَبِينِيand favors me
يُعِينُ كَما أَعانَ فَيَجْتَبِينِي
بِنُعْمىwith blessings طالَماso often فَرَّجْنَthey relieved كَرْبِيmy distress
بِنُعْمى طالَما فَرَّجْنَ كَرْبِي
Will help as he helped before, and favor me
With blessings that have so often relieved my distress;
فَيُنْقِذَand he rescues مِنْfrom غَمارِthe depths of الْمَوْتِdeath نَفْسِيmy soul
فَيُنْقِذَ مِنْ غَمارِ الْمَوْتِ نَفْسِي
وَيُطْلِقَand he frees منfrom إسارthe bondage of الهمgrief قلبيmy heart
وَيُطْلِقَ من إسار الهم قلبي
And rescue my soul from the depths of death,
And free my heart from sorrow's bondage.
وكنتand I used to إذاwhen عتبتI complained علىabout زمانan age
وكنت إذا عتبت على زمان
أزالdispelled سَماحُthe generosity of نَصْرِNasr اللهِAllah عَتْبِيmy reproach
أزال سَماحُ نَصْرِ اللهِ عَتْبِي
And whenever I reproached the times,
Nasr Allah's generosity dispelled my reproach.
أُؤَمِّلُهُI put my hope in him لِحادِثَةِagainst the calamity of الليالِيthe nights
أُؤَمِّلُهُ لِحادِثَةِ الليالِي
فَأُخْصِبُso I flourish وَالزَّمانُthough the age زَمانُan age of جَدْبِdrought
فَأُخْصِبُ وَالزَّمانُ زَمانُ جَدْبِ
I count on him against the calamities of the nights,
So I flourish, though the age is an age of drought.
وَكَيْفَand how يَخِيبُcan fail مَنْone who أَلْقىhas laid down عَصاهُhis staff
وَكَيْفَ يَخِيبُ مَنْ أَلْقى عَصاهُ
بِساحَةِin the courtyard of مُغْرَمٍone enamored بِالْجُودِof generosity صَبِّpassionately in love
بِساحَةِ مُغْرَمٍ بِالْجُودِ صَبِّ
And how can one fail who has laid down his staff
In the courtyard of one passionately in love with generosity?
وَماand not يَنْفَكُّceases يَنْفَحُwafts كًلَّevery يُوْمٍday
وَما يَنْفَكُّ يَنْفَحُ كًلَّ يُوْمٍ
نَسِيمُthe breeze of الْعَيْشِlife مِنْfrom ذاكَthat الْمَهَبِّsource of the breeze
نَسِيمُ الْعَيْشِ مِنْ ذاكَ الْمَهَبِّ
And every day there wafts unceasingly
The breeze of life from that quarter.
يَرُدُّrepels هُبُوبُهُits blowing كَرَماًin generosity وَجُوداًand bounty
يَرُدُّ هُبُوبُهُ كَرَماً وَجُوداً
رِياحَthe winds of الدَّهْرِtime مِنْamong سُودٍblack winds وَنُكْبِand crosswinds
رِياحَ الدَّهْرِ مِنْ سُودٍ وَنُكْبِ
Its blowing, with magnanimity and bounty, repels
Time's winds, black gales and crosswinds.
خَلائِقُvirtues منْof أَبِيAbu الْمَجْدِal-Majd اسْتَطالَتْrose high
خَلائِقُ منْ أَبِي الْمَجْدِ اسْتَطالَتْ
بِهِمَّةٍthrough the resolve of فاخِرٍan illustrious man لِلْمجْدِof glory تَرْبِan age-mate
بِهِمَّةٍ فاخِرٍ لِلْمجْدِ تَرْبِ
Virtues of Abu al-Majd have risen high
Through the resolve of an illustrious man, glory's age-mate.
حَلَتْgrew sweet أَعْراقُهُhis roots كَرَماًwith generosity فَباتَتْand came to
حَلَتْ أَعْراقُهُ كَرَماً فَباتَتْ
تُتَيِّمُenslave with love كُلَّevery ذِيone possessed of أَمَلٍhope وَتُصْبِيand stir longing
تُتَيِّمُ كُلَّ ذِي أَمَلٍ وَتُصْبِي
His roots grew sweet with generosity and came to
Enthrall every hopeful soul and stir its yearning.
مَكارِمُnoble deeds طالَماso often رَوَّيْتُI quenched صَدْرِيmy breast
مَكارِمُ طالَما رَوَّيْتُ صَدْرِي
بِهاwith them وَوَرَدْتُand I came to drink مِنْهاfrom them كُلَّevery عَذْبِsweet water
بِها وَوَرَدْتُ مِنْها كُلَّ عَذْبِ
Noble deeds—so often have I slaked my heart's thirst
With them, and drunk from every sweet spring of theirs.
تَزِيدُthey increase غَزارَةًin abundance وَصَفاءَand clarity of وِرْدِdrinking-water
تَزِيدُ غَزارَةً وَصَفاءَ وِرْدِ
عَلىdespite ماwhat طالَhas lasted long مِنْof رَشْفِيmy sipping وَعَبِّيand my gulping
عَلى ما طالَ مِنْ رَشْفِي وَعَبِّي
They grow in abundance and in the clarity of their waters,
Despite all my long sipping and deep drinking.
وَأَلْبَسَنِيand he clothed me in صَنائِعَfavors لاnot أُبالِيI care
وَأَلْبَسَنِي صَنائِعَ لا أُبالِي
إِذاif سالَمْنَنِيthey are at peace with me مَنْwho كانَmay be حَرْبِيmy foe
إِذا سالَمْنَنِي مَنْ كانَ حَرْبِي
And he clothed me in favors; I care not—
So long as they are at peace with me—who may be my foe.
وَقَفْتُI devoted بِهاfor them الثَّناءَpraise عَلَىto كَرِيمٍa generous man
وَقَفْتُ بِها الثَّناءَ عَلَى كَرِيمٍ
يَرىhe considers كَسْبَacquiring الْمَكارِمِvirtues خَيْرَthe best of كَسْبِgains
يَرى كَسْبَ الْمَكارِمِ خَيْرَ كَسْبِ
For these I have devoted my praise to a generous man
Who deems acquiring virtues the best of gains.
فَتىًa young man لَمْnever يُدْعَwas called لِلْمَعْرُوفِfor kindness إِلاّexcept that
فَتىً لَمْ يُدْعَ لِلْمَعْرُوفِ إِلاّ
وَنائِلُهُand his bounty لِداعِيهِto the one calling him الْمُلَبِّيthe responder
وَنائِلُهُ لِداعِيهِ الْمُلَبِّي
A young man never called upon for kindness but
His bounty answers the one who calls him.
فِداؤُكَyour ransom كُلُّevery مَمْنُوعٍwithheld جَداهُhis bounty
فِداؤُكَ كُلُّ مَمْنُوعٍ جَداهُ
ضَنِينٍa miser بَلْrather فِداؤُكَyour ransom كُلُّevery نَدْبِgallant man
ضَنِينٍ بَلْ فِداؤُكَ كُلُّ نَدْبِ
May every man whose bounty is withheld be your ransom,
Every miser—rather, may every gallant man be your ransom.
فَكَمْand how often قَرَّبْتَyou brought near حَظِّيmy fortune بَعْدَafter نَأْيٍremoteness
فَكَمْ قَرَّبْتَ حَظِّي بَعْدَ نَأْيٍ
وَباعَدْتَand you drove away النَّوائِبَcalamities بَعْدafter قُرْبٍnearness
وَباعَدْتَ النَّوائِبَ بَعْد قُرْبٍ
How often you have brought my fortune near after it lay far off,
And driven calamities far away after they had drawn near.
إِذاif ماindeed كُنْتَyou are مِنْamong عُشّاقِthe lovers of حَمْدِيmy praise
إِذا ما كُنْتَ مِنْ عُشّاقِ حَمْدِي
أَدَلَّit grows bold وَزارَand visits مَجْدَكَyour glory غَيْرَnot غِبِّat intervals
أَدَلَّ وَزارَ مَجْدَكَ غَيْرَ غِبِّ
If you are among the lovers of my praise,
It will grow bold and visit your glory unceasingly.
وَمِثْلُكَand one like you حَلَّhas settled بَذْلُthe bestowal of الْجُودِbounty مِنْهُin him
وَمِثْلُكَ حَلَّ بَذْلُ الْجُودِ مِنْهُ
مَحَلَّthe place of هُوىlove for الْحَبِيبِthe beloved مِنَin الْمُحِبِّthe lover
مَحَلَّ هُوى الْحَبِيبِ مِنَ الْمُحِبِّ
And in one like you, the giving of bounty holds
The place of love for the beloved in the lover.
Sol 6.1