يَاO بْنَson of الْحُسَيْنِal-Husayn وَأَنْتَand you مَنْthe one in whom غُرِسَwas planted النَّدىgenerosity
يَا بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ وَأَنْتَ مَنْ غُرِسَ النَّدى
فِيin راحَتَيْهِhis two palms فَأَثْمَرَand so bore fruit الْمَعْرُوفاgood deeds
فِي راحَتَيْهِ فَأَثْمَرَ الْمَعْرُوفا
O son of al-Husayn, you are he in whom generosity was planted,
O son of Hussein, you who planted benevolence
In his two palms, and it bore good deeds as fruit.
In your hands, which then bore good deeds abundantly,
كَرَماًgenerosity شُعِفْتَyou were enamored بِهِof it فَشاعَand spread حَدِيثُهُword of it
كَرَماً شُعِفْتَ بِهِ فَشاعَ حَدِيثُهُ
حَتّىuntil اغْتَدىbecame بِكَof you ذِكْرُهُits mention مَشعُوفاenamored
حَتّى اغْتَدى بِكَ ذِكْرُهُ مَشعُوفا
You were enamored of generosity, and word of it spread,
With generosity that gave your reputation wide renown,
Until its very mention became enamored of you.
So that talk of you became copious,
وَلأَنْتَand indeed you أَعْرَقُmore deeply rooted فِيin الْمكَارِمِnoble virtues مَنْصِباًin lineage
وَلأَنْتَ أَعْرَقُ فِي الْمكَارِمِ مَنْصِباً
مِنْthan تَبِيتَyou spend the night بِغَيْرِهاby anything other than them مَوْصُوفاًdescribed
مِنْ تَبِيتَ بِغَيْرِها مَوْصُوفاً
And your lineage is indeed too deeply rooted in noble virtues
You are most noble in lineage when it comes to virtues,
For you to spend a night described by anything else.
Unlike one known for anything else.
وَإِذاand when الْفتَىthe young man كَانَis السَّماحُgenerosity حَلِيفَهُhis ally
وَإِذا الْفتَى كَانَ السَّماحُ حَلِيفَهُ
أَمْسىhe enters evening وَأَصْبَحَand enters morning لِلثَّناءِof praise حَلِيفاًan ally
أَمْسى وَأَصْبَحَ لِلثَّناءِ حَلِيفاً
And when generosity is a young man's ally,
When a young man has generosity for a comrade,
He is an ally of praise, evening and morning.
He lives and wakes to praise as a comrade.
كَمْhow many هِزَّةٍa thrill لَكَyou have وَارْتِياحِand joyful eagerness لِلنَّدىfor generosity
كَمْ هِزَّةٍ لَكَ وَارْتِياحِ لِلنَّدى
لَوْلاهُwithout it ماnot كانَwould be الشَّرِيفُthe nobleman شَرِيفاnoble
لَوْلاهُ ما كانَ الشَّرِيفُ شَرِيفا
How often you thrill and rejoice in generosity—
How much trembling for you, and comfort for benevolence!
Without it, no nobleman would be noble.
Without it the noble would not be noble.
أَفْنَيْتَyou exhausted مالَكَyour wealth فِيin اكْتِسابِكَyour attaining لِلْعُلىof lofty honor
أَفْنَيْتَ مالَكَ فِي اكْتِسابِكَ لِلْعُلى
وَصَحِبْتَand you accompanied أَيّامَthe days of الزَّمانِtime عَزُوفاaloof from worldly things
وَصَحِبْتَ أَيّامَ الزَّمانِ عَزُوفا
You exhausted your wealth in attaining lofty honor,
You spent your wealth pursuing the sublime,
And kept company with time's days, aloof from worldly things.
And accompanied the days of time aloof.
ماwhat ضَرَّhas harmed دَهْراًTime غَدْرُهُits treachery بِكِرامِهِtoward its noble people
ما ضَرَّ دَهْراً غَدْرُهُ بِكِرامِهِ
تَرَكَleft الْقَوِيَّthe strong مِنَof الرَّجاءِhope ضَعِيفاweak
تَرَكَ الْقَوِيَّ مِنَ الرَّجاءِ ضَعِيفا
What ails Time, whose treachery toward its noble souls
The treachery of fate did no harm to its generosity—
Has left strong hope weak,
It left the hopeful weak.
أَلاّthat ... not يَكونَit should be عَلَىupon الأَفاضِلِthe worthy أَنْعُماًblessings
أَلاّ يَكونَ عَلَى الأَفاضِلِ أَنْعُماً
وَعَلَىand upon اللِّئامِthe base حَوادِثاًcalamities وَصُرُوفاand reversals
وَعَلَى اللِّئامِ حَوادِثاً وَصُرُوفا
That it should not be blessings upon the worthy,
May it not be that ease is upon the virtuous
And calamities and reversals upon the base?
And misfortunes and caprices upon the vile!
Sol 6.1