وَزايرٍand a visitor طابَwas pleasant لَناfor us يَومُهُhis day
وَزايرٍ طابَ لَنا يَومُهُ
لَوif only ساعَدَhelped الدَّهرُTime بِإِتمامِهِin completing it
لَو ساعَدَ الدَّهرُ بِإِتمامِهِ
And a visitor whose day was sweet to us—
His visit brought joy to our day,
If only Time had helped bring it to completion!
Had fate allowed its completion,
ماذاwhat لَقيناwe found مِنfrom دَواوينِهِhis collections of verse
ماذا لَقينا مِن دَواوينِهِ
وَخطّهand his writing فيهاin them بِأَقلامِهِwith his pens
وَخطّه فيها بِأَقلامِهِ
What delight we found in his collections of verse,
What would we have seen of his writings,
And his writing in them with his pens!
And the lines he penned with his pen,
أسرّhappiest ماwhen كُنّاwe were فَمنand among us was مازحa jester
أسرّ ما كُنّا فَمن مازح
أَوor شاربٍa drinker قَدalready عَبَّquaffed deeply فيin جامِهِhis goblet
أَو شاربٍ قَد عَبَّ في جامِهِ
We were at our happiest, one jesting,
Our innermost secrets he knew, whether we joked,
Or drinking, having quaffed deeply from his goblet.
Or drank from a filled cup,
فارَقناhe left us فَالعَينُand the eye مَطروفَةٌstricken
فارَقنا فَالعَينُ مَطروفَةٌ
بِواكِفِby the dripping of الدَّمعِtears وَسَجّامِهِand their streaming flow
بِواكِفِ الدَّمعِ وَسَجّامِهِ
He left us, and the eye was stricken
He left us with tearful eyes,
By dripping tears and their streaming flow.
Shedding tears of sorrow,
وَعادَand he returned بِالمَدحِwith praise لَناto us مُنعِماًbestowing favor
وَعادَ بِالمَدحِ لَنا مُنعِماً
بِهِwith it إِلىto سالِفِformer إِنعامِهِhis kindness
بِهِ إِلى سالِفِ إِنعامِهِ
And he again favored us with praise,
He returned praising us generously,
Adding it to the kindness he had shown before.
Recalling his previous favors,
نَشكُرُwe give thanks ماwhat قالَhe said عَلىdespite أَنَّهُthe fact that
نَشكُرُ ما قالَ عَلى أَنَّهُ
لاnot يُمدَحُis praised الحُرُّa noble, freeborn man بحَمَّامِهِfor his bathhouse
لا يُمدَحُ الحُرُّ بحَمَّامِهِ
We are grateful for what he said, although
We thank his words, though
A noble man is not praised for his bathhouse.
A freeman is not praised for his flaws,
لكِنbut وَأَنّىand how ليfor me بِهاwith it حاجَةa wish
لكِن وَأَنّى لي بِها حاجَة
لَوif only كُنتI were فيهِin it بَعضone of قوّامِهِits attendants
لَو كُنت فيهِ بَعض قوّامِهِ
But I have a wish—how could I attain it?—
Yet what use have I for them,
If only I were one of its attendants,
If I were part of his pillars,
أَمسَحُهُI rub him فيهاin it وَأَدنوand I draw near لَهُto him
أَمسَحُهُ فيها وَأَدنو لَهُ
مِنfrom خَلفِهِbehind him طوراًat times وَقدّامِهِand in front of him
مِن خَلفِهِ طوراً وَقدّامِهِ
I would rub him there and draw near to him,
I would erase them and draw near him,
At times from behind him, and from in front of him.
Behind or before as he willed,
جَعَلتُI made نَفسيmyself جُنَّةًa shield دونهto protect him
جَعَلتُ نَفسي جُنَّةً دونه
وَبِعتُand I sold إِسلاميmy Islam بِإِسلامِهِfor his Islam
وَبِعتُ إِسلامي بِإِسلامِهِ
I would make myself a shield to protect him,
I would make myself a shield for him,
And sell my Islam for his;
And sell my faith for his faith,
فَكانَso it became ماwhat يَشرَبُhe drinks حِلاًlawful لَهُfor him
فَكانَ ما يَشرَبُ حِلاً لَهُ
وَصِرتُand I became مَأخوذاًheld accountable بِآثامِهِfor his sins
وَصِرتُ مَأخوذاً بِآثامِهِ
Then what he drank would be lawful for him,
So whatever he drank became lawful,
And I would be held accountable for his sins.
And I was seized by his sins,
Sol 6.1