ياO ابنَson of الكِرامِthe noble المُطعِمينَthose who feed others إِذاwhen شَتَواthey enter winter
يا ابنَ الكِرامِ المُطعِمينَ إِذا شَتَوا
فيin كُلِّevery مَخمصَةٍfamine وَثَلجٍand snow خاشِفِcrunching underfoot
في كُلِّ مَخمصَةٍ وَثَلجٍ خاشِفِ
O son of the noble, who feed others when winter comes,
O son of the generous feeders when they are munificent
Amid every famine and crunching snow,
In every predicament and biting cold
العاصِمينَthose who protect إِذاwhen النُفوسُsouls تَطايَرَتtook flight
العاصِمينَ إِذا النُفوسُ تَطايَرَت
بَينَbetween الصَوارِمِkeen swords وَالوَشيجِand spears الراعِفِdripping blood
بَينَ الصَوارِمِ وَالوَشيجِ الراعِفِ
Who protect others when souls take flight
The protectors when souls take flight
Between keen swords and blood-dripping spears.
Between the swords and the shaking commotion
مَنwho نَبَّأَtold الوَرقاءَthe gray dove أَنَّthat مَحَلكُمyour abode
مَن نَبَّأَ الوَرقاءَ أَنَّ مَحَلكُم
حَرمٌa sanctuary وَأَنَّكَand that you are مَلجَأٌa refuge لِلخائِفِfor the fearful
حَرمٌ وَأَنَّكَ مَلجَأٌ لِلخائِفِ
Who told the gray dove that your abode
Who told the tender woman that your abode
Is a sanctuary, and that you are a refuge for the fearful?
Is a sanctuary and you a refuge for the frightened
وَفَدَتshe came as a visitor عَلَيكَto you وَقَدand already تَدانىdrew near حَتفُهاher death
وَفَدَت عَلَيكَ وَقَد تَدانى حَتفُها
فَحَيوتهاso you gave her life بِبَقائِهاwith her survival المُستَأنفِrenewed
فَحَيوتها بِبَقائِها المُستَأنفِ
She came to you with her death already drawing near,
She sacrificed herself to you when her demise drew near
So you granted her a fresh lease of life.
So you revived her with your renewed subsistence
وَلَوand if انَّهاthat she تُحبىshe is given gifts بِمالٍwith wealth لانثَنَتshe would turn back
وَلَو انَّها تُحبى بِمالٍ لانثَنَت
مِنfrom راحَتَيكَyour two palms بِنائِلٍwith a bounty مُتَضاعفِmultiplied
مِن راحَتَيكَ بِنائِلٍ مُتَضاعفِ
And were she to be given wealth, she would return
And if she were to be gifted with money she would recoil
From your two palms bearing a manyfold bounty.
From your comfort with redoubled folds
جاءَتshe came سُلَيمانَSolomon الزَمانِof the age بِشَكوِهاwith her complaint
جاءَت سُلَيمانَ الزَمانِ بِشَكوِها
وَالمَوتُand death يُلمَعُgleams مِنfrom جَناحيthe two wings of خاطِفِa swooping predator
وَالمَوتُ يُلمَعُ مِن جَناحي خاطِفِ
She came to the Solomon of the age with her complaint,
She came to Solomon of time with her complaint
With death flashing from the two wings of a swooping predator—
While death brandishes from the wings of the snatcher
قَرِمٌravenous لَواهُtormented him القوتُfood حَتّىso that even ظِلُّهُhis shadow
قَرِمٌ لَواهُ القوتُ حَتّى ظِلُّهُ
بِإِزائِهِbeside him يَجريruns بِقَلبٍwith a heart واجِفِtrembling
بِإِزائِهِ يَجري بِقَلبٍ واجِفِ
Ravenous, tormented by the need for food, so that even his shadow
An old man whom poverty has worn down until his shadow
Runs beside him with a trembling heart.
Runs by his side with a desolate heart
Sol 6.1