ياO نَديميmy boon companion عَلىin الهُمومِsorrows وَياand O حاbearer (first part)
يا نَديمي عَلى الهُمومِ وَيا حا
مِلَbearer (completion) عَنّيon my behalf فيin الدَّهرِtime خَوفاًfear وَأَمناand safety
مِلَ عَنّي في الدَّهرِ خَوفاً وَأَمنا
O my boon companion in sorrows, and O bearer
O my comrade in sorrows, O carrier
of fear and safety for me through time:
Of my fears and safety through time
كَمhow often رَعَيناwe grazed on الخُطوبَtrials حُلواًsweet وَمُرّاًand bitter
كَم رَعَينا الخُطوبَ حُلواً وَمُرّاً
وَقَطَعناand we traversed الزَّمانَtime سَهلاًsmooth ground وَحَزناand rugged ground
وَقَطَعنا الزَّمانَ سَهلاً وَحَزنا
How often we have grazed on trials, sweet and bitter,
How much sweet and bitter fate we have shepherded
and crossed time’s smooth ground and rough.
And traversed time, easy and sad
وَرَمَتناand hurled at us صُروفُهُits vicissitudes بِهناتwith afflictions
وَرَمَتنا صُروفُهُ بِهنات
هُنَّthey أَمضىmore piercing مِنَthan الأَسِنَّةِspearheads طَعناin thrusting
هُنَّ أَمضى مِنَ الأَسِنَّةِ طَعنا
And its vicissitudes hurled afflictions at us:
And its turns have stabbed us with sighs
they were more piercing in their thrust than spearheads.
More piercing than spear tips
وَعَبوسand a scowling man فَإِنthen if تَبَسَّمَhe smiles كَأَنّas though الthe
وَعَبوس فَإِن تَبَسَّمَ كَأَنّ ال
لُؤمbaseness مِنfrom ذَلِكَthat التَّبَسُّمِsmile يُجنىis reaped
لُؤم مِن ذَلِكَ التَّبَسُّمِ يُجنى
And a scowling man—if he smiles, it is as though
Gloomy, so if he smiles it's as if
baseness were reaped from that smile.
No good from that smile can be reaped
رُبَّmany an عَينٍeye إِلىtoward الدَّنِيَّةِa base deed شَزراaskance-looking (first part)
رُبَّ عَينٍ إِلى الدَّنِيَّةِ شَزرا
ءcompletion of 'askance-looking' وأخرىand another عَنِaway from المَكارِمnoble deeds وَسناdrowsy
ء وأخرى عَنِ المَكارِم وَسنا
Many an eye looks askance toward base deeds,
Many an eye looks askance
and another is drowsy, turned away from noble deeds.
While another spurns all noble deeds
وَبَنانand fingers جَعدٍcurled; miserly إِذاwhen كَرُمَis generous الغَيthe rain (first part)
وَبَنان جَعدٍ إِذا كَرُمَ الغَي
ثُcompletion of 'rain' فَقَلَّso it is scant فيin نَوالِهِits bounty حينَwhen ضَنّاit is stingy
ثُ فَقَلَّ في نَوالِهِ حينَ ضَنّا
And tightly curled fingers—when the rain is generous,
Some curl-locked youth, if lucky for a while
then their bounty is scant when they are stingy.
Becomes stingy when fortunes wane
Sol 6.1