أَسرَفتَyou were lavish فيin أنسِcomforting الغَريبِthe stranger وَبِرِّهِand kindness to him
أَسرَفتَ في أنسِ الغَريبِ وَبِرِّهِ
وَرَفَعتَand you raised مِنof قَدرِthe standing البَعيدِthe distant one بِذِكرِهِby mentioning him
وَرَفَعتَ مِن قَدرِ البَعيدِ بِذِكرِهِ
You have been lavish in comforting the stranger and showing him kindness,
You were generous to the stranger and kind to him
and raised the distant one's standing by mentioning him.
And you raised the worth of the distant one by mentioning him
وَبَعَثتَand you sent فيon ريحِthe wind الشَّمالِthe north تَحِيَّةًa greeting
وَبَعَثتَ في ريحِ الشَّمالِ تَحِيَّةً
عادَتit returned إِلَيكَto you بِعَبقَةٍwith a fragrance مِنof شُكرِهِhis thanks
عادَت إِلَيكَ بِعَبقَةٍ مِن شُكرِهِ
And you sent a greeting on the north wind,
And you sent in the north wind a greeting
which returned to you with the fragrance of his thanks.
That returned to you with the fragrance of his gratitude
لاdo not تَعجَبَنَّmarvel (emphatic) لِحَرِّهاat its heat مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat
لا تَعجَبَنَّ لِحَرِّها مِن بَعدِ ما
بَرَدَتit cooled فَقَدfor indeed مَرَّتit passed بِلَوعَةِthrough the burning anguish of صَدرِهِhis breast
بَرَدَت فَقَد مَرَّت بِلَوعَةِ صَدرِهِ
Do not marvel at its heat after
Do not wonder at its heat after
it had cooled: it passed through the burning anguish of his breast.
It cooled, for it has passed through the agony of his chest
وَسَأَلتُand I asked عَنهُabout him وَماand not يَذُمّblames زَمانُهُhis times
وَسَأَلتُ عَنهُ وَما يَذُمّ زَمانُهُ
لَوif كانَwere يُعرَفُdistinguished لَيلُهُhis night مِنfrom فَجرِهِhis dawn
لَو كانَ يُعرَفُ لَيلُهُ مِن فَجرِهِ
And I asked about him; he would not blame his times,
And I asked about him, and nothing dispraises his time
if his night could be distinguished from his dawn.
If his night were known from his dawn
مُتَقَسِّمُdivided in العَزَماتِresolves يُنفِقُhe spends عُمرَهُhis life
مُتَقَسِّمُ العَزَماتِ يُنفِقُ عُمرَهُ
سَرَفاًwastefully عَلىunder نَهيthe prohibitions of الزَّمانِtime وَأَمرِهِand its commands
سَرَفاً عَلى نَهي الزَّمانِ وَأَمرِهِ
Divided in his resolves, he spends his life
The dispenser of resolves spends his life
wastefully, under time's prohibitions and commands.
Extravagantly, defying the blame and command of fate
غَدَرَتacted treacherously بِهِagainst him أَيّامُهُhis days فيin عِفَّةٍabstinence
غَدَرَت بِهِ أَيّامُهُ في عِفَّةٍ
مِنregarding مالِهِhis wealth وَصيانَةٍand safeguarding مِنregarding شِعرِهِhis poetry
مِن مالِهِ وَصيانَةٍ مِن شِعرِهِ
His days betrayed him while he was restrained
His days betrayed him in chastity
in matters of wealth and guarded in his poetry.
Of his wealth and safeguarding his honor
فَإِذاso when أَرادَhe wishes مَديحَpraise of مِثلِكَone like you أَظلَمَتcast darkness
فَإِذا أَرادَ مَديحَ مِثلِكَ أَظلَمَت
سُدفُdark veils الهُمومof sorrows عَلىover مَطالِعِthe rising places of فِكرِهِhis thought
سُدفُ الهُموم عَلى مَطالِعِ فِكرِهِ
So when he wishes to praise one like you, darkness is cast
So when he wanted to praise the like of you, the clouds
by the veils of sorrow over the rising places of his thought.
Of worries darkened the horizons of his thoughts
Sol 6.1