ياO مَنwho يُعينُhelps عَلىwith ضَيفٍa guest أَلَمَّcame بِناto us
يا مَن يُعينُ عَلى ضَيفٍ أَلَمَّ بِنا
لَيسَis not بِذيpossessed of كَرَمٍgenerosity يُرجىto be hoped for وَلاnor دينِpiety
لَيسَ بِذي كَرَمٍ يُرجى وَلا دينِ
Who will help us with a guest who has come to us?
O you who helps a guest distressed by us
He has neither generosity one can hope for nor piety.
With neither generosity to hope nor faith
أَقامَhe stayed عِنديwith me ثَلاثاًthree سُنَّةًa custom سَلَفَتthat existed before
أَقامَ عِندي ثَلاثاً سُنَّةً سَلَفَت
أَغضيتُI closed my eyes مِنهاbecause of it عَلىto الأَقذاءِgrit in the eyes وَالهونِand humiliation
أَغضيتُ مِنها عَلى الأَقذاءِ وَالهونِ
He stayed with me three nights, following a custom of old;
He stayed with me for thirty years
For its sake I closed my eyes to grit and humiliation.
I endured it with patience and humility
مَسافَةُthe distance البَيتِthe House عَشرٌten غيرُnot مُشكلَةٍuncertain
مَسافَةُ البَيتِ عَشرٌ غيرُ مُشكلَةٍ
وَأَنتَand you تأتيهِreach it فيin شَهرٍa month وَعشرينِand twenty
وَأَنتَ تأتيهِ في شَهرٍ وَعشرينِ
The journey to the House is ten days, beyond doubt,
The home is just over ten miles away
Yet you reach it in a month and twenty days.
Yet you come in twenty months and more
لَستَyou do not تُباليcare فَواتَmissing الحَجِّthe pilgrimage إِنif نَصبتyou wear out
لَستَ تُبالي فَواتَ الحَجِّ إِن نَصبت
ذاتَshe of الكَلالِweariness وَأَسمَنتَand you fatten اِبنَthe son of حِرقينِHirqayn
ذاتَ الكَلالِ وَأَسمَنتَ اِبنَ حِرقينِ
You care nothing for missing the pilgrimage, provided you wear out
Unconcerned if the Hajj passes you by
Dhat al-Kalal—the weary one—and fatten Ibn Hirqayn.
While you fatten Ibn Harkeen’s calves
تَحَدَّثَspoke الناسُthe people عَمّاabout what فيكَis in you مِنof كَرَمٍgenerosity
تَحَدَّثَ الناسُ عَمّا فيكَ مِن كَرَمٍ
هَيهاتَfar indeed ذاكَthat لِضَيفانِfor the guests of المَساكينِthe poor
هَيهاتَ ذاكَ لِضَيفانِ المَساكينِ
People have spoken of the generosity in you;
People speak of your generosity
Far indeed is that from the guests of the poor!
Alas, not for the poor guest
أَصبَحتَyou have begun تخزُنُyou hoard ماwhat تَحويyou possess وَتجمَعُهُand gather it
أَصبَحتَ تخزُنُ ما تَحوي وَتجمَعُهُ
أَباO father of سُلَيمانَSulayman مِنfrom أَشلاءِthe dismembered remains of قارونِQarun
أَبا سُلَيمانَ مِن أَشلاءِ قارونِ
You have taken to hoarding what you possess and amassing it,
You store and hoard all you own
O Abu Sulayman, from Qarun’s scattered remains.
Abu Suleiman, shards of Qarun
مِثلُlike ابنِthe son of عُمرانَImran آباءٌforefathers لَهُof his سَلَفواthey went before
مِثلُ ابنِ عُمرانَ آباءٌ لَهُ سَلَفوا
يَجزونَthey repay فِعلَthe deed of ذَويthose possessing الاحسانِkindness بالدونِwith baseness
يَجزونَ فِعلَ ذَوي الاحسانِ بالدونِ
Ibn Imran had forefathers like himself,
Like the son of Imran, forefathers preceded
Who repaid the deeds of benefactors with baseness.
Who repay good deeds with evil
أَلاwill you not تَكونُbe كَإِسماعيلَlike Ismail إِنَّindeed لَهُhe has
أَلا تَكونُ كَإِسماعيلَ إِنَّ لَهُ
رَأَياًjudgment أَصيلاًsound وَفِعلاًand deeds غَيرَnot مَمنونِtainted by reminders of favor
رَأَياً أَصيلاً وَفِعلاً غَيرَ مَمنونِ
Will you not be like Ismail? For he has
Will you not be like Ismail, who had
Sound judgment and deeds untainted by reminders of favors.
Sound wisdom and deeds above reproof
أَوor مِثلَlike زَوجَتِهِhis wife فيماin what أَلَمَّcame بِهاupon her
أَو مِثلَ زَوجَتِهِ فيما أَلَمَّ بِها
هَيهاتَfar indeed مِنfrom أُمّهاher mother ذاتِshe of النِطاقَينِthe two girdles
هَيهاتَ مِن أُمّها ذاتِ النِطاقَينِ
Or like his wife in what befell her—
Or like his wife in her affliction
How far from her mother, Dhat al-Nitaqayn—She of the Two Girdles!
Far from his mother of the two girdles
Sol 6.1