أعيشI live لأهليfor my people لاnot أريدI seek ثناءهمtheir praise
أعيش لأهلي لا أريد ثناءهم
جزاءًas recompense وربيand my Lord شاهدٌa witness ومجازand a requiter
جزاءً وربي شاهدٌ ومجاز
I live for my people, not seeking their praise
I live for my family, I do not want their praise
as recompense; and my Lord is witness and requiter.
As a reward, and my Lord is a witness and judge
رضيapproval اللَهGod عنيwith me لوif كسبتI earned حقيقةٌa reality
رضي اللَه عني لو كسبت حقيقةٌ
أأغفلshall I neglect? عنهاof it باكتسابby acquiring مجازa metaphor
أأغفل عنها باكتساب مجاز
God’s approval of me, were I to earn it, is real;
May God be pleased with me if I earn the truth
shall I neglect it to gain a metaphor?
Shall I neglect it by earning mere poetry?
وللناسand among people منone whom لاnot أطيقI can bear سماعهhearing him
وللناس من لا أطيق سماعه
كصوتlike the voice of مغنa singer فيin قرارa low register نشازoff-key
كصوت مغن في قرار نشاز
And among people is one I cannot bear to hear,
And people have those whom I cannot bear to hear
like a singer’s voice in an off-key low register.
Like the voice of a singer in the abode of revelry
وأثقلand the heaviest ماthat which ترميyou pelt بهwith it الأذنthe ear لفظةٌa word
وأثقل ما ترمي به الأذن لفظةٌ
يريدhe intends بهاby it مناboasting of favors ربيبa fosterling of مخازِshameful deeds
يريد بها منا ربيب مخازِ
And the heaviest thing hurled at the ear is a word
And the hardest thing on the ear is an expression
with which a fosterling of disgrace means to boast of his favors.
With which a foster child seeks to trick us
Sol 6.1