قَدindeed مَتَّعَgranted enjoyment اللَهُGod بِالخَريفِof autumn وَقَدand indeed
قَد مَتَّعَ اللَهُ بِالخَريفِ وَقَد
بَشَّرَannounced glad tidings بِالفِطرِof the fast-breaking feast رِقَّةُthinness القَمَرِthe moon
بَشَّرَ بِالفِطرِ رِقَّةُ القَمَرِ
God has given us autumn to enjoy, and
the moon's slender crescent has heralded the fast-breaking feast.
وَطابَand became pleasant رَميُshooting الإِوَزِّthe geese وَاللَغلَغِand the stork
وَطابَ رَميُ الإِوَزِّ وَاللَغلَغِ
الراتِعِfeeding freely بَينَamid المِياهِthe waters وَالخُضَرِand the greenery
الراتِعِ بَينَ المِياهِ وَالخُضَرِ
And shooting geese and storks has become a delight,
feeding amid the waters and greenery.
فَهَلso is there مُعينٌa helper عَلىwith الرُكوبِriding إِلىto
فَهَل مُعينٌ عَلى الرُكوبِ إِلى
حاناتِtaverns of غُمّىGhummā فَالخَيرُfor good فيin البُكُرِthe early mornings
حاناتِ غُمّى فَالخَيرُ في البُكُرِ
So is there anyone to help me ride to
Ghummā's taverns? For good lies in early starts.
وَقَهوَةٍand wine تَستَحِثُّurges onward راكِبَهاits rider
وَقَهوَةٍ تَستَحِثُّ راكِبَها
فيin السَيرِthe journey تُحدىis urged onward with song بِالنَأيِby the flute (contextually; literally ‘distance’) وَالوَتَرِand the string
في السَيرِ تُحدى بِالنَأيِ وَالوَتَرِ
And wine that urges its rider onward,
on the journey, itself urged along by flute and string,
فيin بَطنِthe belly of زِنجِيَّةٍa black woman (a vessel personified) مُقَيَّرَةٍcoated with pitch
في بَطنِ زِنجِيَّةٍ مُقَيَّرَةٍ
لاnot تَتَشَكّيcomplains of مَآلِمَthe pains of السَفَرِtravel
لا تَتَشَكّي مَآلِمَ السَفَرِ
in the belly of a pitch-coated black woman,
who does not complain of travel's pains.
فَالحَمدُso praise لِلَّهِto God لاno شَريكَpartner لَهُfor Him
فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لا شَريكَ لَهُ
رَبِّLord of البَراياall creatures وَمُلغِزِand He who makes enigmatic السُوَرِthe surahs (Qur'anic chapters)
رَبِّ البَرايا وَمُلغِزِ السُوَرِ
So praise be to God, who has no partner,
Lord of all creatures, who makes the surahs enigmatic.
أَقعَدَنيkept me from going الدَهرُTime عَنfrom بَزوغىBazūghā وَكِرand Kir- (start of Kirkīn)
أَقعَدَني الدَهرُ عَن بَزوغى وَكِر
كينَ-kīn (end of Kirkīn) وَغُمّىand Ghummā بِالعُسرِthrough poverty وَالكِبَرِand old age
كينَ وَغُمّى بِالعُسرِ وَالكِبَرِ
Time has kept me from Bazūghā and Kir-
kīn and Ghummā, through poverty and old age.
وَلَيسَand there is no فيon الأَرضِthe earth مُحسِنٌa benefactor يَكشِفُwho removes
وَلَيسَ في الأَرضِ مُحسِنٌ يَكشِفُ
العُسرَhardship عَنِfrom المُعسِرينَthe impoverished بِاليُسُرِwith ease or prosperity
العُسرَ عَنِ المُعسِرينَ بِاليُسُرِ
And on earth there is no benefactor to lift
hardship from the poor by granting ease.
قَومٌpeople لَوَif أَنَّthat القَضاءَfate أَسعَدَهُمmade them fortunate
قَومٌ لَوَ أَنَّ القَضاءَ أَسعَدَهُم
ضَنّواthey would be miserly عَلىtoward المُجدِبينَthe drought-stricken بِالمَطَرِwith rain
ضَنّوا عَلى المُجدِبينَ بِالمَطَرِ
People who, if fate favored them,
would withhold rain from the drought-stricken.
Sol 6.1