لَقَدindeed كانَwas ظَنّيmy expectation ياO اِبنَson of سَعدٍSa'd سَعادَةًgood fortune
لَقَد كانَ ظَنّي يا اِبنَ سَعدٍ سَعادَةً
وَماand not الظَنُّexpectation إِلّاexcept مُخطِئٌmistaken وَمُصيبُand right
وَما الظَنُّ إِلّا مُخطِئٌ وَمُصيبُ
Indeed I had hoped, O Ibn Sa'd, for good fortune.
Indeed I thought, O Ibn Sa'd, it would bring me joy,
But expectations may be wrong or right.
Yet supposition is sometimes wrong and sometimes right.
تَرَكتُI left عِياليmy family لافَواكِهَno fruit عِندَهُمin their possession
تَرَكتُ عِيالي لافَواكِهَ عِندَهُم
وَعِندَand with اِبنِson of سَعدٍSa'd سُكَّرٌsugar وَزَبيبُand raisins
وَعِندَ اِبنِ سَعدٍ سُكَّرٌ وَزَبيبُ
I left my family with no fruit,
I left my family with no fruit while with them,
while Ibn Sa'd has sugar and raisins.
Yet with Ibn Sa'd there is sugar and raisins in sight.
تُحَنّىare bent العِظامُthe bones الراجِفاتُtrembling مِنَfrom البِلىdecrepitude
تُحَنّى العِظامُ الراجِفاتُ مِنَ البِلى
وَلَيسَand there is no لِداءِfor the ailment of الرُكبَتَينِboth knees طَبيبُphysician
وَلَيسَ لِداءِ الرُكبَتَينِ طَبيبُ
My trembling bones are bowed with age,
My bones that shake and tremble with decrepitude,
and there is no physician for the ailment of my knees.
And for the ailment of my knees there is no respite.
كَأَنَّas though النِساءَthe women الآسِراتِwho bind حَنَينَنيthey bent me
كَأَنَّ النِساءَ الآسِراتِ حَنَينَني
عَريشاًa shelter of branches فَمَشيِيso my walking فيamong الرِجالِmen دَبيبُcreeping
عَريشاً فَمَشيِي في الرِجالِ دَبيبُ
As though the women who bind had bent me
It seems the enchanting women have bent me over,
into a shelter of branches; my gait among men is a crawl.
So I walk amongst men all hunched up and upright.
مَنَعتَyou withheld عَطائيmy stipend ياO اِبنَson of سَعدٍSa'd وَإِنَّماand merely
مَنَعتَ عَطائي يا اِبنَ سَعدٍ وَإِنَّما
سَبَقتَyou outstripped إِلَيَّto me المَوتَdeath وَهُوَand it قَريبُnear
سَبَقتَ إِلَيَّ المَوتَ وَهُوَ قَريبُ
You withheld my stipend, O Ibn Sa'd; you have merely
You refused me your bounty, O Ibn Sa'd, though soon
outstripped death in reaching me, and it is near.
Death will come to me and it is ever so near in sight.
فَإِنso if تَرجِعواyou (plural) restore رِزقيmy sustenance إِلَيَّto me فَإِنَّهُthen it is indeed
فَإِن تَرجِعوا رِزقي إِلَيَّ فَإِنَّهُ
مَتاعُenjoyment لَيالٍof nights وَالحَياةُand life كَذوبُdeceitful
مَتاعُ لَيالٍ وَالحَياةُ كَذوبُ
So if you restore my sustenance to me, it is
So if you give me back my sustenance, it is just
a few nights' enjoyment, and life is deceitful.
Provision for nights, and life itself is a blight.
Sol 6.1