أَدارَO dwelling of سُلَيمىSulayma بِالدَوانِكِat al-Dawanik فَالعُرفِand al-ʿUrf
أَدارَ سُلَيمى بِالدَوانِكِ فَالعُرفِ
أَقامَتit has remained عَلىagainst الأَرواحِthe winds وَالدِيَمِand the continuous rains الوُطفِheavy
أَقامَت عَلى الأَرواحِ وَالدِيَمِ الوُطفِ
O dwelling of Sulayma at al-Dawanik and al-ʿUrf,
still standing against the winds and heavy, ceaseless rains.
وَقَفتُI stood بِهاat it فَاِستَنزَفَتso it drained completely ماءَthe water of عَبرَتيmy tears
وَقَفتُ بِها فَاِستَنزَفَت ماءَ عَبرَتي
بِهاat it العَينُthe eye إِلّاexcept ماwhen كَفَفتُI restrained بِهاat it طَرفيmy gaze
بِها العَينُ إِلّا ما كَفَفتُ بِها طَرفي
I stood there, and the water of my tears was drained
there by my eye, save when I held my gaze in check.
فِراقُparting from حِبابٍloved ones وَاِنتِهاءٌand desisting عَنِfrom الهَوىpassion
فِراقُ حِبابٍ وَاِنتِهاءٌ عَنِ الهَوى
وَلاand do not تَعذِلينيreproach me قَدalready بَداhas become apparent لَكِto you ماwhat أُخفيI conceal
وَلا تَعذِليني قَد بَدا لَكِ ما أُخفي
Parting from loved ones, and turning away from passion—
and do not reproach me; what I hide has become plain to you.
يَقولونَthey say يَستَغنيhe becomes rich وَوَاللَهِand, by God ماnot الغِنىwealth
يَقولونَ يَستَغني وَوَاللَهِ ما الغِنى
مِنَof المالِmoney إِلّاexcept ماwhat يُعِفُّkeeps one from begging وَماand what يَكفيsuffices
مِنَ المالِ إِلّا ما يُعِفُّ وَما يَكفي
They say, 'He will grow rich'; yet, by God, wealth
is only money that spares one begging and provides enough.
لَعَمريby my life لَشَدَّتhas indeed sped on حاجَةٌa need قَدalready عَلِمتُهاI have known it
لَعَمري لَشَدَّت حاجَةٌ قَد عَلِمتُها
أَماميahead of me وَأُخرىand another قَدalready رَبَعتُI paused لَهاfor it خَلفيbehind me
أَمامي وَأُخرى قَد رَبَعتُ لَها خَلفي
By my life, a need I know has sped
ahead of me; another, for which I have paused, lies behind me.
فَهَلّاso why not أَمَرتِyou instructed اِبنَيthe two sons of هِشامٍHisham فَيَربَعاso they both rest content
فَهَلّا أَمَرتِ اِبنَي هِشامٍ فَيَربَعا
عَلىwith ماwhat أَصاباthe two acquired مِنof مِئينَhundreds وَمِنand of أَلفِa thousand
عَلى ما أَصابا مِن مِئينَ وَمِن أَلفِ
So why not tell the two sons of Hisham to rest content
with what they have gained—hundreds and a thousand—
مِنَfrom الرومِthe Romans وَالأُحبوشِand the Abyssinians حَتّىuntil تَناوَلاthe two attained
مِنَ الرومِ وَالأُحبوشِ حَتّى تَناوَلا
بِبَيعِهِماthrough their selling مالَthe wealth of المَرازِبَةِthe Persian governors الغُلفِthe uncircumcised
بِبَيعِهِما مالَ المَرازِبَةِ الغُلفِ
from Romans and Abyssinians, until they acquired
through their trading the wealth of uncircumcised marzbans?
وَماand not كانَwas مِمّاof what أَصبَحاthe two came to يَجمَعانَهُthey both amass it
وَما كانَ مِمّا أَصبَحا يَجمَعانَهُ
مِنَof المالِwealth إِلّاexcept بِالتَحَرُّفِthrough plying a trade وَالصَرفِand money-changing
مِنَ المالِ إِلّا بِالتَحَرُّفِ وَالصَرفِ
And none of what they came to amass
in wealth was gained save through trade and money-changing.
وَبِالطَوفِand through roaming نالاthe two attained خَيرَthe best of ماwhat نالَهُhe attained it الفَتىthe young man
وَبِالطَوفِ نالا خَيرَ ما نالَهُ الفَتى
وَماand not المَرءُthe person إِلّاexcept بِالتَقَلُّبِthrough moving about وَالظَرفِand wit
وَما المَرءُ إِلّا بِالتَقَلُّبِ وَالظَرفِ
And through roaming they won the best a young man could win;
and a man is nothing without travel and wit.
وَنِبِّئتُand I was told أَنَّthat الجودَgenerosity مِنهُمamong them خَليقَةٌan innate trait
وَنِبِّئتُ أَنَّ الجودَ مِنهُم خَليقَةٌ
يَجودونَthey give generously فيin يَبسِthe drying of الزَبيبِraisins وَفيand in القَطفِgrape-picking
يَجودونَ في يَبسِ الزَبيبِ وَفي القَطفِ
And I was told that generosity is inborn in them:
they give freely at raisin-drying and at grape-picking.
وَهَلand will يُخلِدَنَّmake immortal اِبنَيthe two sons of جَلالَةِJalalah مالُهُمtheir wealth
وَهَل يُخلِدَنَّ اِبنَي جَلالَةِ مالُهُم
وَحِرصُهُمُand their eagerness عِندَat البِياعِselling عَلىfor الشِفِّextra profit
وَحِرصُهُمُ عِندَ البِياعِ عَلى الشِفِّ
And will their wealth make the two sons of Jalalah immortal,
and their eagerness for extra profit when they sell?
Sol 6.1