مَالُكَyour wealth مَوْفُورٌabundant فَمَاso what بَالُهُis its affair
مَالُكَ مَوْفُورٌ فَمَا بَالُهُ
أَكْسَبَكَgave you التِّيْهَhaughtiness عَلَىtoward المُعْدِمِthe destitute
أَكْسَبَكَ التِّيْهَ عَلَى المُعْدِمِ
Your wealth is abundant; why, then, has it
made you haughty toward the destitute?
وَلِمَand why إِذَاwhen جِئْتَyou came نَهَضْنَاwe rose وَإِنْand if
وَلِمَ إِذَا جِئْتَ نَهَضْنَا وَإِنْ
جِئْنَاwe came تَطَاوَلْتَyou stretched upward وَلَمْand did not تُتْمِمِcomplete the rising
جِئْنَا تَطَاوَلْتَ وَلَمْ تُتْمِمِ
And why, when you come, do we rise, yet if
we come, you stretch up without fully rising?
وَإِنْand if خَرَجْنَاwe went out لَمْdid not تَقُلْyou say مِثْلَthe like of مَاwhat
وَإِنْ خَرَجْنَا لَمْ تَقُلْ مِثْلَ مَا
نَقُولُwe say مِنْout of تَوَدُّدِthe friendliness of المُكْرِمِa gracious host
نَقُولُ مِنْ تَوَدُّدِ المُكْرِمِ
And when we leave, you do not say the like of what
we say with a gracious host’s warmth.
مَاnot لَكَyou have سُلْطَانٌauthority فَتُزْهَىso you grow proud وَلَوْand even if
مَا لَكَ سُلْطَانٌ فَتُزْهَى وَلَوْ
تَوَاضَعَshowed humility السُّلْطَانُthe ruler لَمْwould not يُذْمَمِbe blamed
تَوَاضَعَ السُّلْطَانُ لَمْ يُذْمَمِ
You have no authority to warrant such pride; and if
the ruler humbled himself, he would not be blamed.
إِنْif تَكُyou are ذَاpossessed of عِلْمٍknowledge فَمَنْthen who ذَاthat person الَّذِيwho
إِنْ تَكُ ذَا عِلْمٍ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي
مِثْلَthe like of الَّذِيwhat تَعْلَمُyou know لَمْhas not يَعْلَمِlearned
مِثْلَ الَّذِي تَعْلَمُ لَمْ يَعْلَمِ
If you possess learning, who is there who
has not learned the like of what you know?
وَلَسْتَand you are not فِيon الغَارِبِthe withers مِنْof دَوْلَةٍworldly fortune
وَلَسْتَ فِي الغَارِبِ مِنْ دَوْلَةٍ
وَنَحْنُwhile we مِنْfrom دُونِكَbeneath you فِيat المَنْسِمِthe camel’s hoof
وَنَحْنُ مِنْ دُونِكَ فِي المَنْسِمِ
You are not on fortune’s withers,
with us beneath you at its hoof.
وَكَنْتَand you were ذَاpossessed of حُسْنٍbeauty فَلَوْso if حُكِّمَتْshe were made judge
وَكَنْتَ ذَا حُسْنٍ فَلَوْ حُكِّمَتْ
مَظْلُومَةٌMaẓlūma (‘wronged woman’) فِيin ذَاكَthat لَمْwould not تَظْلِمِjudge unjustly
مَظْلُومَةٌ فِي ذَاكَ لَمْ تَظْلِمِ
And you were handsome; if made judge,
Maẓlūma would not judge that unjustly.
وَسَتُّهَاand her mistress تَعْلَمُknows مَنْwhom تَشْتَهِيshe desires
وَسَتُّهَا تَعْلَمُ مَنْ تَشْتَهِي
مِنَّاamong us وَإِنْand even if مَالَتْshe inclined إِلَىtoward الدِّرًهَمِthe dirham
مِنَّا وَإِنْ مَالَتْ إِلَى الدِّرًهَمِ
And her mistress knows whom she desires
among us, even if she inclines toward the dirham.
وَقَدْand indeed وُلِيْنَاwe were appointed to office وَغُزِلْنَاand were spun (context suggests ‘dismissed’: عُزِلْنَا) كَمَاjust as
وَقَدْ وُلِيْنَا وَغُزِلْنَا كَمَا
أَنْتَyou فَلَمyet did not نَصْغَرْwe grow smaller وَلَمْand did not تَعْظُمِyou grow greater
أَنْتَ فَلَم نَصْغَرْ وَلَمْ تَعْظُمِ
We have held office and been [dismissed], just as
you have; we have not grown smaller, nor you greater.
تَكَافَأَتْwere equal أَحْوَالُنَاour circumstances كُلُّهَاall of them
تَكَافَأَتْ أَحْوَالُنَا كُلُّهَا
فَصِلْso maintain our bond عَلَىon the basis of الإِنْصَافِfairness أَوْor فَاصْرِمِthen sever it
فَصِلْ عَلَى الإِنْصَافِ أَوْ فَاصْرِمِ
Our circumstances are equal in every way:
so maintain our bond fairly, or sever it.
Sol 6.1