وشاعرٍand a poet مقدمٍeminent لهhe has قومُa following
وشاعرٍ مقدمٍ له قومُ
ليسَthere is no عليهمupon them فيin نصرهِsupporting him لَومُblame
ليسَ عليهم في نصرهِ لَومُ
And a destitute poet has a band of his own—
And an eminent poet has a following,
No blame is theirs for rallying to his aid.
Who bear no blame for supporting him.
قدindeed ساعدوهُthey helped him فيin الجُوعِhunger كلهمُall of them
قد ساعدوهُ في الجُوعِ كلهمُ
فقرىpoor men فكلّso each one غداؤُهُhis meal الصَّومُfasting
فقرى فكلّ غداؤُهُ الصَّومُ
They all have stood beside him in hunger;
They have all helped him in hunger—
His hospitality—indeed, all his fare—is fasting.
Poor men, so each one's meal is fasting.
يأتيكَhe comes to you فيin جُبّةٍa robe مرقَّعةٍpatched
يأتيكَ في جُبّةٍ مرقَّعةٍ
أطولُthe longest أعمارِlifespans مثلِهاits like يومُa day
أطولُ أعمارِ مثلِها يومُ
He comes to you in a patched jubbah,
He comes to you in a patched robe;
the longest-lived of its kind lasting but a day;
The longest life of its like is a day.
وطَيلسانٍand a shawl كالآلِlike a mirage يلبسُهُhe wears it
وطَيلسانٍ كالآلِ يلبسُهُ
علىover قميصٍa shirt كأنَّهُas though it were غَيمُa cloud
على قميصٍ كأنَّهُ غَيمُ
and he wears a ṭaylasān, like a mirage,
And he wears a shawl like a mirage
over a shirt that seems to be a cloud.
Over a shirt that seems a cloud.
منfrom حلبٍAleppo فيamong صميمِthe very heart سفلتهاits rabble
من حلبٍ في صميمِ سفلتها
غناهُhis wealth فَقرٌpoverty وعزُّهُand his honor ضيمُhumiliation
غناهُ فَقرٌ وعزُّهُ ضيمُ
From Aleppo, in the very heart of its throng—
He is from Aleppo, deep among its rabble;
his wealth is poverty, and his honor humiliation.
His wealth is poverty, and his honor humiliation.
Sol 6.1