عَفْوُكُمْyour pardon مَاnot تَقَدُّمِيmy stepping forward إِقْدَامُboldness
عَفْوُكُمْ مَا تَقَدُّمِي إِقْدَامُ
حَقُّwhat befits مِثْلِيone like me عَنْfrom مِثْلِهِthe like of it الإِحْجَامُholding back
حَقُّ مِثْلِي عَنْ مِثْلِهِ الإِحْجَامُ
Your pardon—my stepping forward is no act of daring.
Your pardon, what my boldness presumes
One like me ought to hold back from such a thing.
Is meet for one like me to shun and fear
إِنَّمَاonly هَيَّأَarranged الدعَاةُthe hosts نِظَاماًa program
إِنَّمَا هَيَّأَ الدعَاةُ نِظَاماً
وَاقْتَضَانِيand called upon me فِيمَاin what يُقَالُis said النِّظَامُthe program
وَاقْتَضَانِي فِيمَا يُقَالُ النِّظَامُ
The hosts merely arranged a program,
The conveners but ordained a scheme
and, so they say, the program called upon me.
And my place in what's said, decorum, hear
جَعَلَassigned البِدْءَthe opening لِلضَّعِيفِto the weak ابْتِدَاءًat the outset
جَعَلَ البِدْءَ لِلضَّعِيفِ ابْتِدَاءً
وَإِلَىand to الأَقْدَرِينَthe more capable رَدَّhanded over الخِتَامُthe closing
وَإِلَى الأَقْدَرِينَ رَدَّ الخِتَامُ
It first gave the opening to the weak,
They gave the weak to first begin in turn
and entrusted the close to the more capable.
And to the mighty ones conclude in full
أَيُّwhat شَأْنٍdistinction كَشَأْنِlike the distinction of مَنْone who يَخْتِمُconcludes
أَيُّ شَأْنٍ كَشَأْنِ مَنْ يَخْتِمُ
القَوْلَthe discourse إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle تَبَارَتِvied with one another الأَعْلامُthe luminaries
القَوْلَ إِذَا مَا تَبَارَتِ الأَعْلامُ
What distinction can match that of one who concludes
What station equals his who gets to end
the discourse when the luminaries vie?
The word when th' luminous all concur?
رَاعَawed نَفْسِيmy soul هَذَاthis المُقَامَoccasion بِمَاwith what
رَاعَ نَفْسِي هَذَا المُقَامَ بِمَا
اسْتَعْصَيٍproved intractable عَلَيْهَاfor it وَقَدْand perhaps يَرُوعُinspires awe المَقَامُthe occasion
اسْتَعْصَيٍ عَلَيْهَا وَقَدْ يَرُوعُ المَقَامُ
This occasion awed my soul with what
I've gauged myself in this standing-place
lay beyond its grasp—and an occasion may well inspire awe.
Too stiff for me, although stood makes one blanch
مَاwhat مُقَامِيmy standing لَدَىbeside إِفَاضَتِهِhis outpouring فَيَّاضٌFayyad
مَا مُقَامِي لَدَى إِفَاضَتِهِ فَيَّاضٌ
وَأَلْفَاظهُand his words العَذَابُsweet (contextual reading) سِجَامُpouring rain
وَأَلْفَاظهُ العَذَابُ سِجَامُ
What standing have I beside Fayyad's outpouring,
My standing before his pouring-forth profuse
while his sweet words are a downpour?
His words sheer torment and all links entrammel
وَإِذَاand when أَشْجَتِmoved to wistful sorrow المَسَامِعَthe ears مَيٌّMay
وَإِذَا أَشْجَتِ المَسَامِعَ مَيٌّ
بِكَلامٍwith words فَهَلْthen is there لِمِثْلِيfor one like me كَلامُspeech
بِكَلامٍ فَهَلْ لِمِثْلِي كَلامُ
And when May stirs the ears to wistful sorrow
And if his waters well the ears' crevice
with words, has one like me anything to say?
Can one like me have utterance apt?
Sol 6.1