جَلَسَhe sat الأَمِيرُthe emir إِلَىto الطَّعَامِthe meal عَشِيَّةًone evening
جَلَسَ الأَمِيرُ إِلَى الطَّعَامِ عَشِيَّةً
وَدَعَاand he invited الإِمَامَthe imam لَهُto it فَلَمْbut did not يَتَقَدَّمِcome forward
وَدَعَا الإِمَامَ لَهُ فَلَمْ يَتَقَدَّمِ
The emir sat down to his meal one evening,
And invited the imam to dine, but he would not approach.
فَأَصَرَّso he insisted إِلاَّon nothing but أَنْthat يُجِيبَhe answer دَعَاءهُhis invitation
فَأَصَرَّ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُجِيبَ دَعَاءهُ
فَأَطَاعَso he obeyed لَكِنْbut طَاعَةَthe obedience of المُتَأَلِّمِone in pain
فَأَطَاعَ لَكِنْ طَاعَةَ المُتَأَلِّمِ
He insisted that the imam accept his invitation,
So he obeyed, but with a sufferer's obedience.
كَانَwas الإِمَامُthe imam عَلَىin أَسىًsorrow لِبِلادِهِfor his country
كَانَ الإِمَامُ عَلَى أَسىً لِبِلادِهِ
مِنْbecause of سُوءِthe wickedness of سَيْرِthe conduct of أَمِيرهَاits emir المُتحَكِّمِthe despotic
مِنْ سُوءِ سَيْرِ أَمِيرهَا المُتحَكِّمِ
The imam grieved for his country,
Because of the wicked conduct of its despotic emir.
أبداًalways يُوَالِيhe keeps offering نُصْحَهُcounsel to him بِتَلَطفٍwith gentleness
أبداً يُوَالِي نُصْحَهُ بِتَلَطفٍ
فَيفُوزُso he wins مِنْهُfrom him بِنُفْرَةٍaversion وَتَجَهُّمِand scowls
فَيفُوزُ مِنْهُ بِنُفْرَةٍ وَتَجَهُّمِ
He kept offering him counsel with gentleness,
Only to win from him aversion and scowls.
مَرَّتْpassed بِهِbefore him الأَلْوَانthe dishes يَأْبَىhe refuses مَسَّهَاto touch them
مَرَّتْ بِهِ الأَلْوَان يَأْبَى مَسَّهَا
وَلَهُand he had مَعَاذِيرُthe excuses of السَّقِيمِthe invalid المُحْتَمِيobserving a restricted diet
وَلَهُ مَعَاذِيرُ السَّقِيمِ المُحْتَمِي
The dishes passed before him; he refused to touch them,
Offering the excuses of an invalid observing a diet.
وَبِزَعْمِهِand as he claimed أَنَّthat الطَّبِيبَthe physician نَهَاهُhad forbidden him عَنْfrom
وَبِزَعْمِهِ أَنَّ الطَّبِيبَ نَهَاهُ عَنْ
غَيْرِanything other than الحَلِيبِmilk فَإِنْfor if يُخَالِفُhe disobeys يَنْدَمِhe will regret it
غَيْرِ الحَلِيبِ فَإِنْ يُخَالِفُ يَنْدَمِ
He claimed the physician had forbidden him
Anything but milk; if he disobeyed, he would regret it.
فَتَبَادَرَso they hastened الخَدَمُthe servants الوُقوفَto stand up وَأَحْضَرُواand they brought
فَتَبَادَرَ الخَدَمُ الوُقوفَ وَأَحْضَرُوا
لَبَناًmilk زَكِيّاًpure نَاصِعَbrilliantly white المُتَوَسمِin appearance
لَبَناً زَكِيّاً نَاصِعَ المُتَوَسمِ
The servants hastened to rise and brought
Pure milk, dazzling white to the eye.
أَلْقَىhe laid عَلَيْهِupon it يَداًa hand فَحَالَand it changed لِوَقْتِهِat that very instant
أَلْقَى عَلَيْهِ يَداً فَحَالَ لِوَقْتِهِ
وَإِذَاand suddenly البَيَاضُthe whiteness كَصِبْغَةٍlike a dye مِنْof عَنْدَمِdragon's blood (red dye)
وَإِذَا البَيَاضُ كَصِبْغَةٍ مِنْ عَنْدَمِ
He laid a hand upon it, and at once it changed,
And lo, its whiteness was crimson as dragon's-blood dye.
رِيعَwere terrified الأُولىthose who نَظَرُواthey looked إِلَيْهِat it وَأَفْظَعُواand they found appalling
رِيعَ الأُولى نَظَرُوا إِلَيْهِ وَأَفْظَعُوا
تِلْكَthat الكَرَامَةَmiracle وَانْثَنُواand they turned away بِتبَرمِin vexation
تِلْكَ الكَرَامَةَ وَانْثَنُوا بِتبَرمِ
Those who saw it were terrified, and found
That miracle appalling, and turned away in vexation.
حَتَّىso much so that لَكَادُواthey almost يَفْتِكُونَthey attack murderously بِشَيْخِهِمْupon their sheikh
حَتَّى لَكَادُوا يَفْتِكُونَ بِشَيْخِهِمْ
زُلْفَىseeking favor إِلَىwith ذَاكَthat الأَمِيرِemir المُطْعِمِwho provides food
زُلْفَى إِلَى ذَاكَ الأَمِيرِ المُطْعِمِ
So much so they nearly murdered their sheikh,
To win favor with that emir who fed them.
وَثَنَىand he spoke again الأَمِيرُthe emir فَقَالَand he said مَاwhat تَأْوِيلُهَاits meaning
وَثَنَى الأَمِيرُ فَقَالَ مَا تَأْوِيلُهَا
أَكَذَاis this how مِزَاحُthe jesting of الصَّائِمِينَthose who fast القُوَّمِthose keeping prayer vigils
أَكَذَا مِزَاحُ الصَّائِمِينَ القُوَّمِ
The emir spoke again: “What does this mean?
Is this how those who fast and keep prayer vigils jest?”
فَأَجَابَهُso he answered him وَبِهِand in him was تَفَكُّرُthe musing of غَائِبٍone absent
فَأَجَابَهُ وَبِهِ تَفَكُّرُ غَائِبٍ
عَنْfrom رُشْدِهِhis reason وَلَهُand he had تَبصُّرُthe insight of مُلْهَمِone inspired
عَنْ رُشْدِهِ وَلَهُ تَبصُّرُ مُلْهَمِ
He answered him, with the musing of one absent
From his senses, yet with the insight of one inspired:
إِسْمَعْhear مِنَfrom الغَيْبِthe unseen الَّذِيwhat أَنَاI قَائِلٌam saying
إِسْمَعْ مِنَ الغَيْبِ الَّذِي أَنَا قَائِلٌ
بِلِسَانِهِin its tongue لِلجَائِرِto the tyrant المُتَنَعمِliving in luxury
بِلِسَانِهِ لِلجَائِرِ المُتَنَعمِ
“Hear from the Unseen what I proclaim
In its tongue to the tyrant steeped in luxury:
هَذَاthis نَذِيرٌa warning لاno شَفَاعَةَintercession بَعْدَهُafter it
هَذَا نَذِيرٌ لا شَفَاعَةَ بَعْدَهُ
عِنْدَbefore المُهَيمِنِthe All-Overseeing أَنْshould تُصِرَّyou persist وَتَظْلِمِand oppress
عِنْدَ المُهَيمِنِ أَنْ تُصِرَّ وَتَظْلِمِ
This is a warning; no intercession shall follow it
Before the All-Overseeing, should you persist and oppress.
هَدَّمْتَyou have destroyed فِيthroughout طُولِthe length of البِلادِthe land وَعَرْضِهَاand its breadth
هَدَّمْتَ فِي طُولِ البِلادِ وَعَرْضِهَا
أَعْلامَهَاits eminent figures الحُكَمَاءَthe wise كُلَّevery kind of مُهَدَّمِdestruction
أَعْلامَهَا الحُكَمَاءَ كُلَّ مُهَدَّمِ
Throughout the land's length and breadth you have destroyed
Its eminent sages, leaving them utterly ruined.
أَسْرَفْتَyou went to excess فِيin هَذِيthese الدِّيَارlands مَهَانَةًhumiliation
أَسْرَفْتَ فِي هَذِي الدِّيَار مَهَانَةً
لِكَرِيمِهَاfor their noble people وَمَعَزَّةًand honor لِلمُجْرِمِfor the criminal
لِكَرِيمِهَا وَمَعَزَّةً لِلمُجْرِمِ
You have lavished, in these lands, humiliation
On their noble people, and honor on the criminal.
بَالَغَتَyou went to extremes فِيin طَلَبِseeking الحُطَامِperishable worldly riches إِلَىto مَدىًan extent
بَالَغَتَ فِي طَلَبِ الحُطَامِ إِلَى مَدىً
مُغْنِيenriching الوُلاةَthe governors وَلِلعُرُوشِand for thrones مُحَطَّمِruinous
مُغْنِي الوُلاةَ وَلِلعُرُوشِ مُحَطَّمِ
You have pursued perishable wealth to such extremes
As enrich governors and shatter thrones.
بَايَعْتَyou bargained دُونَat the expense of حِمَاكَyour realm بَيْعَةَthe bargain of خَاسِرٍa loser
بَايَعْتَ دُونَ حِمَاكَ بَيْعَةَ خَاسِرٍ
تُؤْتَاهُyou are given it مِنْfrom كَدْحِthe toil of الفَقِيرِthe poor person المُعْدِمِthe destitute
تُؤْتَاهُ مِنْ كَدْحِ الفَقِيرِ المُعْدِمِ
You made a loser's bargain at your realm's expense;
What you are given comes from the toil of the destitute poor.
أَوْفِgive in full البِلادَthe country بِمِثْلِin proportion to أَجْرِكَyour pay حَقَّهَاits due
أَوْفِ البِلادَ بِمِثْلِ أَجْرِكَ حَقَّهَا
مِنْin خِدْمَةٍservice وَمَحَبَّةٍand love وَتَكَرُّمِand generosity
مِنْ خِدْمَةٍ وَمَحَبَّةٍ وَتَكَرُّمِ
Give the country its due, commensurate with your pay,
In service, love, and generosity.
أُرْدُدْrestore إِلَىto هَذَاthis الحِمَىprotected realm اسْتِقْلالَهُits independence
أُرْدُدْ إِلَى هَذَا الحِمَى اسْتِقْلالَهُ
يَخْلُصْwill be free طَعَامُكَyour food يَاO أَمِيرُemir مِنَfrom الدَّمِblood
يَخْلُصْ طَعَامُكَ يَا أَمِيرُ مِنَ الدَّمِ
Restore to this realm its independence,
And your food, O emir, will be free of blood.”
Sol 6.1