أَدنىthe slightest اِبتِسامٍsmile مِنكَfrom you تَحياcome alive القَرائِحُpoetic faculties
أَدنى اِبتِسامٍ مِنكَ تَحيا القَرائِحُ
وَتَقوىand grow strong مِنَof الجِسمِthe body الضَعيفِweak الجَوارِحُthe limbs
وَتَقوى مِنَ الجِسمِ الضَعيفِ الجَوارِحُ
The slightest smile from you brings poetic faculties to life,
The slightest smile from you brings life to feelings
With your faintest smile, the poetic mind revives,
And the limbs of a weak body grow strong.
And strength to the weak limbs and senses
And strength, in the frail body's limbs, arrives.
وَمَنand who ذاthis one الَّذيwho يَقضيfulfills حُقوقَكَyour rights كُلَّهاall of them
وَمَن ذا الَّذي يَقضي حُقوقَكَ كُلَّها
وَمَنand who ذاthis one الَّذيwho يُرضيpleases you سِوىexcept مَنone whom تُسامِحُyou pardon
وَمَن ذا الَّذي يُرضي سِوى مَن تُسامِحُ
And who can fulfill all that is owed to you?
Who else could pay all that you are owed
Who is the one who can fulfill your every due?
And who can please you, save one whom you pardon?
Who else could satisfy but one who pardons
And who can please, save the one forgiven by you?
وَقَدand sometimes تَقبَلُyou accept العُذرَthe excuse الخَفيَّobscure تَكَرُّماout of generosity
وَقَد تَقبَلُ العُذرَ الخَفيَّ تَكَرُّما
فَماso what بالُthe matter with عُذريmy excuse واقِفاًleft waiting وَهوَwhile it is واضِحُclear
فَما بالُ عُذري واقِفاً وَهوَ واضِحُ
And you sometimes accept an obscure excuse out of generosity;
You accept the hidden excuse out of nobility
You accept the hidden plea with noble grace,
So why is my excuse left waiting, though it is clear?
Yet my clear excuse still waits
So why is my clear excuse stalled in its place?
وَإِنَّand indeed مُحالاًunthinkable إِذsince بِكَthrough you العَيشُlife أَنthat أَرىI see
وَإِنَّ مُحالاً إِذ بِكَ العَيشُ أَن أَرى
وَجِسمُكَwhile your body مُعتَلٌّailing وَجِسمِيَand my body صالِحُhealthy
وَجِسمُكَ مُعتَلٌّ وَجِسمِيَ صالِحُ
And it is unthinkable, since life depends on you, that I should see
It is impossible, when you are my life, that I could
It is impossible—since my life flows from thee—
Your body ailing while my own is healthy.
See your body ailing while mine is healthy
To see you ailing while health resides in me.
وَماand not كانَwas تَركيmy abandoning الشِعرَpoetry إِلّاexcept لِأَنَّهُbecause it is the case that
وَما كانَ تَركي الشِعرَ إِلّا لِأَنَّهُ
تُقَصِّرُfall short عَنof وَصفِdescribing الأَميرِthe prince المَدائِحُpoems of praise
تُقَصِّرُ عَن وَصفِ الأَميرِ المَدائِحُ
And my abandoning poetry was only because
I left poetry only because
I abandoned poetry for this cause, long since:
Poems of praise fall short of describing the prince.
Praises fall short of describing the prince
That praises fall short of describing the Prince.
Sol 6.1