عَرَفتI have known وَجَربتand I have tested الاِمورaffairs فَماso not اِرىI see
عَرَفت وَجَربت الاِمور فَما اِرى
كَماضٍlike one gone before تَلاهfollowed him الغابِرُthe survivor المُتَأَخِّرُthe one coming later
كَماضٍ تَلاه الغابِرُ المُتَأَخِّرُ
I have known and tested life's affairs; I see no one
like one gone before, followed by the survivor who came after.
وَلكِنbut أَهلpeople of الفَضلِgenerosity منamong أَهلpeople of نِعمَتيmy blessings
وَلكِن أَهل الفَضلِ من أَهل نِعمَتي
يَمرّونthey pass on اِسلافاًas predecessors أَماميahead of me وَاغبرُand I remain behind
يَمرّون اِسلافاً أَمامي وَاغبرُ
But the generous among my benefactors
pass ahead of me as forerunners, while I remain.
فَاِنso if ابكهI weep for him اعذُرI am excused وَاِنand if اِغلِبI overcome الاِسىsorrow
فَاِن ابكه اعذُر وَاِن اِغلِب الاِسى
بِصَبرwith patience فَمِثليthen one like me عِندَماwhen اشتَدَّit grew severe يَصبِرendures
بِصَبر فَمِثلي عِندَما اشتَدَّ يَصبِر
So if I weep for him, I am excused; and if I overcome sorrow
with patience, one like me endures when it grows severe.
وَكانَتand used to be ركابيmy riding camels كُلَّماwhenever جِئتI came تَنتَحيthey make their way toward
وَكانَت ركابي كُلَّما جِئت تَنتَحي
لَدَيكَtoward you وَتُثنيand they give praise بِالرِضاwith contentment حينَwhen تَصدُرthey depart
لَدَيكَ وَتُثني بِالرِضا حينَ تَصدُر
And my riding camels, whenever I came, would make their way
toward you, and give praise contentedly when they departed.
فَقَدso indeed عَريتthey became bare بَعدَafter ابنson of لَيلىLayla فَإِنَّماfor only
فَقَد عَريت بَعدَ ابن لَيلى فَإِنَّما
ذُراهاtheir humps لِمنfor whoever لاقَتthey met منamong الناسِpeople مَنظَرa spectacle
ذُراها لِمن لاقَت من الناسِ مَنظَر
So they are bare after Ibn Layla; for
their humps are merely a spectacle to the people they meet.
وَلَوand if كانَhe were حَيّاًalive لمnot يَزَلcease بِدُفوفهاon their flanks
وَلَو كانَ حَيّاً لم يَزَل بِدُفوفها
قَرادticks لِغربانfor the crows of الطَريقthe road وَمنقَرand a beak
قَراد لِغربان الطَريق وَمنقَر
And were he alive, there would still be on their flanks
ticks for the roadside crows, and a pecking beak.
فَإِنso if كُنthey had قَدalready نِلنَthey overtook اِبنson of لَيلىLayla فَإِنَّهُthen indeed he
فَإِن كُن قَد نِلنَ اِبن لَيلى فَإِنَّهُ
هُوَhe المُصطَفىthe chosen one مِنfrom among اهلِهِhis people المُتَخَيِّرthe choicest
هُوَ المُصطَفى مِن اهلِهِ المُتَخَيِّر
So if they have overtaken Ibn Layla, he
is the chosen one of his people, the very finest.
Sol 6.1