دَعوتَyou called شِعرَكَyour verse تقريظاًcommendatory praise وكانَand it was علىabout
دَعوتَ شِعرَكَ تقريظاً وكانَ على
ميْتٍa dead one فبالحقِّso, rightly سمَّيناهُwe called it تأبيناan elegy
ميْتٍ فبالحقِّ سمَّيناهُ تأبينا
You called your verse a panegyric, though it was about
You called your hair a eulogy, yet it was for
Something dead; so we rightly called it an elegy.
a dead man, so in truth we named it a dirge
فقالَthen he said قدindeed كانَwas ميْتاًdead قبلَbefore ذاكَthat وقدْand indeed
فقالَ قد كانَ ميْتاً قبلَ ذاكَ وقدْ
أحييَتُهُI revived it اليومَtoday تهذيباًrefinement وتزييناand adornment
أحييَتُهُ اليومَ تهذيباً وتزيينا
Then he said, “It was dead before that, and
He said: He was dead before that, and today
Today I have revived it through refinement and adornment.”
I brought him back to life, refined and adorned
ياO باذلاًgiver كنزَa treasure عِلمٍof knowledge لهُfor it رَصَدٌa guardian
يا باذلاً كنزَ عِلمٍ لهُ رَصَدٌ
والكَنزُand treasure ممَّاamong what اُقتَضَىcalled for صَوناًsafeguarding وتحصيناand fortification
والكَنزُ ممَّا اُقتَضَى صَوناً وتحصينا
O giver of a treasure of knowledge with a guardian over it,
O generous one whose treasure of knowledge has a store
And treasure is something that calls for safeguarding and fortification.
laid up, and treasure demands safekeeping and fortifying
النَّاسُpeople تمنحُgive أموالاًwealth نضِلُّwe go astray بهاthrough it
النَّاسُ تمنحُ أموالاً نضِلُّ بها
وأنتَand you تمنحُgive أبصاراًsight فتَهديناso you guide us
وأنتَ تمنحُ أبصاراً فتَهدينا
People give wealth through which we go astray,
People give away monies we go astray with
While you bestow sight, and thus guide us.
While you give vision thus guiding us
هذِهْthis نتيجةُthe result فِكرٍof thought شَفَّهُwore it down كَمَدٌgrief
هذِهْ نتيجةُ فِكرٍ شَفَّهُ كَمَدٌ
فاختارَso it chose أوصافَكَyour qualities الحُسنَىfinest رياحيناfragrant flowers
فاختارَ أوصافَكَ الحُسنَى رياحينا
This is the product of a mind worn down by grief,
This is the yield of a thought whetted like a sword’s edge
So it chose your finest qualities as fragrant flowers.
Thus it chose your finest attributes as our fragrance
هديَّةُgift الشُّعراءِof poets الشِّعرُpoetry ماnot بَرِحَتyou have ceased
هديَّةُ الشُّعراءِ الشِّعرُ ما بَرِحَت
تُهديهِyou give it حيناًat times وتُهدَىand you are given مثلَهُits like حيناat times
تُهديهِ حيناً وتُهدَى مثلَهُ حينا
Poetry is the poets’ gift; you have never ceased
The poets’ gift is poetry, it has not ceased
To give it at times, and be given its like at others.
To gift it at times and at others be gifted the like
Sol 6.1