قالواthey said لماذاwhy تشتكيyou complain
قالوا لماذا تشتكي
فأجبتهمso I answered them منbecause of قولthe saying هاتِgive!
فأجبتهم من قول هاتِ
They said, “Why do you complain?”
They asked, “Why do you complain?”
So I answered them, “Because of the word ‘Give!’”
I answered them with these words:
ماذاwhat أُرَجّيI hope for وقدand indeed حرَصـtook care (verb stem)
ماذا أُرَجّي وقد حرَصـ
ـتُI (verb suffix) علىof يَرَاعيmy reed pen والدواةand the inkwell
ـتُ على يَرَاعي والدواة
What can I hope for, when I have guarded
“What can I hope for when I have striven
my reed pen and inkwell
to please the fickle crowd,
حِرصَthe care of البخيلthe miser علىfor الدراthe dir- (start of “dirhams”)
حِرصَ البخيل على الدرا
هم-hams (end of “dirhams”) والجبانand the coward علىfor الحياةlife
هم والجبان على الحياة
as a miser guards his dir-
with the greed of a miser grasping coins,
-hams, and a coward his life?
the coward's love of life?”
Sol 6.1