جَزاكَmay He reward you اللَهُGod عَنfor حُسناكَyour kindness خَيراًgood
جَزاكَ اللَهُ عَن حُسناكَ خَيراً
وَكانَand may He be لَكَfor you المُهَيمِنُthe All-Watchful خَيرَthe best راعِguardian
وَكانَ لَكَ المُهَيمِنُ خَيرَ راعِ
May God reward you with good for your kindness,
And may the All-Watchful be your best guardian.
فَقَدfor indeed قَصَّرتَyou have shortened بِالإِحسانِthrough kindness لَفظيmy speech
فَقَد قَصَّرتَ بِالإِحسانِ لَفظي
كَماjust as طَوَّلتَyou have lengthened بِالإِنعامِthrough bounty باعيmy reach
كَما طَوَّلتَ بِالإِنعامِ باعي
For your kindness has left me short of words,
Just as your bounty has lengthened my reach.
فَأَخَّرَنيso it held me back الحَياءُbashfulness وَليسَand does not يَدريknow
فَأَخَّرَني الحَياءُ وَليسَ يَدري
جَميعُall الناسِthe people ماwhat سَبَبُthe reason for اِمتِناعيmy staying away
جَميعُ الناسِ ما سَبَبُ اِمتِناعي
So bashfulness has held me back, and no one knows—
Among all people—the reason I stay away.
فَشُكريso my thanks حُسنَthe goodness of صُنعِكَyour deeds فيin اِتِّصالٍcontinuance
فَشُكري حُسنَ صُنعِكَ في اِتِّصالٍ
وَخَطويand my steps نَحوَtoward رَبعِكَyour dwelling فيin اِنقِطاعِcessation
وَخَطوي نَحوَ رَبعِكَ في اِنقِطاعِ
So my thanks for your gracious deeds are unceasing,
Yet my steps toward your dwelling have ceased.
وَقافِيَةٍand a rhymed poem شَبيهِlike الشَمسِthe sun حُسناًin beauty
وَقافِيَةٍ شَبيهِ الشَمسِ حُسناً
تَرَدَّدُmoves back and forth بَينَbetween كَفّيmy palm وَاليَراعِand the reed pen
تَرَدَّدُ بَينَ كَفّي وَاليَراعِ
And a poem, like the sun in beauty,
Moves back and forth between my palm and the reed pen.
لَهاit has فَضلٌsuperiority عَلىover غُرَرِthe finest of القَوافيrhymed poems
لَها فَضلٌ عَلى غُرَرِ القَوافي
كَماjust as فَضلُthe superiority of البِقاعِplaces عَلىover البِقاعِplaces
كَما فَضلُ البِقاعِ عَلى البِقاعِ
It surpasses the finest poems,
As some places surpass others.
غَدَتit began تُثنيto praise عَلىupon عَلياكَyour eminence لَمّاwhen
غَدَت تُثني عَلى عَلياكَ لَمّا
ضَمِنتَyou guaranteed لِرَبِّهاfor its author نُجحَthe success of المَساعيendeavors
ضَمِنتَ لِرَبِّها نُجحَ المَساعي
It began to praise your eminence when
You guaranteed its author success in his endeavors.
فَدُمتَso may you remain وَلاand never بَرِحتَmay you cease to be مَدىthroughout اللَياليthe nights
فَدُمتَ وَلا بَرِحتَ مَدى اللَيالي
سَعيدَfortunate الجَدِّin fortune ذاpossessing أَمرٍa command مُطاعِobeyed
سَعيدَ الجَدِّ ذا أَمرٍ مُطاعِ
So may you endure and ever remain, through all the nights,
Favored by fortune, with your command obeyed.
Sol 6.1