رَعىmay protect اللَهُGod مَلِكاًa king ماnever رَمَتنيcast me بِرَبعِهِinto his abode
رَعى اللَهُ مَلِكاً ما رَمَتني بِرَبعِهِ
مَراميthe darts النَوىof separation إِلّاexcept that بَلَغتُI attained مَرامِياmy aim
مَرامي النَوى إِلّا بَلَغتُ مَرامِيا
May God protect a king: never was I cast into his abode
May God protect a king who never shot me with his bow
By the darts of separation without attaining my aim.
Though my aspirations aimed but always met their goal
فَتىًa youth رَبَّنيnurtured me بِالمَكرُماتِwith generous favors وَبَرَّنيand was kind to me
فَتىً رَبَّني بِالمَكرُماتِ وَبَرَّني
وَأَصلَحَand set right ماwhat بَينيbetween me وَبَينَand between زَمانِياmy times
وَأَصلَحَ ما بَيني وَبَينَ زَمانِيا
A youth who nurtured me with generous favors and was kind to me,
A young man who raised me with kindness and educated me
And set right what lay between me and my times.
And reconciled what was between me and my time
وَكَمand many a حاجَةٍneed حاوَلتُهاI sought it مِنfrom جَنابِهِhis court
وَكَم حاجَةٍ حاوَلتُها مِن جَنابِهِ
وَأَلحَقتُand I added فيin قَوليmy speech لَهُto him وَخِطابِياand my address
وَأَلحَقتُ في قَولي لَهُ وَخِطابِيا
And many a need I sought to have fulfilled at his court,
And how many needs I have tried from his side
And added more in my speech and my address to him.
And added in my words to him and my address
فَلَمso he did not يَلقَmeet إِلحاحيmy insistence بِحُبٍّwith love وَإِنَّماbut rather
فَلَم يَلقَ إِلحاحي بِحُبٍّ وَإِنَّما
أَجادَhe excelled at التَغاضيoverlooking إِذwhen أَسَأتُI erred in التَقاضِياpressing for what is owed
أَجادَ التَغاضي إِذ أَسَأتُ التَقاضِيا
He did not meet my insistence with love; rather,
Yet he did not meet my persistence with love, but rather
He excelled at overlooking it when I erred in pressing my claims.
Excelled in ignoring when I made bad requests
Sol 6.1