أَباO father of قاسِمٍQasim إِنif أَنتَyou عاوَدتَyou repeat بَعدَهاafter it
أَبا قاسِمٍ إِن أَنتَ عاوَدتَ بَعدَها
سُؤالَكَyour request ليto me فيconcerning أَمرِthe matter of مَنthe one whom أَنتَyou عالِمُهknowing him
سُؤالَكَ لي في أَمرِ مَن أَنتَ عالِمُه
O Abu Qasim, if after this you repeat
O Abu Qasim, if after this
Your request to me about the man you know,
You ask me again about one whose ways you know,
تَقَشَّعَwill disperse قُربيmy closeness مِنfrom سَماءِthe sky of مَوَدَّتيmy affection
تَقَشَّعَ قُربي مِن سَماءِ مَوَدَّتي
وَلَمand will not يَسقِwater رَوضاًa garden مِنamong رِياضِكَyour gardens ساجِمُهits pouring rain
وَلَم يَسقِ رَوضاً مِن رِياضِكَ ساجِمُه
My closeness will vanish from the sky of my affection,
The rainfall from my sky of affection will be scarce,
And its rain will water none of your gardens.
And none of your meadows will be watered by its clouds.
أَماdo you not تَستَحيfeel ashamed مِنof اَنthat يُذيقَنيmake me taste اِمرُؤٌa man
أَما تَستَحي مِن اَن يُذيقَني اِمرُؤٌ
بِمُرِّwith the bitterness of جَنىًfruit لِلمَذائِقينَfor those who taste مَطاعِمُهhis fare
بِمُرِّ جَنىً لِلمَذائِقينَ مَطاعِمُه
Are you not ashamed that a man should make me taste
Are you not ashamed that a man should make me taste
Bitter fruit—the fare he offers those who taste it?
The bitter fruit of his gardens that he feeds to others?
بَخيلٌa miser وَلَكِنbut قَدindeed خَفىwas hidden عَنكَfrom you بُخلُهُhis miserliness
بَخيلٌ وَلَكِن قَد خَفى عَنكَ بُخلُهُ
وَأَنتَand you فَمِمَّنso among those whose لَيسَnot تَخفىare hidden مَكارِمُهhis noble deeds
وَأَنتَ فَمِمَّن لَيسَ تَخفى مَكارِمُه
A miser—yet his miserliness has escaped your notice,
Stingy he is, though his stinginess is hidden from you,
And you are among those whose noble deeds are not hidden.
And you are one from whom his virtues are not concealed.
وَلَوand if كانَhe were أَهلاًworthy لِلجَزاءِof requital تَرَكتُهُI would have left him
وَلَو كانَ أَهلاً لِلجَزاءِ تَرَكتُهُ
قَتيلَslain by هِجاءٍsatire ماnot نَباfailed to cut قَطُّever صارِمُهits keen sword
قَتيلَ هِجاءٍ ما نَبا قَطُّ صارِمُه
And had he deserved requital, I would have left him
Had he deserved repayment I would have left him
Slain by satire whose keen sword has never failed.
The victim of biting satire whose sword never rests.
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I أَعطَيتُI gave شِعريmy poetry بِحَقِّهِat its rightful worth
وَلَكِنَّني أَعطَيتُ شِعري بِحَقِّهِ
وَلَمand why لاnot يَصونُprotect الدُرَّpearls مَنthe one who هُوَhe ناظِمُهtheir stringer
وَلَم لا يَصونُ الدُرَّ مَن هُوَ ناظِمُه
But I have given my poetry its due,
But I gave my poetry its due
And why should he who strings pearls not protect them?
And did not fail to guard the pearl though I strung it.
أَماdid he not باعَناsell us رَخيصاًcheaply بِخاتَمٍfor a ring
أَما باعَنا رَخيصاً بِخاتَمٍ
فَلاthen may not كانَexist فيin الدُنياthis world وَلاnor may كانَexist خاتَمُهhis ring
فَلا كانَ في الدُنيا وَلا كانَ خاتَمُه
Did he not sell us cheaply for a ring?
Never in this world was it sold cheaply for a ring -
Then may neither he nor his ring endure in this world!
Nor was the ring itself of any value.
Sol 6.1