أَبوAbu (father of) عَلِيٍّAli قَدindeed تَجافانيhas shunned me
أَبو عَلِيٍّ قَد تَجافاني
وَكانَand he was مِنamong أَكبرِthe greatest خُلاّنيmy close friends
وَكانَ مِن أَكبرِ خُلاّني
Abu Ali has shunned me,
Abu Ali has estranged me
and he was among my closest friends.
And he was one of my best friends
وَكانَand he was مَشغوفاًenamored بِذِكريwith mentioning me فَقَدbut now
وَكانَ مَشغوفاً بِذِكري فَقَد
أَعرَضَturned away عَنّيfrom me وَتَناسانيand pretended to forget me
أَعرَضَ عَنّي وَتَناساني
And he delighted in speaking of me; but now
And he was enthralled by the mention of me, but he
he has turned away from me and pretended to forget me.
Turned away from me and forgot me
وَاِعتَلَّand fell ill رَسميmy stipend عِندَهُwith him بَعدَafter ماthat
وَاِعتَلَّ رَسمي عِندَهُ بَعدَ ما
صَحَّproved sound لَهُto him سِرّيmy private conduct وَإِعلانيand my public conduct
صَحَّ لَهُ سِرّي وَإِعلاني
And my stipend with him fell ill, after
And my image faded in his eyes after
my private and public conduct proved sound to him.
My secrets and my affairs became clear to him
وَقَدand indeed مَضىhas passed عامٌa year وَقَدand indeed كَرَّfollowed بالwith the
وَقَد مَضى عامٌ وَقَد كَرَّ بال
مَطلِdelay عَلىupon أَعقابِهِits heels ثانيa second
مَطلِ عَلى أَعقابِهِ ثاني
A year has passed, and there has followed, with
And a year has passed and autumn has returned
delay, a second upon its heels.
Following in its footsteps again
وَليسَand there is nothing ليfor me مِنهُfrom him سِوىexcept أَنَّهُthat he
وَليسَ لي مِنهُ سِوى أَنَّهُ
يَبعَثُhe sends ليto me أَقراصَround loaves بُرشانِcommunion bread
يَبعَثُ لي أَقراصَ بُرشانِ
And I have nothing from him except that he
And all I have from him is that
sends me round loaves of communion bread.
He sends me some almond cakes
كَأَنَّنيas though I were راهِبُa monk قِلّايَةٍa monastic cell
كَأَنَّني راهِبُ قِلّايَةٍ
مِنfrom بَعضِsome of قِلّاياتِmonastic cells نَجرانِNajran
مِن بَعضِ قِلّاياتِ نَجرانِ
As though I were a monk in a cell,
As if I were a monk from one of
one of the monastic cells of Najran.
The monasteries of Najran
فَاِنصِتso listen لَكَfor you الخَيرُgoodness إِلىto شاعِرٍa poet
فَاِنصِت لَكَ الخَيرُ إِلى شاعِرٍ
يَبيعُكَhe sells you الشِعرَpoetry بِرُغفانِfor loaves of bread
يَبيعُكَ الشِعرَ بِرُغفانِ
So listen—may good be yours—to a poet
So listen, it's best for you, to a poet
who sells you poetry for loaves of bread.
Who sells you poetry for loaves of bread
وَاِفطِرand break your fast وَعَيِّدand celebrate the feast مَعdespite تَوانيكَyour delay فيin
وَاِفطِر وَعَيِّد مَع تَوانيكَ في
إِنفاذِdisbursing رَسميmy stipend أَلفَa thousand نيسانِApril (Nisan)
إِنفاذِ رَسمي أَلفَ نيسانِ
And break your fast and celebrate—despite your delay in
And break your fast and celebrate with your lateness in
paying my stipend—for a thousand Aprils.
Sending out my image a thousand times in April
فَليسَfor there is no فيin الحَلواءِsweets ليfor me مَطمَعٌhope
فَليسَ في الحَلواءِ لي مَطمَعٌ
فيكَin you وَفيand concerning البُرشانِthe communion bread قَولانِtwo opinions
فيكَ وَفي البُرشانِ قَولانِ
For I have no hope of sweets
For I have no craving in sweets
from you; and concerning communion bread, there are two opinions.
In you or in the almond cakes, there are two sayings
Sol 6.1