ياO نعمةًa blessing أسبغهاbestowed it fully مُنْعِمa benefactor
يا نعمةً أسبغها مُنْعِم
علىupon وليّa loyal friend مخلصٍsincere مصفِwholly devoted
على وليّ مخلصٍ مصفِ
O blessing lavished by a benefactor
O blessed gift bestowed by the Benefactor
upon a loyal friend, sincere and devoted!
Upon a sincere, devoted guardian
مولىa patron يُحاجىposes a riddle to عبدَthe servant of إفضالهhis bounty
مولى يُحاجى عبدَ إفضاله
يرومseeks منهfrom him صحةَthe correctness of الكشفthe solution
يروم منه صحةَ الكشف
A patron poses a riddle to the servant of his bounty,
My Master who debates with His thankful servant
seeking from him a correct solution.
Seeking from Him the truth of inner knowledge
والسمand the name حقّاindeed قينةٌa singing girl وصفهاher description
والسم حقّا قينةٌ وصفها
فيin الظّبْيthe gazelle والشيطانand the devil والظرفand charm
في الظّبْي والشيطان والظرف
And the name is indeed a singing girl's; her description
And poison is truly an attribute described
is found in the gazelle, the devil, and charm.
In the snake, the devil, and the envelope
وقينةand a singing girl تصحيفهاthe redotting of her name شدوهاher singing
وقينة تصحيفها شدوها
تدعوshe calls إلىto الآدابrefinement والقصفand revelry
تدعو إلى الآداب والقصف
And a singing girl whose name, redotted, is her song,
And the attribute of its misspelling is their madness
calls to refinement and revelry.
Calling for morals and integrity
وهيand she إذاwhen صحّفتis redotted منكوسةin reverse
وهي إذا صحّفت منكوسة
ترخيمa shortened name ذيof one possessing حمقٍfoolishness وذيand one possessing سخفwitlessness
ترخيم ذي حمقٍ وذي سخف
And when her name is redotted in reverse,
If it is misspelled it becomes degraded
it is the shortened name of one foolish and witless:
The rambling of a fool and an ignorant one
هبنقHabannaq القيسيّal-Qaysi وهوand he is الذيthe one who
هبنق القيسيّ وهو الذي
كباقلٍlike Baqil جهلاًin ignorance بلاwithout خلفdisagreement
كباقلٍ جهلاً بلا خلف
Habannaq al-Qaysi, who is
Al-Qaysi is confused and he is the one
as ignorant as Baqil, beyond dispute.
Ignorant without precedent
هذاthis جوابٌan answer منfrom فَتىًa young man مُفْلسٍpenniless
هذا جوابٌ من فَتىً مُفْلسٍ
مُسوٍّفprocrastinating بالمَطْلِwith delay للحُرْفِbecause of ill fortune
مُسوٍّف بالمَطْلِ للحُرْفِ
This is an answer from a penniless young man,
This is the response from an indebted young man
procrastinating with delays because of ill fortune.
Procrastinating in paying his debt
فكيفhow, then لوif أنجزfulfilled ميعادهhis promise
فكيف لو أنجز ميعاده
ذوa man of كرمgenerosity بالألفwith a thousand والألفand a thousand
ذو كرم بالألف والألف
How, then, if his promise were fulfilled
So what if one of generosity fulfilled his promise
by the generous man, with a thousand and another thousand?
With thousands and thousands
Sol 6.1