كمhow often تقصِدُyou target الماجِدِينَthe noble الفاضِلِينthe virtuous وكمand how often
كم تقصِدُ الماجِدِينَ الفاضِلِين وكم
تُعلِّمُyou teach الكرماءَthe generous البُخْلَmiserliness ياO زَمنُTime
تُعلِّمُ الكرماءَ البُخْلَ يا زَمنُ
How often you assail the noble and virtuous—and how often
How often you assail the noble and virtuous, and how often
you teach the generous to be miserly, O Time!
you teach the generous miserliness, O Time!
إذاwhen تَوالتfollowed in succession عنهمfrom them (context suggests 'upon them') نائباتُكyour calamities واِجْand [beginning of 'swept away']
إذا تَوالت عنهم نائباتُك واِجْ
تاحَتْ[completion of 'swept away'] فواضلَbounties ماwhat يُولُونَهُthey bestow it المِحَنُhardships
تاحَتْ فواضلَ ما يُولُونَهُ المِحَنُ
When your calamities beset them in succession and sweep—
When your calamities fall upon them in succession, and
away the abundance of all they bestow—those trials—
hardships sweep away the bounty they bestow,
فكيفَso how بالجُودِwith generosity والأحداثُand misfortunes تسلُبُtakes away ماwhat
فكيفَ بالجُودِ والأحداثُ تسلُبُ ما
يُولَىis bestowed بهwith it العُرْفُkindness أوor تُسدَىare bestowed بهwith it المِنَنُfavors
يُولَى به العُرْفُ أو تُسدَى به المِنَنُ
what, then, becomes of generosity, when events wrest away what
then how can there be generosity, when misfortunes steal what
allows kindness to be bestowed or favors to be rendered?
is used to bestow kindness or confer favors?
شُغْلُpreoccupation الزّمانTime بأهلِwith people of النقصِdeficiency يرفعُهمhe raises them
شُغْلُ الزّمان بأهلِ النقصِ يرفعُهم
حَتَّىuntil يُثَمِّرَhe makes fruitful للوُرَّاثِfor the heirs ماwhat خَزَنُواthey hoarded
حَتَّى يُثَمِّرَ للوُرَّاثِ ما خَزَنُوا
Time busies itself with the deficient, raising them high,
Time's preoccupation with the deficient—raising them up
until what they hoarded bears fruit for their heirs.
until he makes what they have hoarded bear fruit for their heirs—
ألهاهُdistracted him عنfrom كُرماءِthe generous النّاسِpeople فهْوso he عَلَىagainst
ألهاهُ عن كُرماءِ النّاسِ فهْو عَلَى
ذَويthose possessing المكارِمِnoble deeds والأفْضَالِand beneficence مُضْطَغِنُharboring a grudge
ذَوي المكارِمِ والأفْضَالِ مُضْطَغِنُ
This distracts Time from the generous among men; thus, against
has distracted him from the generous among people; so toward
those endowed with noble virtues and beneficence, it nurses a grudge.
those of noble deeds and beneficence he harbors a grudge.
Sol 6.1