إذاif عَافَىgrants health مَليكُthe Sovereign النَاسِof mankind عَبداًa servant
إذا عَافَى مَليكُ النَاسِ عَبداً
فلاthen may not عَافاكَgrant you health ربُكَyour Lord ياO قُتَيبهْQutaybah
فلا عَافاكَ ربُكَ يا قُتَيبهْ
If the Sovereign of mankind grants a servant health,
If a king pardons his subject
then may your Lord grant you none, O Qutaybah.
May your Lord not pardon you, O Qutaybah
طلَبتyou pursued النحوَgrammar مذsince أنْthat كُنتَyou were طفلاًa child
طلَبت النحوَ مذ أنْ كُنتَ طفلاً
إلىuntil أنthat جلَّلتكَcloaked you قبُحتْmay it be accursed شيبهْgray hair
إلى أن جلَّلتكَ قبُحتْ شيبهْ
You pursued grammar from the time you were a child
You have sought grammar since you were a child
until gray hair—cursed be it—cloaked you.
Until your ugliness was crowned with old age
فماyet not تزدادyou increase إلاّexcept النقصَdeficiency فيهin it
فما تزداد إلاّ النقصَ فيه
وأبتَand you returned لدىupon الإيابthe return بِشَرَwith the worst أَوبهْhomecoming
وأبتَ لدى الإياب بِشَرَ أَوبهْ
Yet you grow only more deficient in it,
Yet you still know less and less
and on your return, yours was the worst of homecomings.
And with clothing, appear the shabbiest
وكنتَand you were كغَائبٍlike one absent قدalready غابَwas away حيناًfor a while
وكنتَ كغَائبٍ قد غابَ حيناً
فطالَso grew long مُقامُهhis stay وأتىand he came بخيبهْwith disappointment
فطالَ مُقامُه وأتى بخيبهْ
And you were like one who had been away for a while:
You're like one who's been away for a while
his stay grew long, and he came back disappointed.
And returns a failure after a lengthy exile
Sol 6.1