عَلامَwhy جُدتَyou gave generously فَلَمّاthen, when خِفتَyou feared موحِيَةًa ruinous calamity
عَلامَ جُدتَ فَلَمّا خِفتَ موحِيَةً
تَعَقَّبَتكَovertook you مِنَfrom البُخلِmiserliness العَقابيلُthe lingering ills
تَعَقَّبَتكَ مِنَ البُخلِ العَقابيلُ
Why were you generous, only, when you feared a ruinous calamity,
Why did you toil, but when you feared being blamed,
to be overtaken by the lingering ills of miserliness?
The chains of miserliness pursued you.
قَدindeed قُلتَyou said خَيراًgood words وَخَيرُand the best of القَولِspeech أَصدَقُهُits truest
قَد قُلتَ خَيراً وَخَيرُ القَولِ أَصدَقُهُ
لَوif كانَhad been مِنكَfrom you بِفِعلٍthrough a deed صُدِّقَwas proved true القيلُwhat was said
لَو كانَ مِنكَ بِفِعلٍ صُدِّقَ القيلُ
You have spoken good words, and the best speech is the truest.
You spoke well, and the best speech is the most truthful,
Had you backed them with a deed, those words would have been proved true.
If only your actions verified what was said.
عَلَّلتُمونيyou put me off with promises وَعَقليand my mind غَيرُnot مُشتَرَكِconfused
عَلَّلتُموني وَعَقلي غَيرُ مُشتَرَكِ
وَلاand not تَقومُavail لِذيfor one possessing العَقلِreason التَعاليلُempty promises
وَلا تَقومُ لِذي العَقلِ التَعاليلُ
You have put me off with promises, though my mind is not confused,
You blamed me, yet my mind is not to be blamed,
and empty promises do not avail a person of reason.
No reproaches stand against one with wisdom.
ياoh لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge أَجانيhas it come to me? نَفعَthe benefit of خَيرِكُمُyour bounty
يا لَيتَ شِعري أَجاني نَفعَ خَيرِكُمُ
أَمor غَوَّلَتcarried off خَيرُكُمyour bounty مِنfrom دونِيَshort of me الغَولُthe ghoul
أَم غَوَّلَت خَيرُكُم مِن دونِيَ الغَولُ
Oh, would that I knew: has the benefit of your bounty reached me,
Oh, would that I knew! Did your goodness profit me?
or has the ghoul carried your bounty off before it reached me?
Or did your goodness pass me by, turned astray?
Sol 6.1