ومُستَقصِريand one who finds me remiss أنِّيthat I أقمتُI remained مُخيّماًencamped
ومُستَقصِري أنِّي أقمتُ مُخيّماً
علىin فاقةٍpoverty مُلقيlaying down العَصاthe staff واضعَsetting down الرَّحلِthe saddle
على فاقةٍ مُلقي العَصا واضعَ الرَّحلِ
And the man who faults me because I have remained encamped,
And one who faults me for having remained encamped,
in poverty, my staff cast down and my saddle set aside—
in poverty, laying down my staff and setting down my saddle,
يَقولُhe says المَعاليhigh honors والمَعاليand high honors وأهلُهاand their people
يَقولُ المَعالي والمَعالي وأهلُها
وماand not عندَهin his understanding أنَّthat المَعاليhigh honors بِلاwithout أَهلِworthy people
وما عندَه أنَّ المَعالي بِلا أَهلِ
he cries, “Lofty honors! Lofty honors—and their people!”
says, 'High honors, high honors, and their people!'
unaware that lofty honors are bereft of their people.
yet he does not know that high honors have no worthy bearers.
أتَعرفُdo you know ليfor me فيamong الجِنِّthe jinn مَنsomeone who يُرتَجىis hoped for لَهfrom him
أتَعرفُ لي في الجِنِّ مَن يُرتَجى لَه
نَوالٌbounty فَماfor there is no فيamong الأنسِhumankind فَضلٌsurplus عَنbeyond البُخلِmiserliness
نَوالٌ فَما في الأنسِ فَضلٌ عَن البُخلِ
Do you know, among the jinn, anyone from whom one might hope
Do you know anyone among the jinn whose
for a gift? Among humankind there is no bounty beyond avarice.
bounty I might hope for? For humankind has nothing beyond miserliness.
وَفيماand as ذَكرتُI mentioned الفَضلَgenerosity لَفظاًin words رأيتُهI saw it
وَفيما ذَكرتُ الفَضلَ لَفظاً رأيتُه
تَصوَّرَtook form شَخصاًas a person فيin الشَّريفِthe noble أبيAbu (father of) الفَضلِal-Fadl (generosity)
تَصوَّرَ شَخصاً في الشَّريفِ أبي الفَضلِ
And when I mentioned “bounty” merely as a word, I saw it
And as I spoke the word 'generosity,' I saw it
take bodily form in al-Sharif Abu al-Fadl.
take human form in the noble Abu al-Fadl.
وَردَّand he refuted عليَّin reply to me القَولَthe statement فيهِمabout them بفِعلِهby his action
وَردَّ عليَّ القَولَ فيهِم بفِعلِه
وفيand in القَولِspeech عَجزٌpowerlessness عَنto مُقاومَةِcontending with الفِعلِaction
وفي القَولِ عَجزٌ عَن مُقاومَةِ الفِعلِ
By his deed he refuted what I had said about them,
And by his action he refuted my words about them;
for speech is powerless to withstand action.
and speech is powerless to contend with action.
كَذاso too شَجراتُthe trees المَجدِglory يرجِعُreturns فَرعُهاtheir branch
كَذا شَجراتُ المَجدِ يرجِعُ فَرعُها
إِذاwhen أَينَعتripened فيهاupon them الثِّمارُthe fruits إِلىto الأَصلِthe root
إِذا أَينَعت فيها الثِّمارُ إِلى الأَصلِ
Such are the trees of glory: their branch returns,
So too the trees of glory: their branches return,
when their fruit ripens, to the root.
when the fruits upon them ripen, to the root.
أُنَبِّيكَI tell you أنِّيthat I فارِغempty الكَفِّthe hand مُترعُbrim-full الthe (continued)
أُنَبِّيكَ أنِّي فارِغ الكَفِّ مُترعُ ال
جَوارِحِlimbs فاعجَبso marvel مِنat فَراغيmy emptiness ومِنand at شُغليmy busyness
جَوارِحِ فاعجَب مِن فَراغي ومِن شُغلي
I tell you: my hand is empty, but brimming are my—
I tell you: my hand is empty, yet brim-full are my
limbs; marvel at my emptiness and my busyness.
limbs; so marvel at my emptiness and my busyness.
