فَأَمَّاand as for عَدِيٌّAdi حينَwhen جادَgave generously فإِنَّهُthen indeed he
فَأَمَّا عَدِيٌّ حينَ جادَ فإِنَّهُ
أَبوfather of الجودِgenerosity وابنُand son of الجودِgenerosity منfrom among أبوَيthe two fathers of سَهلِSahl
أَبو الجودِ وابنُ الجودِ من أبوَي سَهلِ
As for ʿAdī, when he gave freely, he was indeed
And as for Adi, when he gave generously, he was indeed
the father of bounty and bounty’s son, of the same parents as Sahl.
the father of generosity and its son, one of Sahl’s two forebears.
نَشاsprang منfrom مُنَشَّاMunashsha ثمَّthen جادَgave generously بِمِثلِهwith his like
نَشا من مُنَشَّا ثمَّ جادَ بِمِثلِه
أَكلُّdoes every زَمانٍage مِنهfrom him جِنسٌa kind مِنof الفَضلِbounty
أَكلُّ زَمانٍ مِنه جِنسٌ مِن الفَضلِ
He grew from well-nurtured stock, then gave in equal measure.
He sprang from Munashsha, then bestowed his like;
Has every age from him its own form of excellence?
does every age receive from him a kind of bounty?
وليسَand not يُحَسُّis felt الفَقدُloss فيin مَنزلِthe abode of النَّدىgenerosity
وليسَ يُحَسُّ الفَقدُ في مَنزلِ النَّدى
إِذاwhen أَخلفتreplaced أيّامهits days المِثلَlike بِالمِثلِwith like
إِذا أَخلفت أيّامه المِثلَ بِالمِثلِ
No loss is felt in the house of open-handedness
And no loss is felt in the abode of generosity
when its days make one peer succeed another.
when its days replace like with like.
ولِلعيدِand for the feast أَيامٌdays تَمرُّpass وسَعدُهاand their good fortune
ولِلعيدِ أَيامٌ تَمرُّ وسَعدُها
عَلَىdespite ماwhat بِهاis in them مُلقيlaying down العَصاthe staff واضِعَsetting down الرَّحلِthe saddle
عَلَى ما بِها مُلقي العَصا واضِعَ الرَّحلِ
The feast has days that pass, but its good fortune,
And the feast has days that pass, while their good fortune
whatever they may hold, has dropped its staff and set down its saddle.
despite what they hold, has laid down its staff and set down its saddle.
عِدادُthe number of النُّجومِthe stars السَّارِياتِtravelling by night عِدادهاtheir number
عِدادُ النُّجومِ السَّارِياتِ عِدادها
ويُحسَبُand is counted مِنهاamong them فيin العُلوِّloftiness وفيand in الفِعلِaction
ويُحسَبُ مِنها في العُلوِّ وفي الفِعلِ
Their count is the count of the stars that journey by night;
Their number is the number of the night-travelling stars,
and he is reckoned among them, in height and in deed.
and it is counted among them in loftiness and in action.
تهنَّtake joy بِهاin them واسلَمand remain safe لجُودِكَfor your generosity إِنَّنيindeed I
تهنَّ بِها واسلَم لجُودِكَ إِنَّني
أَرَىI see الناسَpeople يَرجونَhope for السَّلامَةsafety لِلبُخلِfor stinginess
أَرَى الناسَ يَرجونَ السَّلامَة لِلبُخلِ
Enjoy them, and live on for your generosity’s sake; for I
Enjoy them, and remain safe for your generosity; indeed, I
see people seeking safety in stinginess.
see people hoping for safety for the sake of stinginess.
