أيهاO السيِّدُthe master الذيwhose جَلَّwas too great عَنْfor شكmy thanks (first part)
أيها السيِّدُ الذي جَلَّ عَنْ شك
رِيَmy thanks (completion) مَعْروفُهhis kindness وجازand surpassed التَّمنِّيwishing
رِيَ مَعْروفُه وجاز التَّمنِّي
O master, beyond my gratitude
O Lord, whose bounty exceeds all doubts,
is your kindness, surpassing all wishes;
Whose kindness flows and wishes abound,
وأبىand refused أنto يَشُوبَtaint غُرّsplendid أياديfavors
وأبى أن يَشُوبَ غُرّ أيادي
هhis لدىtoward مُعْتَفِيهthose seeking his bounty جوداًgenerously بِمَنّwith reproachful reminders
ه لدى مُعْتَفِيه جوداً بِمَنّ
you refuse to taint your splendid favors,
Who refuses that harm taints His hands,
freely given to your petitioners, with reproachful reminders.
With generosity to the grateful that astounds.
ماwhat لِرزْقيwith my livelihood كأنas though علىon البِيeggs (first part)
ما لِرزْقي كأن على البِي
ضِeggs (completion) تَخَطِّيهِits stepping مِنbecause of تباطيهits slowness عَنِّيfrom me
ضِ تَخَطِّيهِ مِن تباطيه عَنِّي
What ails my livelihood? It seems to tread on eggs,
My sustenance seems bound to earth,
so slowly does it come to me.
As if beyond my reach it surrounds,
أَيُّwhat دَيْنdebt يُقْضَىis repaid بتَقْسيطِby installment payments ديناa dinar (first part)
أَيُّ دَيْن يُقْضَى بتَقْسيطِ دينا
رٍa dinar (completion) وحالٍand a condition تُشَدُّis strengthened منfrom بعدafter وَهْنweakness
رٍ وحالٍ تُشَدُّ من بعد وَهْن
What debt can be repaid with a dinar in installments,
What debt is paid by installments of debt,
what condition can be strengthened after weakness,
And state that tightens after ease abounds,
وجِمالٍand camels تُقادُare led منfrom بَعْدِafter إخلاraggedness (first part)
وجِمالٍ تُقادُ من بَعْدِ إخلا
قٍraggedness (completion) ومُهْرٍand a colt يَطْويgoes hungry علىon كفِّa handful تِبنِstraw
قٍ ومُهْرٍ يَطْوي على كفِّ تِبنِ
what camels can be led after ragged poverty,
Beauty led after being unleashed,
what colt can subsist on a handful of straw,
And a bride price that the palm encompasses,
وانتفاعand benefit يُنالُis obtained منfrom بَعْدِafter ضُرٍّharm
وانتفاع يُنالُ من بَعْدِ ضُرٍّ
وسُرورٍand joy يَحِلُّarrives منfrom بَعْدِafter حُزْنِsorrow
وسُرورٍ يَحِلُّ من بَعْدِ حُزْنِ
what benefit can be gained after harm,
Gain attained after harm has passed,
what joy can arrive after grief,
And joy that comes after sorrow astounds.
وهوand it يخْتلُّfalls short عنof قَفيزِa qafiz (dry measure) دقيقٍflour
وهو يخْتلُّ عن قَفيزِ دقيقٍ
وسُلافٍand choice wine مِنَof المُدامِةwine لَدْنِmellow
وسُلافٍ مِنَ المُدامِة لَدْنِ
when it falls short of a qafiz of flour
It differs from a measure of fine saffron,
and mellow, choice wine?
And drink of wine that continuously abounds.
ثمthen لاnot يَرْتضيهaccepts it شرطاًas a stipulated fee لهfor himself يَوْa day (first part)
ثم لا يَرْتضيه شرطاً له يَوْ
مa day (completion) كَسادٍslack business منْهُfor him ابنُson of قَيْلQayl المُغَنِّيthe singer
م كَسادٍ منْهُ ابنُ قَيْل المُغَنِّي
Nor would it be accepted as his stipulated fee, even on
Then he would not take it as a condition,
a day of slack business, by Ibn Qayl the singer.
Like the loss of a singing son astounds.
أناI غَرْسٌa sapling لراحتيكof your two palms وأنْتَand you الْthe
أنا غَرْسٌ لراحتيك وأنْتَ الْ
غَيْثُrain يَحْيَاcomes to life بِصَوْبهthrough its downpour كلُّevery غُصْنِbranch
غَيْثُ يَحْيَا بِصَوْبه كلُّ غُصْنِ
I am a sapling of your two hands, and you are
I am a plant for your comfort, and you the rain
the rain whose downpour brings every branch to life.
That revives every branch when it surrounds.
وبهand through it تكْتَسِيclothe themselves الرِّياضُthe meadows بقاعاًtracts of land
وبه تكْتَسِي الرِّياضُ بقاعاً
مُونِقاتٍlovely مِنْof كُلِّevery سَهْلٍplain وحَزْنand rugged ground
مُونِقاتٍ مِنْ كُلِّ سَهْلٍ وحَزْن
Through it the meadows clothe themselves—tracts
With it, gardens flourish in every barren plain,
of beauty on every plain and rugged ground.
Fertile places from every flat and rugged ground.
فاسقِنيso give me drink شَرْبةًa draught يعودُbecomes again بهاthrough it عُوmy stem (first part)
فاسقِني شَرْبةً يعودُ بها عُو
ديَmy stem (completion) غضَّاًtender عنfrom ريِّهits full watering ذاhaving تَثَنِّيsuppleness
ديَ غضَّاً عن ريِّه ذا تَثَنِّي
So give me a draught that will make my stem
So quench me with a drink, restoring my vigor,
tender again, supple from drinking its fill.
After turning away from its irrigation that astounds.
وأَعنِّيand help me علىin قضاءrepaying ديونٍdebts
وأَعنِّي على قضاء ديونٍ
فَرَّقَتْseparated بينbetween طَعْمthe sweetness نَوْميmy sleep وجَفْنيand my eyelid
فَرَّقَتْ بين طَعْم نَوْمي وجَفْني
And help me repay debts
And aid me in paying debts,
that have parted my eyelids from the sweetness of my sleep.
That have come between the taste of my sleep and eyelids.
إنَّنيindeed I شاكِرٌam thankful إذاwhen عَنَّcomes forward بالشكْwith thanks (first part)
إنَّني شاكِرٌ إذا عَنَّ بالشكْ
رthanks (completion) شَكورٌa deeply grateful man وجدَّand strives earnestly مُطْرٍa panegyrist ومُثْنِيand a praiser
ر شَكورٌ وجدَّ مُطْرٍ ومُثْنِي
I am thankful when thanks are offered
I am thankful when gratitude overwhelms complaint,
by a grateful man, and a panegyrist and a praiser strive earnestly.
And the thankful finds rain and folds abound.