أَنكَرَdid not recognize العَبدُthe servant بَزَّهُhis robes وَحُلاَهُand his ornaments
أَنكَرَ العَبدُ بَزَّهُ وَحُلاَهُ
لِسُؤَالٍbecause of an inquiry أَتَاهُthat reached him مِنfrom مَولاَهُhis lord
لِسُؤَالٍ أَتَاهُ مِن مَولاَهُ
The servant did not recognize his robes and ornaments,
The slave denied his finery and adornments
because of an inquiry that reached him from his lord.
At a question that came to him from his Master
غِبتُI was absent عَنهُfrom him فَسَالَso he asked عَنِّيabout me احتِفَاءًwith kind concern
غِبتُ عَنهُ فَسَالَ عَنِّي احتِفَاءً
كَيفَhow حَالُthe condition الفَقِيهِthe jurist مِنregarding شَكوَاهُhis illness
كَيفَ حَالُ الفَقِيهِ مِن شَكوَاهُ
I was absent from him, and he asked after me with kind concern:
I was absent from him so he asked after me out of kindness
“How fares the jurist with his illness?”
"How is the jurist faring with his complaints?"
بِدُعَاءwith a prayer مُبَارَكٍblessed مُستَجَابanswered
بِدُعَاء مُبَارَكٍ مُستَجَاب
كَشَفَhe dispelled الضُّرَّthe affliction وَالضَّنَىand the wasting illness وَجَلاَهُand cleared it away
كَشَفَ الضُّرَّ وَالضَّنَى وَجَلاَهُ
With a blessed, answered prayer,
With a blessed, answered prayer
he dispelled affliction and wasting, and swept them away.
He relieved affliction, grief, and freed him
فَتَرَقَّىthen he ascended إِلَىto السَّمَاءِheaven اعتِزَازاًin pride
فَتَرَقَّى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ اعتِزَازاً
وَاضِعاًplacing حَيثُwhere مَاever يُرَاهُit is shown to him خُطَاهُhis footsteps
وَاضِعاً حَيثُ مَا يُرَاهُ خُطَاهُ
Then he rose to heaven in pride,
So he ascended to the heavens pridefully
placing his footsteps wherever his sight could reach.
Putting himself low wherever his steps take him
أَيُّwhat a طِرسٍpage كَأَنَّهُas though it were رَوضُa meadow حَزنٍrugged upland
أَيُّ طِرسٍ كَأَنَّهُ رَوضُ حَزنٍ
جَادَتِwatered generously السُّحبُthe clouds بِالعَشِيِّin the evening رُبَاهُits hills
جَادَتِ السُّحبُ بِالعَشِيِّ رُبَاهُ
What a page—like a meadow on rugged heights,
What a meadow that seems a garden of sorrow
whose hills the clouds watered lavishly in the evening.
With clouds generously raining in the evening
بِمِدَادٍwith ink كَأَنَّهُas though it were المِسكُmusk لَوناًin color
بِمِدَادٍ كَأَنَّهُ المِسكُ لَوناً
وَشَذَاهُand its fragrance إِذَاwhen شَمِمتَyou smell شَذَاهُits fragrance
وَشَذَاهُ إِذَا شَمِمتَ شَذَاهُ
With ink like musk in color,
With an ink that seems musk in its color
and in fragrance, when you breathe its scent.
Its fragrance intoxicating when you smell it
وَكأَنَّand as though القِرطَاسَthe paper قِطعَةُa piece صُبحٍdawn
وَكأَنَّ القِرطَاسَ قِطعَةُ صُبحٍ
فَسَنَاهَاso its radiance إِذاwhen لَمَحتَyou glimpse سَنَاهُits radiance
فَسَنَاهَا إِذا لَمَحتَ سَنَاهُ
And the paper seems a fragment of dawn,
And paper as pieces of dawn
its glow is dawn’s own when you glimpse its glow.
He crafted it when you glimpse his craft
مَلِكٌa king كَالرَّبِيعِlike spring خَلقاًin form وَخُلقاًand in character
مَلِكٌ كَالرَّبِيعِ خَلقاً وَخُلقاً
خصَّهُsingled him out اللهُGod بِالعُلاَfor eminence وَحَبَاهُand favored him
خصَّهُ اللهُ بِالعُلاَ وَحَبَاهُ
A king like spring in form and character,
A king like spring in character and manners
God singled him out for eminence and favored him.
God endowed him with sublime grace
مَسَحَتstroked كَفُّهُhis palm عَلَيَّover me مَسِيحاًlike the Messiah
مَسَحَت كَفُّهُ عَلَيَّ مَسِيحاً
قَصَدَhe sought out الضُّرَّthe affliction عَامِداًdeliberately فَشَفَاهُso he healed it
قَصَدَ الضُّرَّ عَامِداً فَشَفَاهُ
He passed his palm over me like the Messiah,
His palm passed over me healing
He sought out the affliction deliberately and healed it.
Seeking illness, curing it
أَطلَقَتنِيit freed me مِنَfrom العِقَالِthe fetters نَشَاطاًwith vigor
أَطلَقَتنِي مِنَ العِقَالِ نَشَاطاً
فَغَداso he became الشَّيخُthe old man فِيin نَشَاطِthe vigor of صِباهُhis youth
فَغَدا الشَّيخُ فِي نَشَاطِ صِباهُ
It freed me from my bonds, full of vigor,
Releasing me from shackles to vitality
and the old man regained his youthful vigor.
The shaykh returned to the vigor of his youth
أَنَاI فِيamong النَّاسِthe people كُنتُI was أَحقَرَtoo lowly قَدراًin worth
أَنَا فِي النَّاسِ كُنتُ أَحقَرَ قَدراً
أَنthat أُحَلَّىI be adorned بِمَاwith what تَخُطَّinscribe يَدَاهُhis two hands
أَن أُحَلَّى بِمَا تَخُطَّ يَدَاهُ
Among men, I was too lowly in worth
I was among people the lowest in worth
to be adorned with what his hands inscribe.
To be adorned by what his hands inscribe