بَداhe began حينَwhen أَثرىhe became wealthy بِاِخوانِهِwith his brothers
بَدا حينَ أَثرى بِاِخوانِهِ
فَقَلَّلَso he lessened عَنهُمaway from them شَباةَthe sharp edge العَدَمpoverty
فَقَلَّلَ عَنهُم شَباةَ العَدَم
When he grew wealthy, he began with his brothers,
He excelled when he enriched his brothers,
and blunted for them the sharp edge of poverty.
And diminished the obscurity of nothingness from them.
وَذِكرُهُand reminded him (contextual reading) الدَهرُTime صَرفُthe vicissitudes of الزَمانِtime
وَذِكرُهُ الدَهرُ صَرفُ الزَمانِ
فَبادَرَso he hastened قَبلَbefore اِنتِقالِthe shifting of النِعَمblessings
فَبادَرَ قَبلَ اِنتِقالِ النِعَم
And Time reminded him of the vicissitudes of time,
Mention of him is the passage of time,
so he hastened before blessings changed hands.
So he seized the opportunity before the transfer of blessings.
فَتىa young man خَصَّهُsingled him out اللَهُGod بِالمَكرُماwith noble qualities (continued)
فَتى خَصَّهُ اللَهُ بِالمَكرُما
تِcompletion of 'noble qualities' فَمازَجَso mingled مِنهُin him الحَياmodesty بِالكَرَمwith generosity
تِ فَمازَجَ مِنهُ الحَيا بِالكَرَم
A young man whom God singled out for noble qualities,
A young man endowed by God with generosity,
so in him modesty mingled with generosity.
Who mingled life with nobility.
إِذاwhenever هِمَةُan aspiration قَصَّرَتfell short عَنof يَدِa hand
إِذا هِمَةُ قَصَّرَت عَن يَدِ
تَناوَلَهاhe took it up بِجَزيلِwith abundant الهِمَمresolve
تَناوَلَها بِجَزيلِ الهِمَم
Whenever an aspiration fell short of a hand,
When ambition fell short of his hand,
he took it up with abundant resolve.
He reached for it with great aspirations.
وَلاand not يَنكَتُhe scratches الأَرضَthe ground عِندَat the time of السُؤاthe request (continued)
وَلا يَنكَتُ الأَرضَ عِندَ السُؤا
لِcompletion of 'the request' لِيَقطَعَto cut off زُوارِهِhis visitors مِنfrom نِعَمbounties
لِ لِيَقطَعَ زُوارِهِ مِن نِعَم
And he does not scratch the ground when asked,
He does not conceal the ground at the question,
to cut his visitors off from bounty.
To cut off his visitors from blessings.