بَينَbetween أُفقِthe horizon of الصَباthe east wind وَأُفقِand the horizon of الدَبورِthe west wind
بَينَ أُفقِ الصَبا وَأُفقِ الدَبورِ
حَسَدٌenvy أَوor تَنافُسٌrivalry فيover الوَزيرِthe vizier
حَسَدٌ أَو تَنافُسٌ في الوَزيرِ
Between the east wind’s horizon and the west wind’s horizon
there is envy or rivalry over the vizier.
كُلَّماwhenever يُسِّرَare readied الرِكابُthe riding camels لِأَرضٍfor a land
كُلَّما يُسِّرَ الرِكابُ لِأَرضٍ
أوثِرَتit is favored دونَover غَيرِهاothers besides it بِالحُبورِwith joy
أوثِرَت دونَ غَيرِها بِالحُبورِ
Whenever the riding camels are readied for a land,
it is favored above the rest with joy.
هِبرِزِيٌّa noble lord يُنافِسُrivals الشَرقَthe east وَالغَرand the west (continued)
هِبرِزِيٌّ يُنافِسُ الشَرقَ وَالغَر
بَ(completes 'west') سَناthe brilliance of ضَوءٍthe light of وَجهِهِhis face المُستَنيرِradiant
بَ سَنا ضَوءٍ وَجهِهِ المُستَنيرِ
A noble lord who rivals east and west
in the brilliance of his radiant face’s light,
وَنَدىand the dew-like bounty of كَفِّهِhis palm الَّتيwhich نُسِبَwas ascribed الجوgenerosity (continued)
وَنَدى كَفِّهِ الَّتي نُسِبَ الجو
دُ(completes 'generosity') إِلَيهاto it تَعاقُبَthroughout the alternation of اِبنَيthe two sons of سَميرِSamir
دُ إِلَيها تَعاقُبَ اِبنَي سَميرِ
and in the dew of his palm, to which generosity
has been ascribed as long as Samir’s two sons—night and day—alternate.
ياO أَباAbu (father of) الصَقرِal-Saqr (the falcon) لاmay not يَرِمcease ظِلُّthe shade of نَعماblessings (continued)
يا أَبا الصَقرِ لا يَرِم ظِلُّ نَعما
ئِكَ(completes 'your blessings') يَضفوspreads amply وَزَندُand the fire-stick of عودِكَyour wood يوريstrikes flame
ئِكَ يَضفو وَزَندُ عودِكَ يوري
O Abu al-Saqr, may the shade of your blessings never cease
to spread wide, and may your wooden fire-stick strike flame.
لَمnot تَزَلyou have ceased مُعوِزَlacking الشَبيهِan equal وَفيand among الناthe people (continued)
لَم تَزَل مُعوِزَ الشَبيهِ وَفي النا
سِ(completes 'people') بَقاياremnants of فَضلٍexcellence قَليلِhaving few النَظيرِequals
سِ بَقايا فَضلٍ قَليلِ النَظيرِ
You have always been without an equal, though among people
remnants of excellence remain, rarely matched.
أَنتَyou غَيثُthe rain of الغُيوثِrains يَحياlive بِهِthrough it القَوthe people (continued)
أَنتَ غَيثُ الغُيوثِ يَحيا بِهِ القَو
مُ(completes 'people') إِذاwhen أَمحَلواthey suffer drought وَبَحرُand the sea of البُحورِseas
مُ إِذا أَمحَلوا وَبَحرُ البُحورِ
You are the rain of rains, through which people live
when they suffer drought, and the sea of seas.
لاnot تُضامُنَّbe slighted (emphatic) حاجَتيmy need وَأَبوand Abu (father of) طَلحَةَTalha مَنMansur (continued)
لا تُضامُنَّ حاجَتي وَأَبو طَلحَةَ مَن
صورُكَ(completes 'your Mansur') الشَريفُnoble نَصيريmy supporter
صورُكَ الشَريفُ نَصيري
Surely my need will not be slighted, while Abu Talha,
your noble Mansur, is my supporter.
قَدindeed تَبَرَّعتَyou gave freely ليto me بِمالِكَof your wealth فَاِشفَعso supplement
قَد تَبَرَّعتَ لي بِمالِكَ فَاِشفَع
هُit بِماليwith my money المَوقوفِheld عِندَwith بَشيرِBashir
هُ بِمالي المَوقوفِ عِندَ بَشيرِ
You have freely given me of your wealth; now supplement
it with my money held by Bashir—
جُملَةًin full أَوor صُبابَةًa small remainder يَرتَضيهاhe finds it satisfactory
جُملَةً أَو صُبابَةً يَرتَضيها
سائِرٌa traveler أُهبَةًas provision لِهَذاfor this المَسيرِjourney
سائِرٌ أُهبَةً لِهَذا المَسيرِ
all of it, or a small remainder that would satisfy
a traveler as provision for this journey.
وَقَليلُand a little of النَوالُbounty يَنفَعُhelps إِنif لَمnot
وَقَليلُ النَوالُ يَنفَعُ إِن لَم
تَرَنيyou deem me اليَومَtoday مَوضِعاًa worthy recipient لِلكَثيرِof much
تَرَني اليَومَ مَوضِعاً لِلكَثيرِ
And a little bounty helps, if you do not
deem me today worthy of much.