صحاsobered القلبthe heart منfrom حُبِّlove of الرجاءhope وغودرتْand were left behind
صحا القلب من حُبِّ الرجاء وغودرتْ
ولودُthe fertile ones of المُنىwishes لايُستَسلُّcannot be drawn out عقيمُهاtheir barren ones
ولودُ المُنى لايُستَسلُّ عقيمُها
The heart sobered from its love of hope, and left behind were
The heart awoke from the love of hope and its wounds healed,
The fertile wishes; their barren ones cannot be drawn out.
Yet the birth of desires cannot be appeased in its barrenness.
وبِتُّand I spent the night كمجهودٍlike an exhausted man تَراخىlingered بموتهِin his dying
وبِتُّ كمجهودٍ تَراخى بموتهِ
لحالةِbecause of a state of سوءٍwretchedness ماnot يَبَلُّrecovers سَقيمُهاits sufferer
لحالةِ سوءٍ ما يَبَلُّ سَقيمُها
And I spent the night like an exhausted man, slow to die,
I remained like one who weakened until his death,
From a wretched state whose sufferer never recovers,
Due to a dreadful state that does not cure its sick.
عشيَّةَon the evening when لاnot يُهدىis guided رشيدٌa wise man لمقْصدٍtoward a goal
عشيَّةَ لا يُهدى رشيدٌ لمقْصدٍ
ولاnor طُرقُthe paths of الآراءِcounsel يُغْنيavails عليمُهاone versed in them
ولا طُرقُ الآراءِ يُغْني عليمُها
On an evening when no wise man is guided toward a goal,
On an eve when no guide is granted success in purpose,
Nor can one versed in the paths of counsel help.
Nor do perspectives enlighten the knowledgeable among them.
ولاnor الحزمُprudence اِلاexcept طاعةُobedience to الصمتsilence والنُّهىand reason
ولا الحزمُ اِلا طاعةُ الصمت والنُّهى
واِنand even though شَقِيتsuffered نفسيmy soul وطالتْand grew long همومُهاits cares
واِن شَقِيت نفسي وطالتْ همومُها
Nor is prudence anything but obedience to silence and reason,
Neither does wisdom suffice but to obey silence and prohibition,
Even though my soul suffered and its cares dragged on.
Even if my soul is wretched and its worries prolonged.
ولوand were it لاكnot for you نجَّتْنيsaved me منfrom الهمِّsorrow عَزْمةٌa resolve
ولو لاك نجَّتْني من الهمِّ عَزْمةٌ
يدقُّcrushes صِحاحَthe intact ones of الذَّابلاتslender spears حطيمُهاits broken fragments
يدقُّ صِحاحَ الذَّابلات حطيمُها
And were it not for you, a resolve would have saved me from sorrow,
And if not for you saving me from worries with determination,
Its broken fragments would crush intact, slender spears.
That shakes the pillars of those gone feeble.
ولكننيbut I قيَّدْتُbound myself منكَfrom you بأنْعُمٍwith favors
ولكنني قيَّدْتُ منكَ بأنْعُمٍ
زكاflourished حادثٌthe new part of مناهhis hopes وطابَand was sweet قديمُهاtheir old part
زكا حادثٌ مناه وطابَ قديمُها
But I bound myself with favors from you,
But I was tied to you with favors,
His new hopes flourished, and their old ones were sweet.
When an auspicious event occurred, and its old days were wholesome.
فللهso, to God be praise ماwhat أوليbestowed طِرادٌTirad منof العُلىhigh honors
فلله ما أولي طِرادٌ من العُلى
بنيthe sons of الدهرtime والأيامُand the days فذٌّunique كريمُهاtheir noble one
بني الدهر والأيامُ فذٌّ كريمُها
God be praised for the high honors Tirad bestowed
So to Allah belongs whatever lofty outcast,
On the sons of time; rare among the days is their noble one.
Of eras and days, generous in its bounties.
نماكَit raised you ضَروباًa fierce striker الأكُفُّthe hands رواعشٌtrembling
نماكَ ضَروباً الأكُفُّ رواعشٌ
وَهُوباًand a lavish giver اذاwhen الشَّهْباءthe gray drought-year أكدتwithheld rain غيومُهاits clouds
وَهُوباً اذا الشَّهْباء أكدت غيومُها
It raised you a fierce striker when hands tremble,
You are a haven for the hands when calamities flutter,
And a lavish giver when the gray drought-year's clouds withhold rain,
And a shelter if tribulations thicken its clouds.
غِنىwealth for أنفسthe souls of العافينsupplicants ساوهاbeset them (uncertain reading) الطَّوىhunger
غِنى أنفس العافين ساوها الطَّوى
حِماهاtheir refuge اذاwhen ماever (emphasis) رامهاsought them منone who يضيمُهاoppresses them
حِماها اذا ما رامها من يضيمُها
The wealth of supplicants' souls when hunger besets them,
The richness of contented souls has equaled them to the ground,
Their refuge whenever one who would oppress them seeks them out.
Protecting them when one who wrongs them seeks them out.
يحدِّثtells عنكabout you الخيرَgoodness بادٍa desert-dweller وحاضرٌand a townsman
يحدِّث عنك الخيرَ بادٍ وحاضرٌ
مُسافرُa traveler through أرضٍa land ظاعنٌa wanderer ومُقيمُهاand its resident
مُسافرُ أرضٍ ظاعنٌ ومُقيمُها
Desert-dweller and townsman tell of your goodness,
An absent one and a present one speak of your good,
A traveler through a land, a wanderer, and its resident.
A traveler of land, one who flees, and its settlers.
فلاso, never زلتmay you cease to be محموداًpraised علىfor البأسvalor والندىand generosity
فلا زلت محموداً على البأس والندى
كَسوبan eager winner of العلىhigh honors ماas long as صاحبaccompanies النفسthe soul خِيمُهاits innate nature
كَسوب العلى ما صاحب النفس خِيمُها
So may you always be praised for valor and generosity,
So you have remained praised for valor and high resolve,
Ever winning high honors, as long as its nature accompanies the soul.
Like the stars of highness before the self pitches its tents.