هُوَhe البَحرُthe sea مِنfrom أَيِّwhichever النَواحيdirections أَتَيتَهُyou approached him
هُوَ البَحرُ مِن أَيِّ النَواحي أَتَيتَهُ
فَلُجَّتُهُfor his depths المَعروفُkindness وَالجودُand generosity ساحِلُهhis shore
فَلُجَّتُهُ المَعروفُ وَالجودُ ساحِلُه
He is the sea, from whatever quarter you come to him;
He is the sea, from whichever direction you approach him.
its depths are beneficence, and generosity its shore.
For his depths are kindness, and generosity is his shore.
كَريمٌgenerous إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle جِئتَyou came لِلخَيرِfor bounty طالِباًّseeking
كَريمٌ إِذا ما جِئتَ لِلخَيرِ طالِباًّ
حَباكَhe granted you بِماwith whatever تَحويhold عَلَيهِupon it أَنامِلُهhis fingertips
حَباكَ بِما تَحوي عَلَيهِ أَنامِلُه
Generous—when you come to him seeking a boon,
He is generous: whenever you come seeking bounty,
he grants you whatever his fingertips hold.
He grants you whatever his fingertips hold.
وَلَوand even if لَمnot تَكُنbe فيin كَفِّهِhis palm غَيرُother than نَفسِهِhis own life
وَلَو لَم تَكُن في كَفِّهِ غَيرُ نَفسِهِ
لَجادَhe would give generously بِهاwith it فَليَتَّقِso let him fear اللَهَGod سائِلُهhis petitioner
لَجادَ بِها فَليَتَّقِ اللَهَ سائِلُه
And were his own soul all that his palm possessed,
And even if his palm held nothing but his own life,
he would give even that—so let whoever asks him fear God.
He would give it away—so let his petitioner fear God.
