مِنَamong الحامِلاتِthose bearing الحَمدَpraise لَمّاwhen تَكَشَّفَتbecame uncovered
مِنَ الحامِلاتِ الحَمدَ لَمّا تَكَشَّفَت
ذَلاذِلُهاtheir trailing hems وَاِستَأوَرَتand rose up لِلمُناشِدِfor the suppliant
ذَلاذِلُها وَاِستَأوَرَت لِلمُناشِدِ
Among those bearing praise, when there were laid bare
When she unveiled, unveiled her alluring charms,
their trailing hems, and they rose up for the suppliant.
My praise is due for her grace and gentle calm.
فَهَلso, does ...? لِاِبنِfor the son of عَبدِservant of اللَهِGod فيin شاكِرٍone who gives thanks لَكُمto you (plural)
فَهَل لِاِبنِ عَبدِ اللَهِ في شاكِرٍ لَكُم
لَمَعروفِfor the kindness أَنthat أَطلَقتُمُyou (plural) unfastened القَيدَthe fetter حامِدِone who praises
لَمَعروفِ أَن أَطلَقتُمُ القَيدَ حامِدِ
So, does Ibn ʿAbd Allāh wish for one thankful to you,
Does Ibn Abdallah deserve your thanks, for he
praising your kindness in unfastening the fetter?
Unbound the fetters of captivity?
وَماand there is no مِنof بَلاءٍaffliction غَيرَexcept كُلِّevery عَشِيَّةٍevening
وَما مِن بَلاءٍ غَيرَ كُلِّ عَشِيَّةٍ
وَكُلِّand every غَداةٍmorning زائِراًa visitor غَيرَother than عائِدِone visiting the sick
وَكُلِّ غَداةٍ زائِراً غَيرَ عائِدِ
And no affliction except, every evening,
Each dawn and dusk brings but sorrow and pain,
and every morning, a caller—not one visiting the sick.
No comfort or solace for me will remain.
يَقولُhe says لِيَto me الحَدّادُthe jailer هَلare ...? أَنتَyou قائِمٌstanding
يَقولُ لِيَ الحَدّادُ هَل أَنتَ قائِمٌ
وَهَلand am ...? أَناI إِلّاexcept مِثلُlike آخَرَanother قاعِدِseated
وَهَل أَنا إِلّا مِثلُ آخَرَ قاعِدِ
The jailer says to me, “Will you stand up?”
The mender asks if I'm up, while he just sits,
And am I anything but like another seated man?
Though we are both confined in our limits.
كَأَنّيas though I were حَرورِيٌّa Haruri (Kharijite) لَهُhe has فَوقَabove كَعبِهِhis ankle
كَأَنّي حَرورِيٌّ لَهُ فَوقَ كَعبِهِ
ثَلاثونَthirty قَيداًa fetter مِنof قَروصٍpainfully pinching مُلاكِدِclamping tightly
ثَلاثونَ قَيداً مِن قَروصٍ مُلاكِدِ
As though I were a Ḥarūrī who has above his ankle
My feet are bound by thirty heavy chains
thirty fetters of the biting, clamping kind.
Of unbreakable metal, causing me pains.
وَإِمّاand if بِدَينٍfor a debt ظاهِرٍevident فَوقَabove ساقِهِhis shin
وَإِمّا بِدَينٍ ظاهِرٍ فَوقَ ساقِهِ
فَقَدthen indeed عَلِمواthey know أَنthat لَيسَis not دَينيmy debt بِناقِدِpayable in cash
فَقَد عَلِموا أَن لَيسَ دَيني بِناقِدِ
And if it is for a debt evident above his shin,
My debts are clear for all to see and know,
they well know that my debt is not payable in cash.
I owe no man anything I need to show.
وَراوٍand one transmitting verse عَلَيَّagainst me الشِعرَthe poetry ماnot أَناI قُلتُهُI said it
وَراوٍ عَلَيَّ الشِعرَ ما أَنا قُلتُهُ
كَمُعتَرِضٍlike one intervening لِلرُمحِin the spear’s path دونَin front of الطَرائِدِthe quarry
كَمُعتَرِضٍ لِلرُمحِ دونَ الطَرائِدِ
And one who attributes to me verse I did not utter
When I recite my verses they object,
is like one standing in the spear’s path, ahead of the quarry.
Like spears attacking me without respect.