كَمْhow often سَماrose لِيfor me بِحُسْنِthrough the soundness of رَأْيِكَyour judgment جَدُّgood fortune
كَمْ سَما لِي بِحُسْنِ رَأْيِكَ جَدُّ
وَصَافand became clear لِيfor me بِفَيْضِthrough the outpouring of كَفِّكَyour palm وِرْدُdrinking water
وَصَاف لِي بِفَيْضِ كَفِّكَ وِرْدُ
How often my fortune has risen through your sound judgment,
and my water has run clear through your hand's outpouring!
وَتَوالَتْand followed in succession عَلَيَّupon me مِنْكَfrom you أَيادٍfavors
وَتَوالَتْ عَلَيَّ مِنْكَ أَيادٍ
كَتَوالِيlike the succession of الْحَياrain يَرُوحُcomes at evening وَيَغْدُوand comes at morning
كَتَوالِي الْحَيا يَرُوحُ وَيَغْدُو
And favors from you have followed one another upon me,
like rain recurring, evening and morning.
فَاجِئاتٌunheralded فَلَيْسَso it is not يُعْدَمُfound lacking بَذْلٌgiving
فَاجِئاتٌ فَلَيْسَ يُعْدَمُ بَذْلٌ
مِنْfrom نَداهاtheir bounty وَلَيْسَand is not يُوجَدُfound وَعْدُa promise
مِنْ نَداها وَلَيْسَ يُوجَدُ وَعْدُ
Unheralded: giving is never lacking
from their bounty, and no promise is found.
ثِقَةَO trusted one of الْمُلْكِthe realm لَيْسَthere is no فِيin الْحُكْمِjudgment جُوْرٌinjustice
ثِقَةَ الْمُلْكِ لَيْسَ فِي الْحُكْمِ جُوْرٌ
مِنْكَfrom you يَوْماًever وَلَيْسَand there is no فِيin الْجُودِgenerosity قَصْدُrestraint
مِنْكَ يَوْماً وَلَيْسَ فِي الْجُودِ قَصْدُ
O trusted one of the realm, there is no injustice in judgment
from you, ever, nor any stinting in generosity.
رُبَّmany a بِرٍّkindness فِيin إِثْرِهِits wake مِنْكَfrom you بِرٌّkindness
رُبَّ بِرٍّ فِي إِثْرِهِ مِنْكَ بِرٌّ
بَعْدَafter رِفْدٍa gift فِيwithin طَيِّهِits folds مِنْكَfrom you رِفْدُa gift
بَعْدَ رِفْدٍ فِي طَيِّهِ مِنْكَ رِفْدُ
Many a kindness has another from you in its wake,
after a gift enfolding another gift from you.
كُلَّevery يَوْمٍday جُودٌgenerosity أَتِيٌّsurging وَمَعْرُوand kindness (first part)
كُلَّ يَوْمٍ جُودٌ أَتِيٌّ وَمَعْرُو
فٌ(completes 'kindness') فَتِيٌّyouthful وَنائِلٌand bounty مُسْتَجِدُّever renewed
فٌ فَتِيٌّ وَنائِلٌ مُسْتَجِدُّ
Each day, surging generosity, and kindness
fresh and youthful, and bounty ever renewed.
كُلُّall أَيّامِthe days of حُبِّكَyour love for الْجُودَgenerosity وَصْلٌunion
كُلُّ أَيّامِ حُبِّكَ الْجُودَ وَصْلٌ
مُسْتَمِرٌّunbroken وَالْحُبُّwhile love وَصْلٌunion وَصَدُّand estrangement
مُسْتَمِرٌّ وَالْحُبُّ وَصْلٌ وَصَدُّ
Your love for generosity is, through all its days, a union
unbroken, though love is union and estrangement.
كَرَمٌgenerosity لاnot أَبِيتُI pass the night إِلاّexcept وَلِيand I have مِنْfrom
كَرَمٌ لا أَبِيتُ إِلاّ وَلِي مِنْ
هُit عَلَىaccording to ماwhat اقْتَرَحْتُI requested زادٌprovisions مُعَدُّprepared
هُ عَلَى ما اقْتَرَحْتُ زادٌ مُعَدُّ
Such generosity: I never pass a night without having from
it provisions prepared to suit my wishes.
أَعْجَزَrendered powerless الْحَمْدَpraise وَالثَّناءَand commendation فَلَمْso did not يَنْrise (first part)
أَعْجَزَ الْحَمْدَ وَالثَّناءَ فَلَمْ يَنْ
هَضْ(completes 'rise') ثَناءٌcommendation بِهِto it وَلاnor قامَsufficed حَمْدُpraise
هَضْ ثَناءٌ بِهِ وَلا قامَ حَمْدُ
It has defeated praise and commendation, so no
commendation has done it justice, nor has praise sufficed.
وَمِنْand part of الْعَجْزِinadequacy أَنَّthat شُكْرِيmy thanks نَسِيءٌdeferred payment
وَمِنْ الْعَجْزِ أَنَّ شُكْرِي نَسِيءٌ
كُلَّevery وَقْتٍmoment وَأَنَّand that بِرَّكَyour kindness نَقْدُready cash
كُلَّ وَقْتٍ وَأَنَّ بِرَّكَ نَقْدُ
And part of my inadequacy is that my thanks are deferred payment,
always, while your kindness is ready cash.
أَيْنَwhere عُذْرِيmy excuse إَذاif اسْتَزَدْتُكَI ask you for more جُوداًgenerosity
أَيْنَ عُذْرِي إَذا اسْتَزَدْتُكَ جُوداً
لَمْdid not يَدَعْleave خَلَّةًa need لَدَيَّwith me تُسَدُّto be met
لَمْ يَدَعْ خَلَّةً لَدَيَّ تُسَدُّ
What excuse have I if I ask you for more generosity,
when it has left me no need still to be met?
غَيْرَexcept أَنِّيthat I أَدْعُوI invite نَداكَyour bounty إِلىto يَوْday (first part)
غَيْرَ أَنِّي أَدْعُو نَداكَ إِلى يَوْ
مٍ(completes 'day') بِهِon it زادَincreased فِيamong عَبِيدِكَyour slaves عَبْدُa slave
مٍ بِهِ زادَ فِي عَبِيدِكَ عَبْدُ
Yet I invite your bounty to a
day when a slave was added to your slaves.
وَلَعَمْرِيand by my life ماnot كانَwould يَخْرُجُdepart نَجْلٌa son
وَلَعَمْرِي ما كانَ يَخْرُجُ نَجْلٌ
عَنْfrom قَبِيلٍa people أَبُوهُhis father فِيهِمْamong them يُعَدُّis counted
عَنْ قَبِيلٍ أَبُوهُ فِيهِمْ يُعَدُّ
And by my life, no son would depart
from a people among whom his father is counted.
وَلأَنْتَand you indeed الأَوْلىmore entitled بِعَبْدِكَto your slave مِنِّيthan I
وَلأَنْتَ الأَوْلى بِعَبْدِكَ مِنِّي
كُلُّevery مَوْلىًmaster بِعَبْدِهِover his slave مُسْتَبِدُّsolely in control
كُلُّ مَوْلىً بِعَبْدِهِ مُسْتَبِدُّ
And you have more claim than I to your slave:
every master has sole dominion over his slave.