ياO سيداًmaster هباتهhis gifts
يا سيداً هباته
أجلهاI deem them too great عنfor حصرcounting
أجلها عن حصر
O master, whose gifts
O generous lord
I deem too great to count,
His gifts are beyond counting
ومنand the one who بمدحهin his praise علىabove الthe
ومن بمدحه على ال
شعرىSirius تسامىhas soared شعريmy verse
شعرى تسامى شعري
and you, in whose praise, above
And whoever praises him
Sirius my verse has soared:
My poetry rises above poetry
أتاكhas come to you دمعيmy tears سائلاًflowing and pleading
أتاك دمعي سائلاً
فلاso do not تخضwade فيinto نهرa river; rebuke
فلا تخض في نهر
My tears have come to you, flowing and pleading;
My teary eyes came to you pleading
so do not wade into a river of rebuke.
So do not let them flow into the river
وهاكand here, take نظميmy verse قدindeed اتىhas come
وهاك نظمي قد اتى
يرومseeks حسنthe excellence of النثرscattering; prose
يروم حسن النثر
And here is my verse: it has come
And here is my poem that came
seeking a fine scattering of gifts.
Seeking excellent prose
يرفعraises حاليmy condition معرباًexpressing clearly
يرفع حالي معرباً
عنabout خاطريmy heart بالكسرthrough brokenness; with a kasra
عن خاطري بالكسر
It raises my standing, giving voice
Raising my state expressing
to the brokenness within my heart.
My deepest thoughts with metaphors
فراحتيso my palm صفراempty غدتhas become
فراحتي صفرا غدت
منof بيضهاits white coins (silver) والصفرand the yellow coins (gold)
من بيضها والصفر
For my palm has become empty
So my comfort turned saffron
of its white coins and yellow ones.
From its white and yellow
وليسand there is not عنديin my possession ماanything بهwith it
وليس عندي ما به
استرI conceal يوماfor a day فقريmy poverty
استر يوما فقري
And I have nothing with which
And I have nothing with which
to conceal my poverty for a day.
To cover my poverty one day
وقدand indeed اتىhas come العيدthe feast (Eid) وماand there is no
وقد اتى العيد وما
منany وقفةpause فيat الفطرthe breaking of the fast
من وقفة في الفطر
And Eid has arrived, and there is no
Eid has come and I have
waiting at the breaking of the fast.
No pause for breakfast
فجدso be generous ببرwith kindness عاجلprompt
فجد ببر عاجل
فإنfor indeed خيرthe best of البرkindness
فإن خير البر
So grant a kindness without delay,
So be generous promptly
for the best of kindness...
For the best generosity
وامددand extend يميناa right hand طالماso often
وامدد يمينا طالما
ليto me قابلتhas met باليسرwith ease
لي قابلت باليسر
And extend a right hand that has so often
And extend a hand for long
met me with ease.
Whenever I met you with ease
يروىis narrated نداكyour bounty عنfrom عطاAta (giving)
يروى نداك عن عطا
معنعناthrough a chain of 'from' reports عنfrom بشرBishr (good cheer)
معنعنا عن بشر
Your bounty is narrated from Ata,
Your generosity quenches a
through a chain of 'froms,' from Bishr.
Thirst we have from good news
وخذand take قصيداa poem نظمهاits stringing
وخذ قصيدا نظمها
يفوقsurpasses نثرthe scattering of الدرpearls
يفوق نثر الدر
And take a poem whose stringing
And take a poem I composed
surpasses a scattering of pearls.
Surpassing prose of pearls
وقدand indeed سمتhas risen رشاقةin grace
وقد سمت رشاقة
علىabove الرشاقthe slender ones السمرthe dusky spears
على الرشاق السمر
And it has risen in grace
Rising with grace above
above the slender, dusky spears:
The slender and brown
غريبةrare نسيبةnoble-born
غريبة نسيبة
بديعةwondrous كالسحرlike magic
بديعة كالسحر
rare and noble-born,
Strange, refined
wondrous as magic,
Marvelous like magic
عذراءa virgin بنتdaughter of ليلةa night
عذراء بنت ليلة
نتيجةoffspring of ابنthe son of الفكرthought
نتيجة ابن الفكر
a virgin, daughter of a night,
A chaste daughter of the night
offspring of the son of thought.
The product of thought
فاسلمso stay safe وجدand be generous ياO وافرabundant in الthe
فاسلم وجد يا وافر ال
جودgenerosity طويلlong in العمرlife
جود طويل العمر
So live in safety and give, O you of abundant
So submit, O abundant generosity
generosity and long life.
And live long
وعشand live بلاwithout مضارعan equal (also a present-tense verb)
وعش بلا مضارع
فانتfor you are ماضيeffective (also past) الامرin command
فانت ماضي الامر
And live without an equal,
And live without equal
for your command prevails.
For you are the authority
لاnot زلتyou cease فيin العلياthe heights شهاstart of 'a shooting star'
لا زلت في العليا شها
باًend of 'a shooting star' ياO شقيقbrother of البدرthe full moon
باً يا شقيق البدر
May you ever remain on high, a shooting
You are still gloriously high
star, O brother of the full moon,
O brother of the full moon
ماas long as افترparts in a smile ثغرthe mouth of المدحpraise عنto reveal
ما افتر ثغر المدح عن
نظمthe stringing of ثناياthe front teeth of الشكرgratitude
نظم ثنايا الشكر
as long as the mouth of praise parts to reveal
The mouth of praise did not stop
gratitude's string of front teeth.
From composing thanks