يُنهيconveys إِليكto you سلاماًa greeting جاركyour neighbor الجنبُdistant
يُنهي إِليك سلاماً جارك الجنبُ
وَإنand though يكنhe is غيرnot قاضfulfilling بعضsome of ماwhat يجبُis due
وَإن يكن غير قاض بعض ما يجبُ
Your distant neighbor conveys a greeting to you,
Your neighbor bids you peace though he's not free of fault
Though he has left some of what is due unfulfilled.
He means you well though deprived of your door
يُنئيهkeeps him distant عنكfrom you علىdespite قربِthe nearness of المزارthe place of visitation حياًshyness
يُنئيه عنك على قربِ المزار حياً
إِنّindeed الحياءshyness مَعwith الحرمانdeprivation مصطحبُkeeps company
إِنّ الحياء مَع الحرمان مصطحبُ
Shyness keeps him far from you, though your abode is near;
He has needs he hopes to meet
For shyness and deprivation are companions.
Success guaranteed, if you help complete
لهhe has بِبابكat your door حاجاتٌrequests سَيَبلغهاhe will attain them
له بِبابك حاجاتٌ سَيَبلغها
إِليهto him ضامنةguaranteeing إِنجاحهاtheir fulfillment الكتبُthe letters
إِليه ضامنة إِنجاحها الكتبُ
He has requests at your door that he will see granted;
You, whose knowledge is well-founded
Letters to him guarantee their fulfillment.
No whim or fancy gets you confounded
ياO أيّهاyou العلمُthe mountain الراسيsteadfast الّذيwhich علمتhave learned
يا أيّها العلمُ الراسي الّذي علمت
أَنthat لاno سبيلway إلىto اِستفزازهdislodging him النوبُcalamities
أَن لا سبيل إلى اِستفزازه النوبُ
O steadfast mountain, which calamities have learned
He whose glory lights up the sky
They have no way to dislodge;
From low ambition keeps his eye
وَمَنand one who لهhe has فيin سماءِthe sky of المجدِglory شمسa sun سناradiance
وَمَن له في سماءِ المجدِ شمس سنا
عنfrom دركهاreaching it بصرthe gaze of الأطماعambitions يحتجبُis veiled
عن دركها بصر الأطماع يحتجبُ
And you who have a radiant sun in the sky of glory,
I've come, as you know, to a barren place
Which ambition's gaze is barred from reaching:
Bereft of all that makes life an embrace
إنّيindeed I نَزلتhave settled كماas تَدرونyou know فيin بلدٍa town
إنّي نَزلت كما تَدرون في بلدٍ
مرافقthe amenities of العيشِlife عنهfrom it كلّهاall of them جنبُare distant
مرافق العيشِ عنه كلّها جنبُ
I have settled, as you know, in a town
In Tunis my wants give me pain
From which all life's comforts remain remote.
Riding what no one would deign
وَليand I have بتونسَin Tunis حاجاتerrands تجشِّمنيburden me
وَلي بتونسَ حاجات تجشِّمني
لَهاfor them الركوبَriding علىon ماwhat ليسis not يرتكبُridden
لَها الركوبَ على ما ليس يرتكبُ
And I have errands in Tunis that put me to the trouble
A mule, unfed, emaciated, dry
Of riding, for their sake, what ought not to be ridden:
Her wooden frame about to die
مِنnamely بغلةٍa she-mule باِفتقادِthrough lack of التبنِstraw قَدindeed عجفتhas grown gaunt
مِن بغلةٍ باِفتقادِ التبنِ قَد عجفت
حتّىuntil اِستلانgrew soft لهاfor her معdespite يبسهits dryness الخشبُwood
حتّى اِستلان لها مع يبسه الخشبُ
A she-mule grown gaunt through lack of straw,
Autumn has come, no ticket came my way
Till wood, for all its dryness, has grown soft for her.
The wait, the asking fray my day
مرّpassed الخريفُautumn ولمand did not أَظفرI obtain بتذكرةٍa voucher
مرّ الخريفُ ولم أَظفر بتذكرةٍ
فيهduring it وَيُقلقنيand troubles me التذكارُreminding والطلبُand asking
فيه وَيُقلقني التذكارُ والطلبُ
Autumn passed, and I obtained no voucher
She has a saddle, which reminds me ever
During it; reminding and asking make me uneasy.
A traveler's foot its dust will never
هَذاthis وإنّand indeed لهاshe has سرجاًa saddle يذكّرنيreminds me
هَذا وإنّ لها سرجاً يذكّرني
خفّthe leather boot of المسافرthe traveler فيهover it المسحritual wiping يجتنبُis avoided
خفّ المسافر فيه المسح يجتنبُ
Besides all this, she has a saddle that reminds me
Her strength is gone from constant roar
Of a traveler's leather boot over which ritual wiping is avoided.
Propriety demands I ride no more
أَبلىwore out قُواهits strength دوامُthe continuance of السيرِtravel فهوso it علىupon
أَبلى قُواه دوامُ السيرِ فهو على
قَصدِintending الطهارةِritual purification قطعاًcertainly خلعهremoving it يجبُis required
قَصدِ الطهارةِ قطعاً خلعه يجبُ
Constant travel has worn away its strength, so when
When Tunis was close, I'd walk, well aware
Ritual purification is intended, it must certainly be removed.
That riding there would make people stare
قَدindeed كنتI used to أَنزلُdismount عنهاfrom her حينَwhen أقربُI draw near منto
قَد كنت أَنزلُ عنها حينَ أقربُ من
أَرباضthe outskirts of تونسTunis علماًknowing أنّهاthat she عجبُan oddity
أَرباض تونس علماً أنّها عجبُ
I used to dismount from her when I drew near
Now winter mud gives me no choice
The outskirts of Tunis, knowing she was an oddity.
Though once the people did rejoice
وَاِضطرّنيand forced me الآنnow أوحالthe mires of الشتاءِwinter إلىto
وَاِضطرّني الآن أوحال الشتاءِ إلى
رُكوبهاriding her حيثُwhere كانwere الناسthe people يرتقبُwatching
رُكوبها حيثُ كان الناس يرتقبُ
And now winter's mud has forced me to
I care not what others say
Ride her where people watch.
Scowling whene'er I pass their way
وَماand not أُباليI care ولكنbut ماwhat أَقولshall I say لهمto them
وَما أُبالي ولكن ما أَقول لهم
وَكلّماand whenever أَبصَرونيthey saw me راكباًriding عتبواthey reproached me
وَكلّما أَبصَروني راكباً عتبوا
And I do not care—but what shall I say to them?
To you I've bared my plight, graceless, in full
And whenever they see me riding, they reproach me.
Knowing your goodness will cancel my pull
إِليكto you أَنهيتI have reported حاليmy condition غيرnot مُحتَشمٍbashful
إِليك أَنهيت حالي غير مُحتَشمٍ
علماًknowing بأنّكthat you للإحسانfor doing good تنتدبُyou volunteer
علماً بأنّك للإحسان تنتدبُ
I have laid my plight before you without reserve,
Send ticket for hay without delay
Knowing that you stand ready for deeds of kindness.
And for bran, let me not pray
فَاِبعَثso send بتذكرةٍa voucher فيfor الحرجthe pack-saddle مكتملاًcomplete
فَاِبعَث بتذكرةٍ في الحرج مكتملاً
فوراًat once وتذكرةand a voucher فيfor التبنstraw تكتتبُyou write out
فوراً وتذكرة في التبن تكتتبُ
So send a voucher for a complete pack-saddle
In winter's grip, extend your benevolent hand
At once, and write out a voucher for straw.
No protection but yours for this wretched man
وَكُنand be مُعينيmy helper علىagainst كربِthe distress of الشتاءِwinter بهاwith it
وَكُن مُعيني على كربِ الشتاءِ بها
لاmay ... never حامَhover حولَaround حِمىthe sanctuary of راجيكمone who hopes in you الكربُdistress
لا حامَ حولَ حِمى راجيكم الكربُ
And with it be my helper against winter's distress;
And greet loving family and folk
May distress never hover around the sanctuary of one who hopes in you.
Who revel in your humor and joke
وَاِسلمand be safe وَدمand live on بينamong أبناءٍsons وحاشيةٍand a retinue
وَاِسلم وَدم بين أبناءٍ وحاشيةٍ
مُمتّعينَgranted enjoyment بكمof your company ماas long as مرّتpass الحقبُthe ages
مُمتّعينَ بكم ما مرّت الحقبُ
And be safe, and live on among sons and a retinue,
Granted the joy of your presence for as long as ages pass.
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.