وَلَمْAnd notيُبَيِّنُواthey clarifiedلِنَوَىًfor a departureقُذَافَةٍfaraway
And they did not clarify for a distant departure
تَقْطَعُcutsحَبْلِيmy ropeمِنْfromوِصَالِconnectionحَبْلِهِمْtheir rope
It cuts my connection from their connection
فَلَيْتَSo I wishشِعْرِيmy poetryهَلْwhetherلَهُمْfor themمِنْis anyمَطْلَبٍrequest
So I wish I knew if they have any request
أَوْOrأَجِدَنَّI shall findذَاتَoneيَوْمٍdayبَدَلَهُمْtheir replacement
Or if I will find a replacement for them one day
أَوْOrيُعْذَرَنَّhe is excusedبِالْبُكَاءِby weepingإِنْifبَكَىweeps
Or he is excused in weeping if he weeps
صَبٌّA passionate loverمُعَنًّىafflictedمُسْتَحِقٌّdeservingإِثْرَهُمْfollowing them
An afflicted lover deserving to follow them
مُكَلَّفٌTaskedبِالشَّوْقِwith longingلَاnotيَنْسَاهُمْhe forgets them
Tasked with longing, he does not forget them
يَمْنَحُهُمْHe grants themوُدّاًaffectionوَيَرْعَىand honorsعَهْدَهُمْtheir covenant
He grants them affection and honors their covenant
وَيُنْذِرُAnd he vowsالنُّذُورَvowsإِنْifرَآهُمْhe sees them
And he makes vows if he sees them
وَعَادَAnd returnedيَوْماًone dayعَيْشُهُhis lifeوَعَيْشُهُمْand their life
And his life and their life returned one day
وَلَاAnd noرَبَّLordالْعَرْشِof the Throneلَاnotيَلْقَاهُمْhe meets them
And by the Lord of the Throne, he does not meet them
وَلَاAnd norيَعُودُreturnsعِيدُهُhis feastوَعِيدُهُمْand their feast
Nor do his feast and their feast return
وَكَيْفَAnd howيَلْقَاهُمْcan he meet themكَبِيرٌan old manسِنُّهُin age
And how can an old man in age meet them
وَقَدْWhileمَضَىhas passedالدَّهْرُtimeوَطَاحَand setنَجْمُهُمْtheir star
While time has passed and their star has set
هَيْهَاتَFar from itعُدِّturn awayالنَّفْسَthe soulعَنْfromذِكْرَاهُمْremembering them
Far from it, turn the soul away from remembering them
وَاقْصِدْAnd aimلِنَحْوِtowardآخَرِينَothersغَيْرِهِمْbesides them
And aim toward others besides them
هَذَاThisوَقَدْand indeedرَأَيْتُنِيI saw myselfفَلَمْso I did notأُلُمْblame
This is so, and I saw myself and did not blame
رَأْيِيmy opinionإِذَاwhenلَامَblamedالرِّجَالُmenرَأْيَهُمْtheir opinion
My opinion when men blamed their opinion
أَدْعُوI callابْنَibnسَهْلٍSahlحَسَناًHasanوَمَجْدَهُand his glory
I call upon Ibn Sahl, Hasan, and his glory
حِينَWhenتَعَيَّاbecame difficultبِعِيَالِيregarding my dependentsأَمْرُهُمْtheir matter
When the matter of my dependents became difficult
أَظَلُّI remainأَدْعُوcallingبِاسْمِهِby his nameوَدُونَهُand besides him
I continue calling by his name, while besides him
قَوْمٌa peopleكَثِيرٌmanyرَغْبَةًin desireتَرَكْتُهُمْI left them
Are many people whom I left out of desire
تَخَيُّراًBy choiceاخْتَرْتُهُI chose itعَلَيْهِمْover them
A choice I made over them
وَلَاAnd neitherبِهِمْin themبَأْسٌwas there harmوَلَاnorذَمَمْتُهُمْdid I blame them
And there was no harm in them, nor did I blame them
نَامُواThey sleptفَلَمَّاso whenأَنْthatرَأَيْتُI sawنَوْمَهُمْtheir sleep
They slept, and when I saw their sleep
عَنِّيfrom meتَحَمَّلْتُI bore itفَمَاso I did notأَيْقَظْتُهُمْwake them
Away from me, I bore it and did not wake them
يَاOابْنَson ofكِرَامٍnoble onesكَابِراًgenerationعَنْafterكَابِرٍgeneration
O son of noble ones, generation after generation
زَانُوكَThey adorned youزَيْناًwith an adornmentبَاقِياًlastingوَزَنْتَهُمْand you adorned them
They adorned you with a lasting adornment, and you adorned them
كَانُواThey wereهُمُtheالْأَشْرَافَnoblesسَادُواthey masteredكُلَّهُمْall of them
They were the nobles, all of them ruled
مَاThere isفِيinجَمِيعِallالْعَالَمِينَthe worldsمِثْلُهُمْlike them
There is none like them in all the worlds
بَنَوْاThey builtجَمِيعَallالْمَجْدِgloryفِيمَاin whatقَدْalreadyمَضَىpassed
They built all glory in what has passed
وَأَنْتَAnd youتَبْنِيهِbuild itكَذَاكَlikewiseبَعْدَهُمْafter them
And you build it likewise after them
فِيInشَرَفٍhonorمُؤَيَّدٍsupportedأَرْكَانُهُits pillars
In an honor whose pillars are supported
لَمْNotيَبْنِهِbuilt itبَانٍbuilderسِوَاهُمْother than themقَبْلَهُمْbefore them
No builder other than them built it before them
فَيَاSo Oابْنَson ofسَهْلٍSahlوَابْنَand son ofآبَاءٍfathersلَهُfor him
So O son of Sahl and son of fathers
كَانُواWho wereنَاجِيبَnobleقَدِيماًancientlyفَضْلُهُمْtheir virtue
Who were noble of old, their virtue established
وَاللَّهِBy Allahمَاnotتُصْبِحُyou spend the morningبَيْنَamongمَعْشَرٍa group
By Allah, you never spend the morning among a group
إِلَّاexceptوَأَنْتَthat you areشَمْسُهُمْtheir sunوَبَدْرُهُمْand their full moon
Except that you are their sun and their full moon
وَالنَّاسُAnd peopleآخِذٌare takingوَمَاءٌand waterنَاقِعٌstagnant
And people are taking, and stagnant water
وَغُدُرٌand poolsتَجْرِيflowingوَأَنْتَwhile you areبَحْرُهُمْtheir sea
And flowing pools, while you are their sea
وَالنَّاسُAnd peopleأَجْنَاسٌare categoriesكَمَاasقَدْindeedمُثِّلُواthey were portrayed
And people are of various kinds as portrayed
وَفِيهِمُand among themالْخَيْرُis goodوَأَنْتَand you areخَيْرُهُمْtheir best
And among them is good, and you are their best
حَاشَاFar be it fromأَمِيرِthe Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithfulإِنَّهُthat he is
Far be it from the Commander of the Faithful, for he is
خَلِيفَةُthe caliphاللَّهِof Allahوَأَنْتَand you areصِهْرُهُمْtheir in-law
The caliph of Allah and you are their in-law
إِلَيْكَTo youأَشْكُوI complainصِبْيَةًlittle childrenوَأُمَّهُمْand their mother
To you I complain of little children and their mother
لَاnotيَشْبَعُونَthey get fullوَأَبُوهُمْand their fatherمِثْلُهُمْis like them
They do not get full, and their father is like them
قَدْIndeedأَكَلُواthey ateالْوَحْشَwild gameفَلَمْso it did notيُشْبِعْهُمْsatisfy them
Indeed they ate wild game, but it did not satisfy them
وَشَرِبُواAnd they drankالْمَاءَwaterفَطَالَso prolonged wasشُرْبُهُمْtheir drinking
And they drank water, so prolonged was their drinking
وَامْتَذَقُواAnd they sippedالْمُذَاقَthin milkفَيَاso what aدُنْيَاهُمْworld they have
And they sipped thin milk, what a world they have
وَالْمَضْغُAnd the chewingإِنْifنَالُوهُthey attained itفَهُوَthen it isحِسُّهُمْtheir portion
And the chewing, if they attain it, then it is their portion
لَاThey doيَعْرِفُونَnot knowالْخَيْرَgoodإِلَّاexceptذِكْرَهُits mention
They do not know good except its mere mention
وَالدَّهْرُAnd timeهَيْهَاتَfar from itفَلَيْسَfor it is notعِنْدَهُمْwith them
And time, far from it, is not with them
وَمَاAnd notرَأَوْاthey sawفَاكِهَةًa fruitفِيinعِيصِهَاits cluster
And they have not seen fruit in its cluster
وَلَاNorرَأَوْهَاdid they see itوَهِيَwhile it isتَهْوِيfallingنَحْوَهُمْtoward them
Nor did they see it while it was falling toward them
وَمَاAnd notلَهُمْfor themمِنْofكَاسِبٍearnerعَلَّمْتُهُI taught him
And they have no earner whom I taught
عَلَىUponجَدِيدِthe newness ofالْأَرْضِthe earthغَيْرِother thanجَحْشِهِمْtheir young mule
Upon the face of the earth other than their young mule
وَجَحْشُهُمْAnd their young muleقَدْhasبَاتَspent the nightمَنْهَوِيَexhausted inالْقُرَىvillages
And their young mule spent the night exhausted in the villages
وَمِثْلِAnd likeأَعْوَادِstalks ofالشَّكَاعَىthistlesكَلْبُهُمْtheir dog
And like the stalks of thistles is their dog
كَأَنَّنِيAs if Iفِيهِمْamong themوَإِنْand even ifوَلِيتُهُمْI ruled them
As if I were among them, even if I governed them
كَانُواThey wereمَوَالِيّْmy mastersوَكُنْتُand I wasعَبْدَهُمْtheir slave
They were my masters and I was their slave
مُجْتَهِداًStrivingبِالنَّصْرِwith victoryلَاnotآلُوهُمْsparing efforts for them
Striving with victory, sparing no effort for them
أَدْعُوI prayلَهُمْfor themيَاOرَبِّLordسَلِّمْkeep safeأَمْرَهُمْtheir affair
I pray for them: O Lord, keep their affair safe
وَتَارَةًAnd at timesأَقُولُI sayمِمَّاout of whatقَدْindeedأَرَىI see
And at times I say, out of what I see:
يَاOرَبِّLordبَاعِدْهُمْdistance themوَبَاعِدْand distanceدَارَهُمْtheir home
O Lord, distance them and distance their home
يَأْوُونَThey take shelterبِاللَّيْلِat nightإِذَاwhenمَاtheyأُحْرِجُواwere straitened
They take shelter at night when they are straitened
وَهِيَAnd it isإِلَىtowardذُرَىthe peaks ofاللَّهَيْمِAl-Luhaymوَهِيَand it isقَدْرُهُمْtheir destiny
Toward the peaks of Al-Luhaym, and it is their destiny
بِهَاAround itيَطُوفُونَthey circleإِذَاwhenمَاtheyاجْرَنْثَمُواgathered
They circle around it when they gather
وَهِيَAnd itأَبُوهُمْis their fatherعِنْدَهُمْto themوَأُمُّهُمْand their mother
And it is like a father and mother to them
زُغْبُFledglingالرُّءُوسِheadsقُرِعَتْwere batteredهَامَاتُهُمْtheir crowns
Fledgling heads, their crowns were battered
مِنَFromالْبَلَاءِafflictionوَأَسْمَأَدَّand dulledسَمْعُهُمْtheir hearing
From affliction, and their hearing was dulled
بَلْNayلَوْifتَرَاهُمْyou saw themلَعَلِمْتَyou would knowأَنَّهُمْthat they are
Nay, if you saw them, you would know that they are
قَوْمٌA peopleمَسَاغِيبُstarvingقَلِيلٌlittleنَوْمُهُمْtheir sleep
A starving people whose sleep is little
وَكَالسُّعَالِيAnd like ghoulsفِيinمُسُوكِهَاtheir skins
And like female ghouls in their skins
فَلَوْSo ifيَعُضُّونَthey biteلَذَكَّىwould flare upسُمُّهُمْtheir venom
So if they were to bite, their venom would flare up
قَدْIndeedجَرَّسُواthey experiencedالدَّهْرَtimeوَقَدْand indeedبَلَاهُمْit tested them
They have experienced time and it has tested them
هَذَاThisوَهَذَاand thisدَأْبُهُis its habitوَدَأْبُهُمْand their habit
This and this is its habit and their habit
وَلَاNorيَعِيشُونَdo they liveبِعَيْشٍwith a lifeسَابِغٍabundant
Nor do they live with an abundant life
وَلَاNorيَمُوتُونَdo they dieوَذَاكَand thatقَصْرُهُمْis their shortcoming
Nor do they die, and that is their limitation
وَقَدْAnd indeedرَجَوْنَاwe hopedيَاOابْنَson ofسَهْلٍSahlنَائِلاًa bounty
And we have hoped, O son of Sahl, for a bounty
مِنْكَFrom youيَرُمُّthat repairsفَقْرَهُمْtheir povertyوَبُؤْسَهُمْand their misery
From you that repairs their poverty and their misery
فَإِنَّمَاFor indeedأَنْتَyou areحَيَاthe rainأَمْثَالِهِمْof their likes
For indeed you are the rain for the likes of them
فَجُدْSo bestowلَهُمْupon themبِنَائِلاًwith a giftلَاdo notتَنْسَهُمْforget them
So bestow upon them a gift, do not forget them
وَأَسْدِAnd grantنُعْمَاكَyour favorsإِلَيْهِمْto themوَاتَّخِذْand acquire
And grant your favors to them and acquire
حَمْداًpraiseوَشُكْراًand gratitudeكُلُّallذَاكَthatعِنْدَهُمْis with them
Praise and gratitude, all of that is with them
هَذَاThisوَأَنْتَwhile youقَدْhaveحَرَمْتَforbiddenحَظَّهُمْtheir share
This while you have forbidden their share
فَلَاSo do notتَجُودَنَّbestow generouslyلِخَلْقٍupon a creatureبَعْدَهُمْafter them
So do not bestow generously upon any creation after them