ياO ابنson of المخيزيمal-Mukhayzim وافَتناreached us رسائلكمyour letters
يا ابن المخيزيم وافَتنا رسائلكم
مشحونةًladen بضروبwith kinds of الفضلexcellence والأدَبِand literary refinement
مشحونةً بضروب الفضل والأدَبِ
O son of al-Mukhayzim, your letters reached us,
O son of Mukhayzim, your missives have reached us
Laden with forms of excellence and literary grace.
Filled with all kinds of merit and refinement.
جاءتthey came بأعذبwith the sweetest ألفاظٍwords منظمةwell-ordered
جاءت بأعذب ألفاظٍ منظمة
حتَّىuntil لقدindeed خلتهاI thought them ضرباًa kind منof الضربwhite honey
حتَّى لقد خلتها ضرباً من الضرب
They came in the sweetest, well-ordered words,
They came with the sweetest well-arranged words
Until I truly thought them a kind of white honey.
As if they were a kind apart from all kinds.
زَهَتْthey shone بأوصافwith descriptions of منthe one whom تعنيهyou mean him وابتهجتand they rejoiced
زَهَتْ بأوصاف من تعنيه وابتهجت
كماjust as زهتmade radiant كأسهاits cup الصبهاءُtawny wine بالحَببwith bubbles
كما زهت كأسها الصبهاءُ بالحَبب
They shone with descriptions of the one you mean, and rejoiced,
They shone with descriptions of the one you mean and rejoiced
As tawny wine made its cup glow with bubbles.
As the goblet of wine shines with pure wine.
عَلَّلْتموناyou comforted us بكتْبٍwith letters منكُمfrom you وَرَدتْarrived
عَلَّلْتمونا بكتْبٍ منكُم وَرَدتْ
وربَّماand sometimes نَفَعَproved helpful التعليلُconsolation بالكُتبِthrough letters
وربَّما نَفَعَ التعليلُ بالكُتبِ
You comforted us with letters that arrived from you,
You reproached us with books from you that arrived
And sometimes letters do serve to soothe.
And reproach with books may benefit the books.
فيهاin them منof الشوقlonging أضعافٌmanyfold measures مضاعفةٌredoubled
فيها من الشوق أضعافٌ مضاعفةٌ
تطويenfold جوانحthe ribs of مشتاقٍone who yearns علىaround لهبa flame
تطوي جوانح مشتاقٍ على لهب
In them is longing multiplied many times,
In them several folds of longing
Folding the ribs of one who yearns around a flame.
That would fold the wings of a longing lover aflame.
وربَّماand sometimes عَرَضَتْappeared باللّطفِwith gentleness واعترضتand intervened
وربَّما عَرَضَتْ باللّطفِ واعترضت
دعابةa jest هيit is بينbetween الجدّearnestness واللعبand play
دعابة هي بين الجدّ واللعب
And sometimes, gently, there appeared and intervened
And sometimes it was touched with charm and intersected
A jest that lies between earnestness and play.
With jest midway between seriousness and play.
قضيتُI experienced منat حُسْنthe beauty of ماwhat أبْدَعْتهyou created it عجباًwonder
قضيتُ من حُسْن ما أبْدَعْته عجباً
وأنتَand you تقضيyou put an end علىto الإحسانexcellence بالعجبthrough self-admiration
وأنتَ تقضي على الإحسان بالعجب
I marveled at the beauty of what you created,
I spent time marveling at the beauty you created
And you undo excellence through self-admiration.
While you spend time thanking goodness with marvel.
فنحنso we ممّاfrom what انتشيناwe became intoxicated منby عذوبتهاtheir sweetness
فنحن ممّا انتشينا من عذوبتها
ببنتِwith the daughter of فكركyour thought نلهوwe revel لاnot ابنةِthe daughter of العنبthe grape
ببنتِ فكرك نلهو لا ابنةِ العنب
So we, intoxicated by their sweetness,
So we, from the sweetness we derived from it,
Revel in the daughter of your thought, not the daughter of the grape.
Sport not with the daughter of the vine but the daughter of your thought.
فأطربتناso it enraptured us وهزَّتناand it stirred us فصاحتهاtheir eloquence
فأطربتنا وهزَّتنا فصاحتها
فلاso may it never بَرِحَتْcease to be مدىthroughout الأيامthe days فيin طربrapture
فلا بَرِحَتْ مدى الأيام في طرب
Their eloquence enraptured us and stirred us;
It captivated us and shook us with its eloquence
So may it never cease, through all the days, to dwell in rapture.
And never ceased, for days on end, to captivate.
أمَّاas for النقيبانthe two chiefs أعلىmay He exalt اللهGod قدرهماthe rank of both
أمَّا النقيبان أعلى الله قدرهما
فيin الخافقينthe two horizons ونالاand may they both attain أرفعthe loftiest الرتبranks
في الخافقين ونالا أرفع الرتب
As for the two naqibs—may God exalt their rank
As for the two excellencies—may God raise their worth
In East and West, and may they attain the highest ranks—
In the two abodes—and grant them the highest ranks.
الطاهرانthe two pure ones النجيبانthe two noble ones اللّذانwho (both) هماthey both
الطاهران النجيبان اللّذان هما
منfrom خَيرthe finest أمٍّmother زكَتْwas pure أعراقُهاher lineage وأبand father
من خَير أمٍّ زكَتْ أعراقُها وأب
The two pure, noble men, who are
The two pure, noble ones who are
Of the finest mother, whose lineage was pure, and father.
Of the best mother whose lineage is pure and father virtuous.
دامَmay he remain السَّعيدal-Sa'id لديكمwith you فيin سعادتهhis happiness
دامَ السَّعيد لديكم في سعادته
وسالمand Salim سالماًsafe منfrom حادثthe onset of النوبcalamities
وسالم سالماً من حادث النوب
May al-Sa'id remain with you in his happiness,
May the prosperous one amongst you live in prosperity
And Salim remain safe from the onset of calamities.
And greetings, greetings to the absent one from misfortune.
إنَّindeed الكويتKuwait حماهاmay He protect it اللهGod قدindeed بلغتhas attained
إنَّ الكويت حماها الله قد بلغت
باليوسْفينthrough the two Yusufs مكانthe station of السَّبْعةthe seven الشُّهبradiant stars
باليوسْفين مكان السَّبْعة الشُّهب
Indeed, Kuwait—may God protect it—has reached
Verily Kuwait—may God protect it—has reached
Through the two Yusufs, the station of the seven radiant stars.
Through the two Josephs the place of the seven planets,
تاللهby God ماnot سمعتheard أذُنيmy ear ولاnor بصرتsaw
تالله ما سمعت أذُني ولا بصرت
عَيْنيmy eye بعزِّهماof their glory (both) فيamong سائرِthe rest of العربthe Arabs
عَيْني بعزِّهما في سائرِ العرب
By God, I have neither heard with my ear nor seen
By God, my ear has never heard nor my eye seen
With my eye such glory as theirs among all other Arabs.
The likes of their honor among all the Arabs.
فيوسُفfor Yusuf بنson of صَبيحSabih طيبthe fragrance of عنصرهhis lineage
فيوسُف بن صَبيح طيب عنصره
أذكىmore fragrant منthan المسكmusk إنْif يعبقit wafts fragrantly وإنْand if يطبِit smells sweet
أذكى من المسك إنْ يعبق وإنْ يطبِ
For Yusuf ibn Sabih—the fragrance of his lineage
Joseph ibn Sabih, his good lineage is fragrant
Is more fragrant than musk, when it wafts and when it smells sweet.
More redolent than musk, whether it exudes or is wrapped.
ويوسُفand Yusuf البَدرal-Badr فيin سعدٍgood fortune وفيand in شرفhonor
ويوسُف البَدر في سعدٍ وفي شرف
بدرthe full moon of الأماجدthe illustrious لمhas not يغربset ولمand has not يغبvanished
بدر الأماجد لم يغرب ولم يغب
And Yusuf al-Badr, in good fortune and honor,
And Joseph Badr, in good fortune and nobility
Is the full moon of the illustrious: he has neither set nor vanished.
The full moon of glories that never rose or set.
فخرthe pride of الأكارمthe noble والأمجادand the illustrious قاطبةall together
فخر الأكارم والأمجاد قاطبة
وآفةand the bane of الفضّةsilver البيضاءwhite والذهبand gold
وآفة الفضّة البيضاء والذهب
The pride of all the noble and illustrious,
Pride of all generous deeds and glories in their entirety
And the bane of white silver and gold.
And affliction of white silver and gold.
منamong كلِّeveryone منwho بسطتopened فيin الجودgenerosity راحتهhis palm
من كلِّ من بسطت في الجود راحته
صوبthe shower of المكارمnoble deeds منfrom أيديهhis hands فيin وَصبsickness
صوب المكارم من أيديه في وَصب
Among all whose palms are outstretched in generosity,
From each one who extends in munificence his hand’s breadth
The shower of noble deeds from their hands is ailing.
Towards glorious deeds, from their hands in outpouring.
لولاwere it not for أمورٌmatters أعاقتناhindered us عوائقهاtheir obstacles
لولا أمورٌ أعاقتنا عوائقها
جِئْناwe would have come إليكمto you ولوeven if حَبْواًcrawling علىon الرّكبthe knees
جِئْنا إليكم ولو حَبْواً على الرّكب
Were it not for matters whose obstacles hindered us,
Were it not for matters that hindered us with obstacles
We would have come to you, even crawling on our knees.
We would have come to you even crawling on our knees.
Sol 6.1