تَرىyou see يوسُفاًJoseph فيin ثَوبِهِhis robe حُسنَbeauty صورَةٍform
تَرى يوسُفاً في ثَوبِهِ حُسنَ صورَةٍ
وَتَسمَعُand you hear داوُداًDavid بِهِin him مُتَرَنِّماsinging melodiously
وَتَسمَعُ داوُداً بِهِ مُتَرَنِّما
You see Joseph in his robe, so fair of form,
and hear David in him, singing melodiously.
تَقَلَّدَslung on مِنهُfrom him عاتِقُthe shoulder of المُلكِkingship مُرهَفاًa keen-edged blade
تَقَلَّدَ مِنهُ عاتِقُ المُلكِ مُرهَفاً
إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) نَباglanced off العَضبُthe sharp sword المُهَنَّدُIndian-forged صَمَّماcut clean through
إِذا ما نَبا العَضبُ المُهَنَّدُ صَمَّما
In him, kingship has slung a keen blade upon its shoulder,
which cuts clean through when the sharp Indian sword glances off.
مَضىpressed on حَيثُwhere لَمdid not يَعلَقcling نَجيعٌgore بِنَصلِهِto its blade
مَضى حَيثُ لَم يَعلَق نَجيعٌ بِنَصلِهِ
فَيَدمىand so become bloodstained وَلَمand did not يَكهَمgrow blunt ظُباهُits cutting edges فَيَكهَماand so become dull
فَيَدمى وَلَم يَكهَم ظُباهُ فَيَكهَما
It presses on where no gore has clung to its blade
to bloody it, nor have its edges blunted to make it dull.
فَهاso behold هُوَhe فيin السِنِّage السَلامُthe closing salutation تَأَخُّراًcoming last
فَها هُوَ في السِنِّ السَلامُ تَأَخُّراً
وَفيand in المَجدِglory عُنوانُthe heading of الكِتابِthe book تَقَدُّماcoming first
وَفي المَجدِ عُنوانُ الكِتابِ تَقَدُّما
Behold him: in years, the closing salutation, placed last,
but in glory, the book’s heading, placed first.
تَواضَعَhe humbled himself عَنfrom عِزٍّhigh estate وَأَشرَفَand rose high هِمَّةًin ambition
تَواضَعَ عَن عِزٍّ وَأَشرَفَ هِمَّةً
فَأَنجَدَand so ascended to Najd فيalong طُرُقِthe paths of المَعاليeminence وَأَتهَماand descended to Tihama
فَأَنجَدَ في طُرُقِ المَعالي وَأَتهَما
He is humble in his high estate, yet lofty in ambition,
and treads the paths of eminence, up to Najd and down to Tihama.
لَهُhe has عَزمَةٌa resolute will لَوif نَهنَهَتit restrained صارِماًa keen sword نَباit would recoil
لَهُ عَزمَةٌ لَو نَهنَهَت صارِماً نَبا
فَلَمand so did not يَمضِcut through أَوor مَرَّتit passed بِطَودٍby a mountain تَهَدَّماit would crumble
فَلَم يَمضِ أَو مَرَّت بِطَودٍ تَهَدَّما
His resolve, if it checked a keen sword, would make it recoil
and fail to cut; if it passed a mountain, the mountain would crumble.
وَرَأيٌand judgment جَلاburnished بيضَgleaming السُيوفِthe swords طَريرَةًkeen-edged
وَرَأيٌ جَلا بيضَ السُيوفِ طَريرَةً
وَثَقَّفَand straightened مَيّادَswaying الرِماحِthe spears وَلَهذَماand sharpened them
وَثَقَّفَ مَيّادَ الرِماحِ وَلَهذَما
And his judgment has burnished the gleaming swords to keenness,
and straightened the swaying spears and sharpened them.
وَهاand here أَناI am إِنif تَمرَضfalls ill بِأَرضِكَin your land حاجَةٌa need
وَها أَنا إِن تَمرَض بِأَرضِكَ حاجَةٌ
فَقَدthen indeed جِئتُI have come أَبغيseeking مِنكَfrom you عيسىJesus بنَson of مَريَماMary
فَقَد جِئتُ أَبغي مِنكَ عيسى بنَ مَريَما
And here I am: if a need falls ill in your land,
I have come seeking in you Jesus, son of Mary.
وَغَيرُand not بَعيدٍfar-fetched أَنthat أَنالَI may reach بِكَthrough you السُهىthe star Suha
وَغَيرُ بَعيدٍ أَن أَنالَ بِكَ السُهى
سُمُوّاًrising high إِذاif كانَis اِعتِناؤُكَyour care سُلَّماa ladder
سُمُوّاً إِذا كانَ اِعتِناؤُكَ سُلَّما
Nor is it far-fetched that through you I should reach the star Suha,
rising high, if your care becomes a ladder.
فَعِشso live on تَخلَعِshall bestow الأَمداحُpraises ثَوباًa robe مُطَرَّزاًembroidered
فَعِش تَخلَعِ الأَمداحُ ثَوباً مُطَرَّزاً
عَلَيكَupon you وَحُرُّand pure الشُكرِgratitude عِقداًa necklace مُنَظَّماfinely strung
عَلَيكَ وَحُرُّ الشُكرِ عِقداً مُنَظَّما
So live on: praises shall bestow an embroidered robe
upon you, and pure gratitude a finely strung necklace.
فَماfor ... is not السَيفُthe sword يَومَon the day of الرَوعِterror نَبَّهتَyou awakened حَدَّهُits edge
فَما السَيفُ يَومَ الرَوعِ نَبَّهتَ حَدَّهُ
فَأَضرَمتُهُthen I kindled it ناراًinto fire وَضَرَّجتُهُand I drenched it دَماwith blood
فَأَضرَمتُهُ ناراً وَضَرَّجتُهُ دَما
For no sword on the day of terror—its edge awakened by you,
then kindled by me to flame and drenched in blood—
بِأَليَنَany more supple أَعطافاًin its curves وَأَخشَنَand harsher مَضرِباًin striking
بِأَليَنَ أَعطافاً وَأَخشَنَ مَضرِباً
وَأَرهَبَand more fearsome إِقداماًin attack وَأَجدىand more effective تَخَذُّماin cleaving
وَأَرهَبَ إِقداماً وَأَجدى تَخَذُّما
is more supple in its curves or harsher in its stroke,
more fearsome in attack or more effective in cleaving than you.
وَلاnor الرَوضُthe garden غِبَّafter القَطرِrain فَضَّضَهُsilvered it النَدىthe dew
وَلا الرَوضُ غِبَّ القَطرِ فَضَّضَهُ النَدى
وَرَجَّعَand trilled فيهِwithin it طائِرٌa bird فَتَكَلَّماand so spoke
وَرَجَّعَ فيهِ طائِرٌ فَتَكَلَّما
Nor is the garden after rain, silvered by dew,
where a bird trills and then speaks,
بِأَطيَبَany more pleasant أَفياءًin shade وَأَنضَرَand fresher صَفحَةًin appearance
بِأَطيَبَ أَفياءً وَأَنضَرَ صَفحَةً
وَأَعطَرَand more fragrant أَخلاقاًin character وَأَحلىand sweeter تَرَنُّماin song
وَأَعطَرَ أَخلاقاً وَأَحلى تَرَنُّما
more pleasant in its shade or fresher in its face,
more fragrant in its nature or sweeter in its song than you.
Sol 6.1