أرأيتhave you seen? نهجthe path الحقof truth كيفhow يبينbecomes clear
أرأيت نهج الحق كيف يبين
ومطالعand the risings الوزراءof ministers كيفhow يكونcome to be
ومطالع الوزراء كيف يكون
Have you seen how the path of truth grows clear,
and how ministers rise into view?
والدّرّand pearls كيفhow يغيبvanish فيin أدراجهtheir caskets
والدّرّ كيف يغيب في أدراجه
ويعاودand return التقليدinvestiture وهوwhile it is ثمينprecious
ويعاود التقليد وهو ثمين
And how pearls vanish into their caskets,
and return to investiture, precious still?
والعضبand the keen sword يعرفis recognized قدرهits worth وعناءهand its service
والعضب يعرف قدره وعناءه
إنwhether سلّit is drawn أوor غمضتhave closed عليهover it جفونsheaths
إن سلّ أو غمضت عليه جفون
And the keen sword's worth and service are known,
whether drawn or its sheath's eyelids close over it.
للهGod be praised أيّwhat بشارةglad tidings سيَّارةٍfar-traveling
لله أيّ بشارة سيَّارةٍ
قرتfound repose عيونٌeyes عندهاin its presence وظنونand doubts
قرت عيونٌ عندها وظنون
God be praised! What far-traveling glad tidings,
at which eyes and doubts found repose!
دعتprayed الوزارةthe ministry أنthat يعودreturn لشملهاto its fold
دعت الوزارة أن يعود لشملها
كفءٌa worthy equal فقالand then said لهاto it الزمانTime أمينAmen
كفءٌ فقال لها الزمان أمين
The ministry prayed that to its fold might return
a worthy man; and Time said to it, 'Amen.'
ماnot زالَceased داجٍdark أفقهاits horizon حتَّىuntil بداappeared
ما زالَ داجٍ أفقها حتَّى بدا
منfrom حضرةthe precincts القدسof Jerusalem السناthe radiance المكنونconcealed
من حضرة القدس السنا المكنون
Its horizon remained dark until there appeared,
from Jerusalem's precincts, the hidden radiance.
وسرىand journeyed الوزيرthe minister إلىto البلادِthe lands كماjust as سرىflowed
وسرى الوزير إلى البلادِ كما سرى
للجدبto parched ground منبجسan outburst الغمامof clouds هتونpouring abundantly
للجدب منبجس الغمام هتون
And the minister journeyed to the lands, as flows
to parched earth a downpour bursting from clouds.
وتلقفتand swallowed إفكthe falsehood الغواةof deceivers يراعةٌa reed pen
وتلقفت إفك الغواة يراعةٌ
ألقتcast عصاهاits staff فيinto الأمورِaffairs يمينa right hand
ألقت عصاها في الأمورِ يمين
And a reed pen swallowed the deceivers' falsehood;
a right hand had cast its staff into affairs.
محمرَّةٌred فكأنهاso as though it were مخضوبةdyed
محمرَّةٌ فكأنها مخضوبة
ممَّاfrom what تقدّit cleaves منof العدىthe foes وتبينand severs
ممَّا تقدّ من العدى وتبين
Red, as though it were dyed,
from the foes it cleaves and severs.
حلفتit swore فبرَّتand kept its oath أنthat ستكشفit would dispel ماwhat دجىgrew dark
حلفت فبرَّت أن ستكشف ما دجى
ولنعمand how excellent مخضوبdyed البنانat the fingertips يمينa right hand
ولنعم مخضوب البنان يمين
It swore, and kept its oath, to dispel what had grown dark;
and excellent indeed is a right hand with dyed fingertips!
أعظمْhow mighty بهاتيكis that اليراعةreed pen إنهاindeed it is
أعظمْ بهاتيك اليراعة إنها
حصنٌa fortress لأقطارfor the regions البلادof the land حصينstrong
حصنٌ لأقطار البلاد حصين
How mighty is that reed pen! It is
a strong fortress for the regions of the land.
تفدِيit ransoms لقاصدهاfor one seeking it وتحفظand guards سرحthe grazing flock ماwhat
تفدِي لقاصدها وتحفظ سرح ما
وَلِيَتْit governs فتبذلso it gives ماwhat تشاit wishes وتصونand safeguards
وَلِيَتْ فتبذل ما تشا وتصون
It ransoms those who seek it and guards the flock of what
it governs; so it grants what it wills and safeguards.
كمhow often أطربتit delighted سمعاًan ear لرافعِof one submitting قصةٍa petition
كم أطربت سمعاً لرافعِ قصةٍ
فكأنَّso as though رجعَthe echo صريرهاof its scratching تلحينmelody-making
فكأنَّ رجعَ صريرها تلحين
How often it has delighted the ear of one submitting a petition,
so the echo of its scratching seems a melody!
ولكمand how often جنتit brought about حرباًwar لطالبupon one seeking فتنةdiscord
ولكم جنت حرباً لطالب فتنة
فكأنَّso as though صفَّthe array سطورهاof its lines صفَّينSiffin
فكأنَّ صفَّ سطورها صفَّين
And how often it has brought war upon one seeking discord,
as though the array of its lines were Siffin!
نشأتit grew بغيلin the thicket الأسدof lions يرضعهاsuckles it الحياthe rain
نشأت بغيل الأسد يرضعها الحيا
فلذاكso for that reason تقسوit is stern تارةًat times وتلينand is gentle
فلذاك تقسو تارةً وتلين
It grew in the lions' thicket, suckled by the rain;
and so it is stern at times, and at times gentle.
ياoh حبَّذاhow splendid بابthe door الوزيرof the minister وحبَّذاand how splendid
يا حبَّذا باب الوزير وحبَّذا
بالقاصدينwith visitors جنابهhis court المشحونthronged
بالقاصدين جنابه المشحون
How splendid the minister's door, and how splendid
his court, thronged with those who seek him!
يلقاكmeets you منof نورthe radiance المهابةof awe حاجبٌa doorkeeper
يلقاك من نور المهابة حاجبٌ
لكنَّهbut he بنوالهwith his bounty مقرونpaired
لكنَّه بنواله مقرون
A doorkeeper of awe's radiance meets you,
yet he is paired with the minister's bounty.
وأغرُّand a radiant man لاnot يشكوcomplains النزيلthe guest ببابهat his door
وأغرُّ لا يشكو النزيل ببابه
ضرراًof harm ولاnor يتظلَّمcomplains of injustice المسكينthe poor man
ضرراً ولا يتظلَّم المسكين
And a radiant man: no guest at his door complains
of harm, nor does the poor man lament injustice.
فرضتwere prescribed مواهبهhis gifts وأرهفand was honed عزمهhis resolve
فرضت مواهبه وأرهف عزمه
فتوافقso accorded المفروضthe prescribed والمسنونand the sharpened
فتوافق المفروض والمسنون
His gifts are prescribed, and his resolve is sharpened;
thus the prescribed and the sharpened are in harmony.
ذوpossessing راحةa palm منfrom برّهاits kindness وعقابهاand its punishment
ذو راحة من برّها وعقابها
منfrom كلِّevery شارقةsunrise مُنىhopes ومنونand death
من كلِّ شارقة مُنى ومنون
He has a palm: from its kindness and its punishment come,
with every sunrise, hopes and death.
تجريglide بماwith what نفعَbenefited الورىhumankind أقلامهاits pens
تجري بما نفعَ الورى أقلامها
فكأنَّهاso as though it were بحرٌa sea وهنَّand they سفينships
فكأنَّها بحرٌ وهنَّ سفين
Its pens glide with what benefits humankind,
as though it were a sea and they were ships.
وتنالand it attains ماwhat أعيىbaffled الرجالmen كأنَّهاas though it were
وتنال ما أعيى الرجال كأنَّها
جدٌّearnestness وأبناءand the sons الزمانof Time مجونfrivolity
جدٌّ وأبناء الزمان مجون
And it achieves what has baffled men, as though it were
earnestness, and the sons of Time frivolity.
أمعيدO restorer سرحthe grazing flock الملكof the kingdom يزهىgrows splendid شأنهits state
أمعيد سرح الملك يزهى شأنه
منfrom بعدِafter ماthat مرَّتpassed عليهover it سنونyears
من بعدِ ما مرَّت عليه سنون
O restorer of the kingdom's flock, whose state grows splendid
after years have passed over it!
أللهGod جاركyour protector ماhow أبرّvirtuous شمائلاًin character
ألله جارك ما أبرّ شمائلاً
تعنوbow الخطوبcalamities لأمرهاto their command فتهونand so grow light
تعنو الخطوب لأمرها فتهون
God be your protector! How virtuous are your qualities,
to whose command calamities bow and grow light!
جنَّwent mad الذيhe who يبغيseeks مقامكyour station فيin العلىthe heights
جنَّ الذي يبغي مقامك في العلى
ويرومand seeks شأوكyour reach والجنونand madness فنونmany forms
ويروم شأوك والجنون فنون
Mad is he who seeks your station in the heights
and strives to match your reach—madness has many forms—
وفعائلاًand deeds تمضيtakes effect إرادتهاtheir intention إذاwhen
وفعائلاً تمضي إرادتها إذا
ماemphatic particle صاحبaccompanied الأفعالthe verbs قدqad ('already') والسينand sīn ('will')
ما صاحب الأفعال قد والسين
and deeds whose intention takes effect whenever
qad ('already') and sīn ('will') accompany the verbs.
لاmay it not زالَcease بابكyour door ظلهits shade فوقabove الرجاhope
لا زالَ بابك ظله فوق الرجا
ونزيلهand its lodger التأييدsupport والتمكينand secure power
ونزيله التأييد والتمكين
May your door remain, its shade above hope,
and may support and secure power lodge within it.
وفرتْabounded مواهبهhis gifts ورقّand grew fine مديحهpraise of him
وفرتْ مواهبه ورقّ مديحه
فتشابهso resembled each other المكيولthe measured-out والموزونand the metered
فتشابه المكيول والموزون
His gifts abounded, and praise of him grew fine,
so the measured-out gifts and the metered verses were alike.
Sol 6.1