بأبيwith my father as ransom علىabove عينthe eye الحبيبةthe beloved woman حاجبan eyebrow
بأبي على عين الحبيبة حاجب
لكنهbut it بصبابتيwith my ardent longing مقرونjoined
لكنه بصبابتي مقرون
May my father be ransom for a brow above the beloved’s eye!
By my father's life, on the eye of the beloved is an eyebrow
Yet it is joined to my yearning.
Yet with my youthfulness it is associated
لوif شامهhe beheld it حتَّىeven الجنيدal-Junayd لراقهit would delight him
لو شامه حتَّى الجنيد لراقه
منfrom حرفهاher letter بجبينهاupon her forehead ذاbearer of (Dhū) النونthe letter nūn (N)
من حرفها بجبينها ذا النون
Were even al-Junayd to behold it, he would be charmed
If Al-Junayd were to smell it even a little
By the letter upon her forehead—Dhū al-Nūn.
He would find it pleasing from her letter Noon on her forehead
حبِّيmy love لهاfor her حبّlove العلىthe lofty heights لتقيهاfor their pious one
حبِّي لها حبّ العلى لتقيها
لمdid not يدرknow لاحَa reprover (contextual reading) أيناwhich of us المفتونthe enthralled one
لم يدر لاحَ أينا المفتون
My love for her is the heights’ love for their pious one.
My love for her is the love of the most High to protect her
No reprover knew which of us was enthralled.
He wouldn't know which of us is the one infatuated
ذوa man of النسكdevotion والخلعand the robes of honor التيwhich قرتbecame established بهاthrough them
ذو النسك والخلع التي قرت بها
وتقرّand become established جنَّاتgardens لناfor us وعيونand springs; also eyes
وتقرّ جنَّات لنا وعيون
A man of devotion and robes of honor, through which were secured
The one of devotion and renunciation with whom she settled
And are still secured—gardens and springs for us.
And the gardens and fountains settle for us
ياO سيدmaster الوزراءthe viziers لاnot مستثنياًmaking an exception
يا سيد الوزراء لا مستثنياً
منanyone who كانَwas منamong أمثالِهمtheir like ويكونand will be
من كانَ من أمثالِهم ويكون
O master of viziers, I make no exception
O vizier no exception
For any of their like, past or yet to come.
To whoever was of their likes and will be
شرفتwere exalted صفاتكyour qualities عنabove مثيلٍa peer منهمُamong them
شرفت صفاتك عن مثيلٍ منهمُ
وإذاand behold بجعفرthere is Ja‘far عندbeside بحركyour sea دونinferior
وإذا بجعفر عند بحرك دون
Your qualities are too exalted for a peer among them,
Your qualities have ennobled over any equal to them
And behold, Ja‘far falls short beside your sea.
And Ja'far is by your sea not below
إنif كانَthere is للخلفاءِfor the caliphs مثلٌa peer يلتقىto be encountered
إن كانَ للخلفاءِ مثلٌ يلتقى
فيin الشامِal-Shām (the Levant) أينwhere مراحلjourney-stages المأمونal-Ma’mūn
في الشامِ أين مراحل المأمون
If the caliphs have a peer to be encountered
If the caliphs had an equal to meet
In al-Shām, where are al-Ma’mūn’s journey-stages?
In Damascus where are the journeys of Al-Ma'mun
Sol 6.1