تشبيبamorous prelude مدحكpraise of you مطربٌenchanting لكنهbut it
تشبيب مدحك مطربٌ لكنه
حقّis rightly due لإطرابto the enchantment of المديحthe praise سباقprecedence
حقّ لإطراب المديح سباق
The amorous prelude to your praise is enchanting, yet
Your youthful praise delights though true,
The enchantment of praise rightly takes precedence.
For praise disquiets the virtuous few.
قاضيjudge of القضاةthe judges وياand O أباAbu (father of) الحسنal-Hasan الذيwho
قاضي القضاة ويا أبا الحسن الذي
شرفتare noble أصولroots of علاهhis eminence والأعراقand ancestral lines
شرفت أصول علاه والأعراق
O judge of judges, O Abu al-Hasan, whose
O highest judge, O Abu Al-Hasan, you
Roots of greatness and ancestral lines are noble.
Who bring renown to roots and branches too.
ياO ابنson of الذينthose who إذاwhen تحدَّثspeaks مادحٌa panegyrist
يا ابن الذين إذا تحدَّث مادحٌ
فإليهمُthen to them ذاكthat الحديثthe discourse يساقis directed
فإليهمُ ذاك الحديث يساق
O son of those who, whenever a panegyrist speaks,
O son of those whom when a praiser spoke,
To them that discourse is directed.
His words to them were tribute due.
ياO خيرbest of منthose لولائناfor our loyalty وثنائناand our praise
يا خير من لولائنا وثنائنا
فيat بابهhis door التقييدbinding والإطلاقand release
في بابه التقييد والإطلاق
O best of men—our loyalty and our praise
O best of those our loyalty evoke,
Find bonds and freedom at his door.
Free or constrained, whate’er we do.
أعداكyour enemies والأنعامand the livestock فيin حالٍa condition سواalike
أعداك والأنعام في حالٍ سوا
حقّis rightly due لمثلهماto the likes of both دمblood مهراقshed
حقّ لمثلهما دم مهراق
Your enemies and the livestock are alike in condition;
I wish you well, though bounty and grace
Shed blood is rightly due to the likes of both.
Call for the spilling blood anew.
فانْحرْهماso slaughter them both فيon يومthe day of عيدكyour feast وابقَand remain ذاpossessed of
فانْحرْهما في يوم عيدك وابقَ ذا
مجدٍglory تضيءُshine بذكرهby its mention الآفاقthe horizons
مجدٍ تضيءُ بذكره الآفاق
So slaughter them both on your feast day, and remain endowed with
Slay them one feast day and leave in place
Glory whose remembrance lights the horizons.
Glory whose beams the horizons strew,
لرقابfor the necks of جزركyour slaughter-beasts والعدىand the foes حدّthe edge of المُداthe knives
لرقاب جزرك والعدى حدّ المُدا
ورقابناand our necks منfrom جودِكyour generosity الأطواقthe necklaces
ورقابنا من جودِك الأطواق
For the necks of your slaughter-beasts and foes, the knives’ edge;
For necks you’ve ransomed, and the foe held back,
And for our necks, necklaces from your bounty.
While round our necks your gifts accrue.
Sol 6.1