جاءَcame البشيرthe bearer of good news بهاwith her فقلتُso I said لدرّهto his pearls
جاءَ البشير بها فقلتُ لدرّه
لفظاًin speech وفضلاًand in bounty شنفadorn الأسماعاthe ears
لفظاً وفضلاً شنف الأسماعا
The bearer of good news came with her; I said to his pearls:
When the herald brought the news of her to me, I said to her glory,
"In speech and bounty, adorn the ears!"
In eloquence and virtue, a rarity to be heard,
سمراءdusky إلاَّexcept أنهاthat she is حنطيَّةwheat-colored
سمراء إلاَّ أنها حنطيَّة
ترويshe quenches thirst عطاشاًthirsty ones للقاfor a meeting وجياعاand hungry ones
تروي عطاشاً للقا وجياعا
Dusky, save that she is wheat-colored,
She is dark-skinned, though wheat-complexioned,
She sates those thirsting for a meeting, and the hungry.
Quenching thirsts for the eminent and feeding the famished,
وكريمةand noble الأنسابin lineage أصدقهاdowered her الندىgenerosity
وكريمة الأنساب أصدقها الندى
كفؤاًa worthy mate إذwhen أمرthe affairs of القريضpoetry أضاعاhe neglected
كفؤاً إذ أمر القريض أضاعا
And noble in lineage—Bounty dowered her
Noble of lineage, as the dew has proven her
With a worthy mate, when he had neglected the craft of verse.
A match when the spinning wheel of fate has tossed about,
ياO آلhouse of فضلFadl اللهAllah دمتمmay you remain فيin الثناpraise
يا آل فضل الله دمتم في الثنا
والأجرand reward كنزاًa treasure للعفاةfor seekers of bounty مشاعاfreely shared
والأجر كنزاً للعفاة مشاعا
O house of Fadl Allah, may you remain, amid praise
O House of God’s Bounty, may you remain praised
And reward, a treasure open to seekers of bounty.
And your reward a treasure for the destitute shared,
يسقىwaters نداكمyour bounty's dew منfrom نباتيّplantlike, alluding to Nubata الثناpraise
يسقى نداكم من نباتيّ الثنا
زرعاًa crop يغاثis refreshed by rain فيعجبand so delights الزّرّاعاthe sowers
زرعاً يغاث فيعجب الزّرّاعا
Your bounty's dew waters, from Ibn Nubata's budding praise,
Your benevolence waters the plants of praise
A crop refreshed by rain, delighting the sowers.
A crop that relieves, amazing the farmers,
تؤمرونyou make princes of قصائديmy poems منfrom بعدafter ماwhat
تؤمرون قصائدي من بعد ما
كابدتthey endured منthrough حاليmy condition الضعيفfeeble ضياعاruin
كابدت من حالي الضعيف ضياعا
You make princes of my poems, after
You commission my poems after what
They had suffered ruin through my feeble condition.
I have endured of my feeble, lost state,
كمhow many ضيعةٍa loss للحالto one's fortunes كانتwas قطعةa verse-fragment
كم ضيعةٍ للحال كانت قطعة
فغدتthen it became بضيعةthrough an estate غلةٍyield أقطاعاfiefs
فغدت بضيعة غلةٍ أقطاعا
How many a verse-fragment had been a loss to my fortunes,
How many estates has my state severed
Then, through a yield-bearing estate, became fiefs!
And turned into estates of plenty I have been granted
Sol 6.1