وكأنّماand as though مدْحُpraise of الأثيرِal-Athir أثارَهاstirred it
وكأنّما مدْحُ الأثيرِ أثارَها
لوif مُيِّزتْwere distinguished ألفاظُهاits words بمعانِby meanings
لو مُيِّزتْ ألفاظُها بمعانِ
And as though praise of al-Athir had stirred it,
As though the praise of the noble one aroused it
were its words distinguished by meanings.
If its words were distinguished by meanings
قاضٍa judge لهhe has فضلُexcellence in القضاءِjudgment فقدand indeed غَداhas become
قاضٍ له فضلُ القضاءِ فقد غَدا
يرْضىis pleased بحكمةِwith the wisdom of حكمهِhis judgment الخَصْمانِthe two litigants
يرْضى بحكمةِ حكمهِ الخَصْمانِ
A judge endowed with excellence in judgment; now
A judge whose merit in judgment is so great
both litigants are content with his ruling's wisdom.
That both opponents accept the wisdom of his rule
مُتنقّلٌmoving فيin المُلْكِthe realm بينamong مراتبٍranks
مُتنقّلٌ في المُلْكِ بين مراتبٍ
مترتباتٍordered in succession أوّلاًfirst فيinto ثانِsecond
مترتباتٍ أوّلاً في ثانِ
Moving through ranks in royal service,
Moving through the kingdom among ranks
ordered in succession, from first to second,
Arranged first and next in order
نزعَتْهُdrew him out منfrom درّاعةٍa robe دينيةٍreligious
نزعَتْهُ من درّاعةٍ دينيةٍ
وحواهُand embraced him دسْتُa seat of office فيin يدَيْthe two hands of دِيوانِa chancery
وحواهُ دسْتُ في يدَيْ دِيوانِ
they drew him out of a religious robe,
It drew him from a coat of religious law
and a seat of office embraced him in a chancery's hands.
And Destiny's hand placed him in the Diwan's office
وهيand it is الرئاسةُleadership كانhad أحكمَfirmly secured عقدَهاits knot
وهي الرئاسةُ كان أحكمَ عقدَها
بيدِby the hand of الإلهGod لهُfor him بنانُfingertips of بَيانِeloquence
بيدِ الإله لهُ بنانُ بَيانِ
It is leadership, whose knot had been firmly tied
And that is the Caliphate whose bond was made firm
for him by eloquence's fingers, with God's hand.
By God's hand, for him the structure of rhetoric
لوif لمnot يكنhad ملَكَpossessed الفضائلَthe virtues كفُّهُhis palm
لو لم يكن ملَكَ الفضائلَ كفُّهُ
ماwould not استَعْبرتْhave wept بسحائبِwith clouds of الإحسانِbeneficence
ما استَعْبرتْ بسحائبِ الإحسانِ
Had his palm not possessed the virtues,
If the palm of virtues did not restrain him
it would not have wept with clouds of beneficence.
The clouds of kindness would not rain
هذيthese الكواكبُstars وهيand they are أدْنىthe least of لفظِهhis utterance
هذي الكواكبُ وهي أدْنى لفظِه
قدalready نُظّمَتْhave been strung فيهin it انتظامَin the arrangement of جُمانِpearls
قد نُظّمَتْ فيه انتظامَ جُمانِ
These stars, though the least of his utterance,
These stars, though the lowest of his words
have been strung within it like pearls.
Are strung in it in order like pearls
بأناملٍby fingertips سالتْflowed وصالتْand charged فادّعىthen claimed
بأناملٍ سالتْ وصالتْ فادّعى
فيin شِبْهِهاtheir likeness التهْتانَthe downpour بالبَهْتانِwith falsehood
في شِبْهِها التهْتانَ بالبَهْتانِ
By fingertips that flowed and charged; then it claimed
With fingers that flow and are connected, so he claimed
to resemble them—the downpour, falsely.
Their twisting is like tendrils in the garden
يعلوmounts مَطاًthe back of قلمٍa pen كشبهِlike the likeness of صفاتِهاtheir qualities
يعلو مَطاً قلمٍ كشبهِ صفاتِها
فاختالَso strutted بينbetween العَرْفِbeneficence والعُرْفانِand knowledge
فاختالَ بين العَرْفِ والعُرْفانِ
He rides a pen's back, its qualities like theirs,
It rises beyond the reach of a pen, like the likeness of its traits
and struts between beneficence and knowledge.
So it swaggered between recognition and mystic knowledge
قلمٌa pen يقلّمُclips ظِفْرَthe claw of كلّevery ملمّةٍcalamity
قلمٌ يقلّمُ ظِفْرَ كلّ ملمّةٍ
ويكفّand restrains نابَthe fang of نوائبِthe misfortunes of الحدَثانِtime
ويكفّ نابَ نوائبِ الحدَثانِ
A pen that clips every calamity's claw,
A pen that trims the nail of every fault-finder
and checks the fang of time's misfortunes.
And restrains the fang of calamitous events
مجدٌglory يكرّرُrepeats كلّevery أولِfirst مفخَرٍsource of pride
مجدٌ يكرّرُ كلّ أولِ مفخَرٍ
تَكْرارَlike the repetition of بسمِin the name of اللهGod فيin القرآنِthe Qur'an
تَكْرارَ بسمِ الله في القرآنِ
Glory that repeats every foremost distinction,
Glory that repeats each first matter of pride
as 'In the name of God' is repeated in the Qur'an.
Like the repetition of In the Name of God in the Quran
وعلوّand loftiness of شأنٍrank لوif تعاطَىattempted شأوَهُits height
وعلوّ شأنٍ لو تعاطَى شأوَهُ
كَيوانِKaywan (Saturn) ماwould not ثبتَتْstand firm بهupon it القدَمانِboth feet
كَيوانِ ما ثبتَتْ به القدَمانِ
And rank so lofty that, were its height attempted
And a lofty rank which, if its glory were sought
by Kaywan, his two feet could not stand firm there.
No foot would stand firm as the pillars did
ومكارمٌand noble qualities غُصِبَتْwere robbed بواجبِby the obligation of حقّهاtheir right
ومكارمٌ غُصِبَتْ بواجبِ حقّها
ماwhat صاغَهُfashioned it حسانُHassan فيin praise of غسانِGhassan
ما صاغَهُ حسانُ في غسانِ
And noble qualities denied their rightful due:
And noble deeds whose rights were usurped
what Hassan fashioned in praise of Ghassan.
Wer not coined by Hassān among the Ghassān
ولوand if استقَىdrew water منهاfrom them بلالٌBilal بَلّةًa little moisture
ولو استقَى منها بلالٌ بَلّةً
أعْيَتْproved too difficult مدائحَهُpraises of him علىfor غَيْلانِGhaylan
أعْيَتْ مدائحَهُ على غَيْلانِ
And had Bilal drawn a drop from them,
And if Bilāl had drawn a trial from them
praising him would have proved beyond Ghaylan.
His praises would be exhausted at Ghailān
فاهنأso rejoice بهin it عيداًas a festival يعودُكreturns to you مثلُهits like
فاهنأ به عيداً يعودُك مثلُه
ماas often as شئتَyou wish فيin حاليthe two states of منيwishes وأمانِand security
ما شئتَ في حالي مني وأمانِ
So enjoy it as a festival; may its like return to you
So congratulate an era whose like
as often as you wish, in both hope and security.
Returns to you whatever you wish of me and protection
واعلَمْand know بأنthat بقاءَthe continuance of شُكْرِكgratitude to you خالدٌeverlasting
واعلَمْ بأن بقاءَ شُكْرِك خالدٌ
حتىuntil يقومَrise الناسُthe people للرحمنbefore the Most Merciful
حتى يقومَ الناسُ للرحمن
And know that gratitude to you endures forever,
And know that the permanence of your gratitude is eternal
until people rise before the Most Merciful,
Until the people stand before the Merciful
وتَرىand you see الفُراقِدَthe Furaqid stars والفَراقِدُwhile the calves ترتعيgraze
وتَرى الفُراقِدَ والفَراقِدُ ترتعي
بمنابتِin the growing grounds of السُعْدانِthe two auspicious stars والسِّعدانِand the sa'dan pasture plant
بمنابتِ السُعْدانِ والسِّعدانِ
and you see the Furaqid stars, while the calves graze
And you see the departed and the departing
where the Sa'dan stars and the sa'dan plant grow.
Grazing at the meadows of Saʿdān and Siʿdān
Sol 6.1