ولوand if لمْdid not أشاهدْI witness منهُfrom him جودَgenerosity يمينِهhis right hand
ولو لمْ أشاهدْ منهُ جودَ يمينِه
وحُدِّثْتُand I was told عنabout إفراطِهاits lavishness خِلتُهI would have thought it كِذْباa lie
وحُدِّثْتُ عن إفراطِها خِلتُه كِذْبا
And had I not witnessed the generosity of his right hand,
Though I had not seen his generous right hand
and been told of its lavishness, I would have thought it a lie.
And were told of its excess, I’d call it lies,
خِصالاًvirtues رأيناهاwe saw them نجوماًstars مُنيرةًshining
خِصالاً رأيناها نجوماً مُنيرةً
عُلاهُhis eminence لهاfor them شرقٌan east فلاso may ... not عدِمَتْthey lack غرباa west
عُلاهُ لها شرقٌ فلا عدِمَتْ غربا
Virtues we saw as shining stars—
We’ve seen in him illustrious qualities
his eminence is their east; may they never lack a west.
The East exalts them, no West denies,
وقدand indeed نطقَتْthey spoke بالفعلِthrough deeds ليto me عرَصاتُهhis courtyards
وقد نطقَتْ بالفعلِ لي عرَصاتُه
لأنيbecause I وجدتُfound الأهلthe folk فيهنّwithin them والرّحْباand ample room
لأني وجدتُ الأهل فيهنّ والرّحْبا
And his courtyards have spoken to me through deeds,
His noble deeds have spoken clear to me
for within them I found welcoming folk and ample room.
I found in them good family and space
Sol 6.1