دعleave off عنكaway from you ذكرَrecollection of منزلٍa dwelling بالأبرقِat al-Abraq
دع عنك ذكرَ منزلٍ بالأبرقِ
أماتهlaid it waste حَياthe rain of السحابِthe clouds المُغدِقِpouring abundantly
أماته حَيا السحابِ المُغدِقِ
Leave aside the memory of a dwelling at al-Abraq,
Laid waste by the rain of downpouring clouds
وكلّand every ريحٍwind دائبٍunceasing مصفّقِbuffeting
وكلّ ريحٍ دائبٍ مصفّقِ
فصارso it became بعدafter جِدّةٍnewness فيin خلَقِdecay
فصار بعد جِدّةٍ في خلَقِ
And every ceaseless, buffeting wind.
After its newness, it has fallen into decay.
فإنماfor only العيشُlife حُداءُthe driving-chant of الأينُقِshe-camels
فإنما العيشُ حُداءُ الأينُقِ
وقطْعُand crossing كلّevery مهمهٍtrackless desert منخَرِقwide-open
وقطْعُ كلّ مهمهٍ منخَرِق
For life is but the chant that urges she-camels on,
And crossing every wide-open wilderness,
بمُقرَبٍon a prized steed أدهمَjet-black ذيpossessed of تَلهوقِnimbleness
بمُقرَبٍ أدهمَ ذي تَلهوقِ
وشرطِand a champion of الوغىbattle صهْصَلَقِloud-neighing
وشرطِ الوغى صهْصَلَقِ
On a prized black steed of nimble gait,
A loud-neighing champion of battle,
آباؤهits sires منfrom بعضsome of خيلthe horses of يلبَقِYalbaq
آباؤه من بعض خيل يلبَقِ
أقبّlean-bellied نهدٍpowerfully built صلِفٍproud ذيpossessed of أولَقِfrenzy
أقبّ نهدٍ صلِفٍ ذي أولَقِ
Its sires among Yalbaq's horses,
Lean-bellied, powerfully built, proud, and fiery;
أوor أبيضٍa white steed مثلَlike ابيضاضِthe whiteness of المبرقlightning
أو أبيضٍ مثلَ ابيضاضِ المبرق
تحسَبُهyou would take it for فيin الليلِthe night ضوءَthe light of الفلَقِdaybreak
تحسَبُه في الليلِ ضوءَ الفلَقِ
Or a white steed, white as a lightning flash,
You would take it at night for the light of dawn;
ومرهَفٍand a fine-edged sword يَفريcleaves كثيفَthick الحلَقِmail-rings
ومرهَفٍ يَفري كثيفَ الحلَقِ
لاnot تُتّقىis warded off ضربَتُهits stroke بالدّرَقِwith shields
لا تُتّقى ضربَتُه بالدّرَقِ
And a fine-edged sword that cleaves thick rings of mail,
Whose stroke cannot be warded off by shields.
يختطِفُit snatches away الألحاظَglances حُسنَbeauty of رونقِsheen
يختطِفُ الألحاظَ حُسنَ رونقِ
وأسحمِand a dark one اللونِin hue أحمّjet-black غدِقabundantly rainy
وأسحمِ اللونِ أحمّ غدِق
It steals the gaze with its lovely sheen;
And a dark-hued cloud, jet-black and rain-laden,
تحسَبُهyou would think it كالليلِlike the night لوif لمdid not يبرُقِflash lightning
تحسَبُه كالليلِ لو لم يبرُقِ
لماbecause of what حواهُheld it within منof حَياًrain مفرِّقscattering abroad
لما حواهُ من حَياً مفرِّق
You would take it for night, were it not for its lightning,
For the rain it holds and scatters abroad,
فعلَthe deed of الإمامِthe Imam الحافظِal-Hafiz, the preserver الموفّقِgranted success
فعلَ الإمامِ الحافظِ الموفّقِ
القائلthe speaker الفاعلِthe doer شمسِthe sun of المَشرِقthe East
القائل الفاعلِ شمسِ المَشرِق
As does the Imam al-Hafiz, blessed with success,
A man of word and deed, the sun of the East.
بابُthe gate of العطاءِgiving عندَهwith him لمhas not يُغلَقbeen shut
بابُ العطاءِ عندَه لم يُغلَق
قليلُهhis smallest gift مثلُlike الخضمِّthe ocean المتأقِbrimming
قليلُه مثلُ الخضمِّ المتأقِ
With him, the gate of giving has never been shut;
His smallest gift is like the brimming ocean.
فازhe triumphed كآباءٍlike forefathers لهof his بالسّبقِby coming first
فاز كآباءٍ له بالسّبقِ
فقُلِّدso he was collared with الجودَgenerosity مكانَin place of الرّبَقِhalters
فقُلِّد الجودَ مكانَ الرّبَقِ
He won first place, as his forefathers did,
So generosity was hung about his neck in place of halters.
فهوso it is علىaround أعراضِهhis honor كالخندَقِlike a moat
فهو على أعراضِه كالخندَقِ
ماnot دُنِّسَتْhas been sullied أعراضُهhis honor بالرّنقِwith murk
ما دُنِّسَتْ أعراضُه بالرّنقِ
It is like a moat around his honor;
His honor has never been sullied with murk.
فردٌone man وفيand in الشدةadversity مثلُlike الفيلقِan army
فردٌ وفي الشدة مثلُ الفيلقِ
ومقتديand the model for مذْsince كانhe came to be كلِّall الفِرَقِgroups
ومقتدي مذْ كان كلِّ الفِرَقِ
One man, yet in adversity like an army,
And, since his birth, the model for every group.
ياO سيّداًmaster أمثالُهhis equals لمhave not تُخلَقِbeen created
يا سيّداً أمثالُه لم تُخلَقِ
ثوبيmy robe علاهُhas covered it وسخٌgrime كالغسَقِlike night's darkness
ثوبي علاهُ وسخٌ كالغسَقِ
O master, whose like has never been created,
My robe is covered with grime as dark as night;
أعراضُthe honor of منthose who عاداكَoppose you منهfrom it تستقيdraws water
أعراضُ من عاداكَ منه تستقي
وإنّنيand indeed I أصبحتُhave become أوفىmost faithful مُمْلِقِa pauper
وإنّني أصبحتُ أوفى مُمْلِقِ
Your enemies' honor draws its water from it.
And I am now the most faithful of paupers.
لاmay not زلتَyou cease to be فيin سعادةٍhappiness لمhas not تُخلِقgrown threadbare
لا زلتَ في سعادةٍ لم تُخلِق
تلبَسُyou wear منof بُرْدِthe mantle of الفخارِglory المونِقِsplendid
تلبَسُ من بُرْدِ الفخارِ المونِقِ
May you ever dwell in happiness that never wears out,
Wearing the splendid mantle of glory,
ماas long as قابلَfaces المغربُthe West وجهَthe face of المشرِقِthe East
ما قابلَ المغربُ وجهَ المشرِقِ
As long as the West faces the countenance of the East.
Sol 6.1