سَيْفُthe sword القريضِof poetry كامِنٌhidden فيin غِمْدِهِits sheath
سَيْفُ القريضِ كامِنٌ في غِمْدِهِ
أَبلاهhas worn it out فَقْدُthe lack of سلَّهdrawing it ورَدِّهِand returning it
أَبلاه فَقْدُ سلَّه ورَدِّهِ
The sword of poetry lies hidden in its sheath;
The sword of poetry lies sheathed
The lack of drawing and resheathing it has worn it out.
Whetted keen by loss and wish
والجُودُand generosity أَولَىthe worthiest صاقلٍpolisher لِحَدِّهfor its edge
والجُودُ أَولَى صاقلٍ لِحَدِّه
والشعرُand poetry مثلُlike الروضِthe garden حَوْكُthe weave of بُرْدِهits mantle
والشعرُ مثلُ الروضِ حَوْكُ بُرْدِه
And generosity is the worthiest polisher of its edge.
Generosity's the finer whetstone
And the weave of poetry's mantle is like a garden;
For poetry's edge, like the garden's rose.
أَبيضُهits white part يضحكُsmiles عنout from مُسْوَدِّهits blackened part
أَبيضُه يضحكُ عن مُسْوَدِّه
تختالُyou strut بينamong آسِهits myrtle وَوَرْدِهand its roses
تختالُ بين آسِه وَوَرْدِه
Its white smiles out from its black.
Its whiteness smiles beyond darkness
You strut among its myrtle and its roses.
Swaying amidst myrtle and rose
وإِنماand only ضامِنُthe guarantor of رِيِّthe watering of ورْدِهits roses
وإِنما ضامِنُ رِيِّ ورْدِه
وهَزَّand the swaying of أَعطافِthe curves of قدودِthe forms of مُلْدِهits supple shoots
وهَزَّ أَعطافِ قدودِ مُلْدِه
And the sole guarantor of its roses' watering,
For the rhyme's flow is guaranteed
And of the swaying of its supple shoots' curving forms,
Only by shaking the camel's hump.
ماwhat فاضَhas flowed منfrom غيثِthe rain of الندىbounty وجوْدهand his generosity
ما فاضَ من غيثِ الندى وجوْده
والحافظُand al-Hafiz المطلِعُwho raises نَجْمَthe star of سَعْدِهits good fortune
والحافظُ المطلِعُ نَجْمَ سَعْدِه
Is what flows from the rain of bounty and his generosity.
What overflowed from clouds of dew and rain
And al-Hafiz, who raises its lucky star,
And the watchful star of its fortune
يحدوurges onward لهfor it ببَرْقِهwith his lightning ورَعْدِهand his thunder
يحدو له ببَرْقِه ورَعْدِه
غيثاًa rain يَضيعُcomes to nothing الغيثُrain دونbeside ثَمْدِهits scant water
غيثاً يَضيعُ الغيثُ دون ثَمْدِه
Urges toward it, with his lightning and thunder,
Thunders and lightnings praise it
A rain beside whose scant pool all other rain comes to nothing.
A downpour the shower cannot match
فكلُّso every خيرgood thing عندَهُwith it منfrom عِنْدِهwith him
فكلُّ خير عندَهُ من عِنْدِه
حَبْرٌa scholar جلاdispelled الظلماءَthe darkness وَرْيُthe kindling of زَنْدهhis fire-stick
حَبْرٌ جلا الظلماءَ وَرْيُ زَنْده
So every good thing it has comes from him.
For all good is from Him
A scholar whose fire-stick's spark dispelled the darkness;
Ink that dispelled darkness, lightning strike.
والويلُand woe والويلُand woe لِمَنْto whoever لَمْdid not يَهْدِهِguide him
والويلُ والويلُ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَهْدِهِ
بدرُthe full moon of علاهُhis eminence فيin سماءِthe heaven of مَجْدهhis glory
بدرُ علاهُ في سماءِ مَجْده
And woe, woe to anyone not guided by
Woe, woe to him it doesn't guide
The full moon of his eminence in the heaven of his glory.
A full moon raised in glory's sky
ذوpossessed of نسبٍa lineage يُريكَshows you عندwhen عَدِّهcounting it
ذو نسبٍ يُريكَ عند عَدِّه
دُرًّاpearls أَجادَperfected المجدُglory نَظْمَthe stringing of عِقْدِهits necklace
دُرًّا أَجادَ المجدُ نَظْمَ عِقْدِه
A man whose lineage, when counted, shows you
Of lineage that shows in its counting
Pearls whose necklace glory has strung to perfection,
A pearl well-strung by glory's hand
ورونقاًand a luster كالعَضْبِlike a keen sword بلrather فِرِنْدِهِits watered sheen
ورونقاً كالعَضْبِ بل فِرِنْدِهِ
كِسْرَىKhosrow بهin him مفتخِرٌtakes pride منfrom مَهْدِهِhis cradle
كِسْرَى به مفتخِرٌ من مَهْدِهِ
And a luster like a keen sword—nay, its watered sheen.
Grace like a willow wand, nay, more slight
Khosrow has taken pride in him since his cradle;
Kisra boasts it from the cradle on
يرويهِhe transmits it عنfrom والِدِهhis father وجَدِّهand his grandfather
يرويهِ عن والِدِه وجَدِّه
وعبدُهُand his servant الخادِمُthe attendant وابْنُand son of عَبْدِهhis servant
وعبدُهُ الخادِمُ وابْنُ عَبْدِه
He transmits it from his father and his grandfather.
Passing from father and grandfather
And his servant, the attendant and son of his servant—
To servant and servant's son
قدindeed أَنطقَhas made speak الجودُgenerosity لِسانَthe tongue of حَمْدِهِhis praise
قد أَنطقَ الجودُ لِسانَ حَمْدِهِ
يطلبُhe asks منهof him اليومَtoday فَرْضَthe allotted stipend بَعْدِهِwhat follows it
يطلبُ منه اليومَ فَرْضَ بَعْدِهِ
Generosity has made his tongue of praise speak—
Generosity loosed tongue's praise
Asks him today for a future stipend,
Seeking from it today tomorrow's debt
وَهْوَand he يُحاشِيholds exempt فَضْلَهُhis generosity منfrom رَدِّهturning him away
وَهْوَ يُحاشِي فَضْلَهُ من رَدِّه
And deems his generosity too noble to turn him away.
While it lavishes merit, spurning return.
Sol 6.1