شُيوخُmasters البَيانِrhetoric الذائِقينَwho taste حَلاوَةًa sweetness
شُيوخُ البَيانِ الذائِقينَ حَلاوَةً
مِنَof العِلمِknowledge لَمnot تُطعَمbe tasted لِغَيرِby anyone other than ذَويهِits possessors
مِنَ العِلمِ لَم تُطعَم لِغَيرِ ذَويهِ
Masters of rhetoric, who have tasted a sweetness
The eloquent scholars who have savored
of knowledge never tasted by any but its possessors:
The sweetness of knowledge unfed to others
سَلامٌpeace مِنَfrom اللَهِGod السَلامthe Source of Peace وَرَحمَةٌand mercy
سَلامٌ مِنَ اللَهِ السَلام وَرَحمَةٌ
يَعُمّانِكُمboth encompass you مِنamong خامِلٍthe obscure وَنَبيهِand the eminent
يَعُمّانِكُم مِن خامِلٍ وَنَبيهِ
peace from God, the Source of Peace, and mercy—
Peace from Allah, peace and mercy
may both embrace you, obscure and eminent alike.
Envelop you, sleepy and awake
سُؤالُthe question of غَريبٍa stranger دونَbetween him and شِنجيطَShinqit أَرضِهِhis homeland
سُؤالُ غَريبٍ دونَ شِنجيطَ أَرضِهِ
مِنَbecause of البُعدِthe distance تيهٌwildernesses يَتَّصِلنَthey adjoin بِتيهِto wildernesses
مِنَ البُعدِ تيهٌ يَتَّصِلنَ بِتيهِ
A stranger's question: between him and Shinqit, his homeland,
A stranger's question without roaming his land
lie distant wildernesses adjoining other wildernesses.
In distance, bewilderment connects to bewilderment
إِذاif شَبَّهَcompares الهاديthe guide بِهاin them وَجهَthe face of مُرشِدٍa true guide
إِذا شَبَّهَ الهادي بِها وَجهَ مُرشِدٍ
تَشابَهَlooks alike فيin عَينَيهِhis two eyes وَجهُthe face of مُتيهِone who leads astray
تَشابَهَ في عَينَيهِ وَجهُ مُتيهِ
If the guide there compares a true guide's face,
If the guide likens his face to the guide's face
a misleader's face looks the same to his eyes.
Their faces become alike in the lost one's eyes
قِراهُhospitality for him لَدَيكُمamong you أَهلَpeople of فاسٍFez جَوابُهُan answer to him
قِراهُ لَدَيكُم أَهلَ فاسٍ جَوابُهُ
بِنَصِّwith the wording of جَوابٍan answer فيin البَيانِrhetoric وَجيهِwell-founded
بِنَصِّ جَوابٍ في البَيانِ وَجيهِ
His welcome among you, people of Fez, is an answer to him,
Read it, O people of Fez, the answer
in the wording of a reply well-founded in rhetoric.
In eloquent, excellent phrasing
سَماrose high بِكُمُwith you علمُthe science of البَيانِrhetoric وَحَقُّهُand its truth
سَما بِكُمُ علمُ البَيانِ وَحَقُّهُ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle هَوىfell ظَنٌّconjecture بِمُختِلِجيهِwith those entertaining it
إِذا ما هَوى ظَنٌّ بِمُختِلِجيهِ
The science of rhetoric and its truth have raised you high,
The knowledge of eloquence and its right rose with you
when conjecture brings low those who entertain it.
When fancy strayed into shaking thoughts
أُسائِلُكُمI ask you ماwhat سِرُّthe secret of إِظهارِexplicit expression رَبِّناour Lord
أُسائِلُكُم ما سِرُّ إِظهارِ رَبِّنا
تَبارَكَblessed is He مَجداًin majesty مِنfrom وَعاءِthe vessel of أَخيهِhis brother
تَبارَكَ مَجداً مِن وَعاءِ أَخيهِ
I ask you: what is the secret of our Lord's explicit wording—
I ask you, what is the secret of our Lord's revelation
blessed in majesty—'from his brother's vessel'?
Blessed be His glory from His brother's vessel
فَلَمand did not ياتِcome عَنهُfrom Him مِنهُfrom it أَوor مِنfrom وِعائِهِhis vessel
فَلَم ياتِ عَنهُ مِنهُ أَو مِن وِعائِهِ
لِأَمرٍfor a purpose دَقيقٍsubtle جَلَّexalted is He ثَمَّthere يَخيهِHe intends it
لِأَمرٍ دَقيقٍ جَلَّ ثَمَّ يَخيهِ
He did not say 'from it' or 'from his vessel',
Yet nothing came from Him or from His vessel
for a subtle purpose that He—exalted is He—intends there.
For a subtle matter He then inspired His brother
فَإِنso if تَكُare أَسرارُthe secrets of المَعانيmeanings خَفِيَّةًhidden
فَإِن تَكُ أَسرارُ المَعاني خَفِيَّةً
فَمرءاتُهاthen their mirror أَفكارُthe thoughts of كُلِّevery نَبيهِdiscerning person
فَمرءاتُها أَفكارُ كُلِّ نَبيهِ
If the secrets of meanings are hidden,
If the secrets of meanings are hidden
then every discerning person's thoughts are their mirror.
Their visions are the thoughts of each prophet
وَأَنتَand you اِبنَson of زُكرِيّZukri إِمامٌa scholarly leader مُحَقِّقٌa rigorous scholar
وَأَنتَ اِبنَ زُكرِيّ إِمامٌ مُحَقِّقٌ
تَفَرَّدتَyou stand unique فيin الدُنياthe world بِغَيرِwithout شَبيهِa peer
تَفَرَّدتَ في الدُنيا بِغَيرِ شَبيهِ
And you, Ibn Zukri, are an imam, a rigorous scholar;
You, son of Zakariyya, are the verifying imam
you stand alone in the world, without a peer.
You were unique in the world, with no peer
إِذاwhen غُصتَyou dive فيinto بَحرٍa sea حَصَلتَyou obtain بِدُرِّهِwith its pearls
إِذا غُصتَ في بَحرٍ حَصَلتَ بِدُرِّهِ
وَخَلَّيتَand you leave aside عَنaway from سَفسافِهِits dross وَرَديهِand its worthless matter
وَخَلَّيتَ عَن سَفسافِهِ وَرَديهِ
When you dive into a sea, you obtain its pearls,
If you delve into a sea you attain its pearls
and leave aside its dross and worthless matter.
And leave its spume and rubbish
يَمُدُّكَsupports you فيin إِتقانِmastering عِلمٍknowledge تَبُتُّهُyou establish it decisively
يَمُدُّكَ في إِتقانِ عِلمٍ تَبُتُّهُ
قِياسُanalogical reasoning of أُصولِيٍّa legal theorist وَنَصُّand the text of فَقيهِa jurist
قِياسُ أُصولِيٍّ وَنَصُّ فَقيهِ
In mastering the knowledge you establish, you are supported
It provides you in mastering sought knowledge
by a legal theorist's analogical reasoning and a jurist's text.
The analogy of a fundamentalist and text of a jurist
وَقاكَmay He protect you الَّذيHe who أَبداكَmade you manifest كَالنَجمِlike a star يَتَّقيguards himself
وَقاكَ الَّذي أَبداكَ كَالنَجمِ يَتَّقي
بِهِby it الغَيَّerror مَنwhoever يَبغيseeks الهُدىguidance وَيَعيهِand understands it
بِهِ الغَيَّ مَن يَبغي الهُدى وَيَعيهِ
May He who made you manifest like a star protect you; error is avoided
And may He who originated you as a star protect you
through it by whoever seeks guidance and understands it.
By it the lost seek guidance and perceive it
Sol 6.1