وجدتُI found أباfather of عبدservant of الإلهِGod خليفةًa successor
وجدتُ أبا عبد الإلهِ خليفةً
لصاحبهِto his companion إسحاقَIshaq بعدafter وفاتِهِhis death
لصاحبهِ إسحاقَ بعد وفاتِهِ
I found Abu ʿAbd al-Ilah a successor
to his companion Ishaq after his death.
كفانيhe met my needs وأغنانيand enriched me فلستُso I am not بفاقدٍdeprived of
كفاني وأغناني فلستُ بفاقدٍ
لعمرُكby your life منof إسحاقIshaq غيرexcept حياتِهِhis life
لعمرُك من إسحاق غير حياتِهِ
He has provided for me and enriched me; I have lost nothing,
by your life, of Ishaq except his life.
فياoh, then لكَfor you منof ذُخْرِa treasure امرئٍa man لزمانهagainst his times
فيا لكَ من ذُخْرِ امرئٍ لزمانه
مُعَفٍّeffacing علىover ماwhatever كانthere was منof نكباتِهِhis misfortunes
مُعَفٍّ على ما كان من نكباتِهِ
What a treasure you are for a man against his times,
effacing whatever misfortunes have befallen him!
حبانيhe favored me بهwith him إسحاقُIshaq خيرَthe finest بقيّةٍlegacy
حباني به إسحاقُ خيرَ بقيّةٍ
يُخلِّفهاhe leaves it behind المفقودُthe departed منamong بركاتِهِhis blessings
يُخلِّفها المفقودُ من بركاتِهِ
Ishaq bestowed him on me, the finest legacy
the departed can leave behind among his blessings.
وماand not كانhe was إلاexcept الغيثَrain أحياgave life بقَطْرِهِwith its drops
وما كان إلا الغيثَ أحيا بقَطْرِهِ
وولّىand departed فأحياthen gave life بعدهafter it بنباتِهِthrough its plants
وولّى فأحيا بعده بنباتِهِ
He was nothing but rain, giving life with its drops,
then passing away, yet giving life afterward through its plants.
يُعبِّسhe frowns والإنصافُand justice تحتbeneath عبوسهhis frown
يُعبِّس والإنصافُ تحت عبوسه
ويضحكand he laughs والإيناسand reassurance فيin ضحكاتِهِhis laughter
ويضحك والإيناس في ضحكاتِهِ
He frowns, yet justice lies beneath his frown,
and laughs, with reassurance in his laughter.
نَهوضٌreadily shouldering بأعباءwith the burdens of الكتابةsecretarial office مُرْفِقٌeasing the lot of
نَهوضٌ بأعباء الكتابة مُرْفِقٌ
رعيَّتَهُhis subjects مستظهرٌtaking precautions لرُعاتِهِfor his rulers
رعيَّتَهُ مستظهرٌ لرُعاتِهِ
He readily shoulders the burdens of secretarial office, easing
his subjects' lot and safeguarding his rulers' interests.
ترىfinds كلّevery نفسٍsoul رِيَّهاits refreshment وشفاءَهاand its healing
ترى كلّ نفسٍ رِيَّها وشفاءَها
إذاwhen رُوِّيتare watered أقلامُهhis pens منfrom دواتِهِhis inkwell
إذا رُوِّيت أقلامُه من دواتِهِ
Every soul finds its refreshment and its cure
when his pens are watered from his inkwell.
تنالattains بأنبوبِwith the reed of البراعةliterary skill كفُّهُhis hand
تنال بأنبوبِ البراعة كفُّهُ
ذُرىthe heights of ماwhat تَعاطىsought فارسٌa horseman بقناتِهِwith his lance
ذُرى ما تَعاطى فارسٌ بقناتِهِ
With eloquence's reed his hand attains
the heights a horseman seeks with his lance.
ومنand whoever كانis فرداًunrivaled فيin عظيمgreat غَنائهِhis service
ومن كان فرداً في عظيم غَنائهِ
عنon behalf of الملكthe king لمdid not يَصغُرْprove insignificant صغيرُsmall أداتِهِhis instrument
عن الملك لم يَصغُرْ صغيرُ أداتِهِ
And for one unrivaled in the great service he renders
on the king's behalf, his small instrument is no small thing.
جبىhe collected الفيْءrevenue للسلطانfor the sovereign والفيءand the revenue فاغتدىand so came to be
جبى الفيْء للسلطان والفيء فاغتدى
لهfor him الرتبةُthe rank العلياءُhighest فوقabove جُباتِهِits collectors
له الرتبةُ العلياءُ فوق جُباتِهِ
He gathered revenue for the sovereign, and that revenue thus won him
the highest rank above its collectors.
رآهhe found him أبوfather of العباسal-ʿAbbas أَقومَmost capable قائمٍadministrator
رآه أبو العباس أَقومَ قائمٍ
بأعمالهof his affairs عندwhen امتحانِtesting كُفاتِهِhis capable men
بأعماله عند امتحانِ كُفاتِهِ
Abu al-ʿAbbas found him the ablest administrator
of his affairs when he tested his capable men.
وألفىand he found لديهin him عِفّةًintegrity وأمانةًand trustworthiness
وألفى لديه عِفّةً وأمانةً
وإحداهماand either of the two يكفيsuffices امرَأًa man منamong ثِقاتِهِhis trusted men
وإحداهما يكفي امرَأً من ثِقاتِهِ
And he found in him integrity and trustworthiness,
and either alone suffices to make a man one of his trusted men.
أرانيI find myself إذاwhen حاولتُI attempt وصفَto describe جلالهِhis grandeur
أراني إذا حاولتُ وصفَ جلالهِ
أوor الشكرَgiving thanks عماfor what كانthere was منof فَعلاتِهِhis deeds
أو الشكرَ عما كان من فَعلاتِهِ
I find that whenever I attempt to describe his grandeur,
or to thank him for the deeds he has done,
تشاغلتُI become absorbed عنaway from شكريmy thanks لهto him بصفاتِهِin his qualities
تشاغلتُ عن شكري له بصفاتِهِ
وأذهلنيand distracts me شكريmy thanks لهto him عنfrom صِفاتِهِhis qualities
وأذهلني شكري له عن صِفاتِهِ
I become absorbed in his qualities, neglecting my thanks to him,
and my thanks to him distract me from his qualities.
فقصَّرتُso I fall short فيin الأمرينboth matters والقلبwhile the heart مُضمِرٌharboring
فقصَّرتُ في الأمرين والقلب مُضمِرٌ
مودَّتَهُlove for him فيin مستقرِّthe resting-place of ثباتِهِits steadfastness
مودَّتَهُ في مستقرِّ ثباتِهِ
Thus I fall short in both, though my heart harbors
love for him, lodged in its steadfast core.
ولوand even if طالgrew long مدحيmy praise فيهof him وانكدَّand became labored لمwould not تجزexceed
ولو طال مدحي فيه وانكدَّ لم تجز
إطالتيmy prolonging it المكتوبَwhat is written منof حسناتِهِhis good deeds
إطالتي المكتوبَ من حسناتِهِ
Even if my praise of him grew long and labored, it would not surpass,
for all its length, the written record of his good deeds.
ولولاand were it not for اتِّقائيmy caution للتعدِّيagainst excess زَعمتُهُI would deem him
ولولا اتِّقائي للتعدِّي زَعمتُهُ
أخاa brother to الدهرTime لاnot يُغضيclose his eyes إلىuntil أُخرياتِهِits last days
أخا الدهر لا يُغضي إلى أُخرياتِهِ
Were I not wary of excess, I would deem him
a brother to Time, never closing his eyes until its last days.
وماand never زالceased يعلُوto rise above قدرُهُhis worth قدرَthe measure of مدحهِpraise of him
وما زال يعلُو قدرُهُ قدرَ مدحهِ
وأينand where مَنالُthe reach of الشعرِpoetry منfrom درجاتِهِhis heights
وأين مَنالُ الشعرِ من درجاتِهِ
His worth has always surpassed the measure of his praise;
and how far poetry's reach falls short of his heights!
Sol 6.1