أَتَانَاcame to us النَّظْمُthe verse يُبْهِجُdelights كَالَّلآلِيlike pearls
أَتَانَا النَّظْمُ يُبْهِجُ كَالَّلآلِي
تَرُوقُlook lovely بِجِيدِon the neck of رَبَّاتِladies of الْحِجَالِcurtained chambers
تَرُوقُ بِجِيدِ رَبَّاتِ الْحِجَالِ
Verse came to us, bringing joy like pearls
The verses came to us, bringing joy like pearls,
That look lovely on the necks of ladies in curtained chambers.
Adorning the graceful necks of secluded beauties,
تَحَدَّانَاchallenged us بِمُعْجِزِهِwith his inimitable verse خَبِيرٌan expert
تَحَدَّانَا بِمُعْجِزِهِ خَبِيرٌ
بِأَسْرَارِin the secrets of الْبَلاَغَةِeloquence وَالْكَمَالِand perfection
بِأَسْرَارِ الْبَلاَغَةِ وَالْكَمَالِ
An expert challenged us with his inimitable verse,
An expert challenged us with its miraculous craft,
Versed in the secrets of eloquence and perfection.
One steeped in the secrets of eloquence and perfection.
فَمَاso how أَحْلَىsweet الْعِتَابَthe reproach بِهِin it وَلَكِنْand yet
فَمَا أَحْلَى الْعِتَابَ بِهِ وَلَكِنْ
مُضَمَّنُهُits implied meaning يُعَدُّis reckoned مِنَamong الْمُحَالِthe impossible
مُضَمَّنُهُ يُعَدُّ مِنَ الْمُحَالِ
How sweet the reproach in it! Yet
How sweet is the reproach within it, yet
Its implication is reckoned impossible.
What it implies is counted among the impossible.
مَعَاذَrefuge in اللهِGod أَبْخَسُI diminish حَقَّthe due of خِلٍّa close friend
مَعَاذَ اللهِ أَبْخَسُ حَقَّ خِلٍّ
يَمُتُّis bound إِلَيَّto me بِالسِّحْرِby magic الْحَلاَلِlawful
يَمُتُّ إِلَيَّ بِالسِّحْرِ الْحَلاَلِ
God forbid that I should slight a close friend's due,
God forbid that I should slight the right of a friend
Who is bound to me by lawful magic,
Who binds himself to me through the lawful magic of eloquence,
وَبِالْمَوْلَىand by the master أَبِيAbu (father of) الْحَسَنِal-Hasan الْمُعَلَّىthe exalted
وَبِالْمَوْلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمُعَلَّى
عَلِيٍّAli ذِيpossessor of الْمَنَاقِبِvirtues وَالْخِصَالِand qualities
عَلِيٍّ ذِي الْمَنَاقِبِ وَالْخِصَالِ
And by the exalted master Abu al-Hasan,
And by the master Abu Al-Hasan, the exalted,
Ali, possessed of virtues and noble qualities.
Ali, the possessor of virtues and noble traits.
فَكَوْنُكَso your being مِنْamong ذُرَىthe summits of الأَحْبَابِbeloved friends قَاضٍrequires
فَكَوْنُكَ مِنْ ذُرَى الأَحْبَابِ قَاضٍ
عَلَيْنَاupon us فِيin الإِخَاءِbrotherhood بِالاِتِّصَالِwith connection
عَلَيْنَا فِي الإِخَاءِ بِالاِتِّصَالِ
So your place among the loftiest friends requires
Your standing at the pinnacle of beloved friends decrees
That we remain bound together in brotherhood.
That we must maintain our connection in brotherhood.
أَلَسْتَare you not مِنْamong بَنِيthe sons of تِطْوَانَTetouan مَنْthose who قَدْindeed
أَلَسْتَ مِنْ بَنِي تِطْوَانَ مَنْ قَدْ
عُنِيَتْwas devoted بِحُبِّهِمْto their love مُنْذُsince الْفِصَالِweaning
عُنِيَتْ بِحُبِّهِمْ مُنْذُ الْفِصَالِ
Are you not among the sons of Tetouan, whose
Are you not of the sons of Tetouan, a people whom
Love I have cherished since weaning?
I have been devoted to loving since my earliest days?
عَلَيْهِمْupon them مَاas long as هَفَاblew gently رِيحُthe wind of الشَّمَالِthe north
عَلَيْهِمْ مَا هَفَا رِيحُ الشَّمَالِ
سَلاَمٌpeace تَسْتَمِدُّdraw sustenance بِهِfrom it الْغَوَالِيprecious perfumes
سَلاَمٌ تَسْتَمِدُّ بِهِ الْغَوَالِي
Upon them, as long as the north wind blows,
Upon them, so long as the north wind gently blows,
Be peace, from which precious perfumes draw their fragrance.
Be a peace from which all precious things draw their worth,
خُصُوصاًespecially شَيْخَنَاour sheikh رَبَّmaster of الْكَمَالِperfection
خُصُوصاً شَيْخَنَا رَبَّ الْكَمَالِ
أَبَاAbu (father of) حَسَنٍHasan عَلِيّاًAli ذَاpossessor of الْمَعَالِيlofty honors
أَبَا حَسَنٍ عَلِيّاً ذَا الْمَعَالِي
Especially upon our sheikh, the master of perfection,
Especially our Sheikh, the master of perfection,
Abu Hasan, Ali, possessed of lofty honors.
Abu Hasan Ali, the possessor of exalted ranks.
فُشُدَّso tighten يَدَthe hand of الضَّنِينِthe miser عَلَىupon وِدَادِيmy affection
فُشُدَّ يَدَ الضَّنِينِ عَلَى وِدَادِي
فَقَلْبِيَfor my heart مِنْof وِدَادِكَaffection for you غَيْرُnot سَالِforgetful
فَقَلْبِيَ مِنْ وِدَادِكَ غَيْرُ سَالِ
So hold fast to my affection with a miser's grip,
So hold onto my affection with the firm grip of the fiercely protective,
For my heart has not forgotten its love for you.
For my heart is never forgetful of your love.
وَلَكِنْand yet لَمْdid not تُسَاعِدْنَاhelp us اللَّيَالِيthe nights
وَلَكِنْ لَمْ تُسَاعِدْنَا اللَّيَالِي
لِمَاtoward what يُرْضِيsatisfies الإِخَاءَbrotherhood مِنَin the way of الْوِصَالِfellowship
لِمَا يُرْضِي الإِخَاءَ مِنَ الْوِصَالِ
But the nights have not favored us
But the nights of fate did not assist us
With the fellowship that would satisfy brotherhood.
In attaining the union that truly satisfies our brotherhood.
وَسَامِحْand pardon مَاwhat تَضَمَّنَهُcontained it قَرِيضِيmy verse
وَسَامِحْ مَا تَضَمَّنَهُ قَرِيضِي
مِنَof الْمَعْنَىmeaning السَّخِيفِfeeble بِالاِرْتِجَالِthrough improvisation
مِنَ الْمَعْنَى السَّخِيفِ بِالاِرْتِجَالِ
And pardon what my verse contains
And forgive whatever my poetry may contain
Of feeble meaning, composed extemporaneously.
Of feeble meaning born of hasty improvisation,
فَشِعْرِيfor my verse مِنْof بَدِيعِexquisite الْقَوْلِexpression خَالٍdevoid
فَشِعْرِي مِنْ بَدِيعِ الْقَوْلِ خَالٍ
وَفِكْرِيand my thought بِالْبَلاَغَةِwith eloquence غَيْرُnot حَالِيadorned
وَفِكْرِي بِالْبَلاَغَةِ غَيْرُ حَالِي
For my verse is devoid of exquisite expression,
For my verses are entirely devoid of wondrous speech,
And my thought is not adorned with eloquence.
And my mind remains unadorned by eloquence.
Sol 6.1