أَعرىhe stripped bare مِنof المَدحِpraise الطِّرفَthe steed الَّذيthat رَكِباhe rode
أَعرى مِن المَدحِ الطِّرفَ الَّذي رَكِبا
لَمَّاwhen جَرَىit ran فيin مَيادِينِthe racecourses الصِّباyouth فَكَباthen it stumbled
لَمَّا جَرَى في مَيادِينِ الصِّبا فَكَبا
He stripped of praise the steed he rode,
when it raced through the courses of youth and stumbled.
تَمُرُّpass وَثباًleaping بهِby him خَيلُthe steeds الشَّبَابِyouth فَلاand so not
تَمُرُّ وَثباً بهِ خَيلُ الشَّبَابِ فَلا
يَسطِيعُhe can مِنfrom مَربِطِthe tethering-post الخَمسينَfifty أنto يَثِباleap
يَسطِيعُ مِن مَربِطِ الخَمسينَ أن يَثِبا
The steeds of youth pass him at a bound, yet he
cannot leap free of fifty's tethering-post.
ورُبّماand often شَقّhe cleft أسدافَthe shrouds الظّلامdarkness بِهِupon it
ورُبّما شَقّ أسدافَ الظّلام بِهِ
رَكضاًat a gallop وَشَقّand cleft بِهِwith it الأَستارَthe curtains والحُجُباand the veils
رَكضاً وَشَقّ بِهِ الأَستارَ والحُجُبا
And often he cleft the shrouds of darkness upon it,
galloping, and with it pierced curtains and veils.
يَلقَىgreet الغَوَانِيthe beauties بِإِنكَارٍwith denial مَعَارِفَهُhis familiar features
يَلقَى الغَوَانِي بِإِنكَارٍ مَعَارِفَهُ
وَهُنّand they أقربُthe closest خَلقٍpeople مِنهُto him مُنتَسَبَاin kinship
وَهُنّ أقربُ خَلقٍ مِنهُ مُنتَسَبَا
The beauties greet his familiar face with denial,
though they are the closest of all people to him in kinship.
إنif كُنَّthey had سَمّينَهُcalled him عَصرَthe days الشَّبَابِof youth أخاًa brother
إن كُنَّ سَمّينَهُ عَصرَ الشَّبَابِ أخاً
لَهُنّto them فَاليَومَthen today أحرَىmore fitting أنthat يَكونَhe be أبَاa father
لَهُنّ فَاليَومَ أحرَى أن يَكونَ أبَا
If in his youthful days they called him a brother,
today he is more fit to be their father.
رَعَينَهُthey grazed on him خَضِراًgreen رَطباًmoist فَحينَthen when عَسَاhe grew tough
رَعَينَهُ خَضِراً رَطباً فَحينَ عَسَا
أَتَينَthey came يَرعَينَthey honor ذَاكَthat الإِلَّthe bond وَالنَّسَباand the kinship
أَتَينَ يَرعَينَ ذَاكَ الإِلَّ وَالنَّسَبا
They grazed on him while green and tender; when he grew tough,
they came to honor that bond and kinship.
لابدّit is necessary أَنthat يَنصُرَhe champion الآدابَletters مُشتَرِطٌone who stipulates
لابدّ أَن يَنصُرَ الآدابَ مُشتَرِطٌ
لِلمَجدِfor glory أنthat يَنصُرَhe champion العَليَاءَhigh honor وَالحَسَبَاand noble lineage
لِلمَجدِ أن يَنصُرَ العَليَاءَ وَالحَسَبَا
He must champion letters who makes it a condition
of glory to champion high honor and noble descent.
نَدبٌa noble man لآلِof a house صَنَادِيدٍmighty chiefs لَهُhe has رُتَبٌranks
نَدبٌ لآلِ صَنَادِيدٍ لَهُ رُتَبٌ
فَاتَتsurpassed بِرِفعَتِهَاby their loftiness الأقدَارَthe dignities وَالرُّتَبَاand the ranks
فَاتَت بِرِفعَتِهَا الأقدَارَ وَالرُّتَبَا
A noble man from a house of mighty chiefs, he holds ranks
whose loftiness surpasses all dignities and degrees.
تَقدّمتadvanced بِهِمُcarrying them مِنthrough فَضلِهِhis excellence قَدَمٌa foot
تَقدّمت بِهِمُ مِن فَضلِهِ قَدَمٌ
دَاسُواthey trampled بِأَخمَصِهَاwith its hollow sole الأَقمَارَthe moons وَالشُّهُبَاand the shooting stars
دَاسُوا بِأَخمَصِهَا الأَقمَارَ وَالشُّهُبَا
Through his excellence, a foot bore them forward;
with its sole they trod upon moons and shooting stars.
نَالُواthey attained بِسَعيِthrough the striving of أبِيAbu إسحَاقَIshaq مَاwhat طَلَبُواthey sought
نَالُوا بِسَعيِ أبِي إسحَاقَ مَا طَلَبُوا
وَنَالَand attained عَفواًeffortlessly أبوAbu إسحَاقَIshaq مَاwhat طَلَبَاhe sought
وَنَالَ عَفواً أبو إسحَاقَ مَا طَلَبَا
Through Abu Ishaq's striving they attained what they sought,
and Abu Ishaq attained what he sought without effort.
يَاO ضَاحِكاًone who smiles لِلمُنَىupon hopes مِنfrom مَبسِمٍa smiling mouth لَقَطَتthey gathered
يَا ضَاحِكاً لِلمُنَى مِن مَبسِمٍ لَقَطَت
مِنfrom لَفظِهِits speech الدُّرَّpearls واشتَارَتand harvested بِهِthrough it الضّرَباwhite honey
مِن لَفظِهِ الدُّرَّ واشتَارَت بِهِ الضّرَبا
O you who smile upon hopes with a mouth: they have gathered
pearls from its speech, and harvested white honey through it.
وَمُفصِحاًand speaking clearly بِنَعَمwith 'yes' فِيin كُلِّevery مَسأَلَةٍrequest
وَمُفصِحاً بِنَعَم فِي كُلِّ مَسأَلَةٍ
إلاexcept لِمَنto whoever لامَهُblamed him فِيfor الجُودِgenerosity أَوor عَتَباreproached
إلا لِمَن لامَهُ فِي الجُودِ أَو عَتَبا
And you who plainly answer 'yes' to every request,
except from those who blame or reproach you for generosity.
كُنbe لِيto me كَمَاas أنتَyou فِيin نَفسِيmy soul فَقَدfor indeed عَقَدَتforged
كُن لِي كَمَا أنتَ فِي نَفسِي فَقَد عَقَدَت
بَينِيbetween me وَبَينَكَand between you أَسبابُthe ties العلاof glory قُرُباbonds of kinship
بَينِي وَبَينَكَ أَسبابُ العلا قُرُبا
Be to me as you are in my heart; for there have been forged
bonds of kinship between us by the ties of glory.
وَذَاكَand that أنَّكَthat you تُهدِيyou offer البِرَّkindness منتخَباًcarefully chosen
وَذَاكَ أنَّكَ تُهدِي البِرَّ منتخَباً
نَحويtoward me وَأُهدِيand I offer إِلَيكَto you الحَمدَpraise مُنتَخَبَاcarefully chosen
نَحوي وَأُهدِي إِلَيكَ الحَمدَ مُنتَخَبَا
And that is because you send the choicest kindness
my way, while I send the choicest praise to you.
وَسَامِعٍand many a hearer بِكَof you فِيin أقصَىthe remotest مَنَازِلِهِhis dwellings
وَسَامِعٍ بِكَ فِي أقصَى مَنَازِلِهِ
أفَادَgained مِنfrom رَفدِكyour bounty الأموالَmoney والنّشبَاand property
أفَادَ مِن رَفدِك الأموالَ والنّشبَا
And many a man who heard of you in his remotest dwelling
gained money and property from your bounty.
رَجاكَhe hoped in you فَامتَلأَتand so were filled أرجَاؤُهhis quarters بدَراًpurses of money
رَجاكَ فَامتَلأَت أرجَاؤُه بدَراً
وَلَمand did not يَشُدّstrap on لَهَاfor them رَحلاa riding saddle ولاnor قَتَباa packsaddle
وَلَم يَشُدّ لَهَا رَحلا ولا قَتَبا
He set his hopes on you, and his quarters filled with purses of money,
though he had strapped on neither saddle nor packsaddle to seek them,
سِوَىexcept for قَصَائدَpoems وَالاهاhe sent them successively مُنَقّحَةًpolished
سِوَى قَصَائدَ وَالاها مُنَقّحَةً
أدّتbrought إلَىto رَاحتَيهِhis two palms ثَروةًwealth عَجَباwondrous
أدّت إلَى رَاحتَيهِ ثَروةً عَجَبا
save polished poems he sent in succession,
which brought a wondrous fortune into his palms.
صَاغَتfashioned لَهُfor him كَيمِياءُthe alchemy الجودِof generosity إِذwhen وَرَدَتthey arrived
صَاغَت لَهُ كَيمِياءُ الجودِ إِذ وَرَدَت
مِنهَاfrom them نُضاراًpure gold وَكَانَتand they had been قبلَهَاbefore it كُتُباwritings
مِنهَا نُضاراً وَكَانَت قبلَهَا كُتُبا
When they arrived, the alchemy of bounty fashioned for him
pure gold from them, though before it they had been writings.
فأشبَهَتthus they resembled حالَthe state بِنتِthe daughter الكَرمof the vine إِذwhen خلصَتshe became pure
فأشبَهَت حالَ بِنتِ الكَرم إِذ خلصَت
فيin الدَّنِّthe wine-cask خَمراًwine وكَانَتand she had been قَبلَهُbefore it عِنَبَاgrapes
في الدَّنِّ خَمراً وكَانَت قَبلَهُ عِنَبَا
Thus they resembled the state of the vine's daughter, when she became
pure wine in the cask, though before it she had been grapes.
Sol 6.1