أَلاAh ماwhat لِمَنfor one who أَمسىpasses the evening يَراكَsees you وَلِلبَدرُand for the full moon
أَلا ما لِمَن أَمسى يَراكَ وَلِلبَدرُ
وَماand what لِمَكانٍfor a place أَنتَyou فيهِin it وَلِلقَطرِand for the rain
وَما لِمَكانٍ أَنتَ فيهِ وَلِلقَطرِ
Ah, what need has one who sees you at evening for the full moon?
Alas! What bliss for one who sees you at nightfall!
And what need has a place where you are for the rain?
And for the place where you happen to be! And for the raindrop!
تَجَلَّلتَyou cloaked yourself بِالتَقوىin piety وَأُفرِدتَand you were singled out بِالعُلاfor greatness
تَجَلَّلتَ بِالتَقوى وَأُفرِدتَ بِالعُلا
وَأُهَّلتَand you were made fit لِلجُلّىfor great deeds وَحُلّيتَand you were adorned بِالفَخرِwith glory
وَأُهَّلتَ لِلجُلّى وَحُلّيتَ بِالفَخرِ
You cloaked yourself in piety and were singled out for greatness,
You are clothed in piety and singled out with glory,
And were fitted for great deeds and adorned with glory.
Made worthy of majesty and adorned with pride.
وَقَلَّدتَنيand you bestowed on me لَمّاwhen اِبتَدَأتَyou began بِمِدحَتيby praising me
وَقَلَّدتَني لَمّا اِبتَدَأتَ بِمِدحَتي
يَداًa favor لاnot أُوَفّيrender fully شُكرَهاthanks for it أَبَدَfor all الدَهرِtime
يَداً لا أُوَفّي شُكرَها أَبَدَ الدَهرِ
And when you began by praising me, you bestowed on me
When you began praising me, you conferred on me
A favor for which I can never offer thanks enough.
A favor I can never fully repay for eternity.
فَإِنso if أَناI لَمdo not أَمنَحكَgive you صِدقَthe sincerity of مَوَدَّتيmy affection
فَإِن أَنا لَم أَمنَحكَ صِدقَ مَوَدَّتي
فَماthen there is no ليfor me إِلىbefore المَجدِglory المُؤَثَّلِfirmly established مِنany عُذرِexcuse
فَما لي إِلى المَجدِ المُؤَثَّلِ مِن عُذرِ
So if I do not give you my sincere affection,
If I do not grant you the sincerity of my affection,
Then I have no excuse before firmly established glory.
Then I have no excuse on the path to glorious fame.
أَياO اِبنَson of الكِرامِthe noble men الصَيدِthe proud جاءَتit came كَريمَةًnoble
أَيا اِبنَ الكِرامِ الصَيدِ جاءَت كَريمَةً
أَياO اِبنَson of الكِرامِthe noble men الصَيدِthe proud وَالسادَةِand the lords الغُرِّthe illustrious
أَيا اِبنَ الكِرامِ الصَيدِ وَالسادَةِ الغُرِّ
O son of the proud nobles, it came as a noble verse,
O son of nobility, hunting is a noble sport,
O son of the proud nobles and illustrious lords.
O son of honored kin and masters of spear-throwing!
فَضَلتَyou surpassed بِهاwith it أَهلَthe practitioners of القَريضِpoetry فَأَصبَحَتand so it became
فَضَلتَ بِها أَهلَ القَريضِ فَأَصبَحَت
تَحِيَّةَthe greeting of أَهلِthe people of البَدوِthe desert مُؤنِسَةَa solace for الحَضرِthe townsfolk
تَحِيَّةَ أَهلِ البَدوِ مُؤنِسَةَ الحَضرِ
With it you surpassed the poets, and it became
With it you have outdone the people of verse, so it has become
The greeting of desert folk and the solace of townsfolk.
The greetings of nomads, delight of city-dwellers.
وَمِثلُكَand one like you مَعدومُwithout النَظيرِan equal مِنَamong الوَرىhumankind
وَمِثلُكَ مَعدومُ النَظيرِ مِنَ الوَرى
وَشِعرُكَand your poetry مَعدومُwithout الشَبيهِa counterpart مِنَamong الشِعرِpoetry
وَشِعرُكَ مَعدومُ الشَبيهِ مِنَ الشِعرِ
And one like you has no equal among humankind,
One like you, peerless in all creation,
And your poetry has no match among poems.
Your poetry, matchless in the field of verse,
كَأَنَّas though عَلىupon أَلفاظِهِits words وَنِظامِهِand its arrangement
كَأَنَّ عَلى أَلفاظِهِ وَنِظامِهِ
بَدائِعَthe wonders of ماحاكَwhat ... wove الرَبيعُspring مِنَfrom الزَهرِflowers
بَدائِعَ ماحاكَ الرَبيعُ مِنَ الزَهرِ
It is as though upon its words and its arrangement
As if the meadows in spring had woven
Lie the wonders spring has woven from flowers.
Marvels into its words and composition,
تَنَفَّسَbreathed فيهِwithin it الرَوضُthe garden فَاِخضَلَّand so grew moist بِالنَدىwith dew
تَنَفَّسَ فيهِ الرَوضُ فَاِخضَلَّ بِالنَدى
وَهَبَّand blew نَسيمُthe breeze of الرَوضِthe garden يُخبِرُgiving tidings بِالفَجرِof dawn
وَهَبَّ نَسيمُ الرَوضِ يُخبِرُ بِالفَجرِ
The garden breathed within it and grew moist with dew,
The garden breathed into it, turning green with dew,
And the garden breeze blew, heralding the dawn.
The garden breeze blew, heralding dawn,
إِلىto اللَهِGod أَشكوI lament مِنfrom فِراقِكَparting from you لَوعَةًa burning anguish
إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو مِن فِراقِكَ لَوعَةً
طَوَيتُI folded لَهاfor it مِنّيof my own الضُلوعَthe ribs عَلىover جَمرِembers
طَوَيتُ لَها مِنّي الضُلوعَ عَلى جَمرِ
To God I lament the burning anguish of parting from you,
To God I complain of the agony of your absence,
For which I folded my own ribs around embers,
For it I have folded my ribs over embers
وَحَسرَةَand the sorrow of مُرتاحٍa yearning man إِذاwhen اِشتاقَlongs قَلبُهُhis heart
وَحَسرَةَ مُرتاحٍ إِذا اِشتاقَ قَلبُهُ
تَعَلَّلَseeks solace بِالشَكوىthrough complaint وَعادَand returns إِلىto الصَبرِpatience
تَعَلَّلَ بِالشَكوى وَعادَ إِلى الصَبرِ
And the sorrow of a yearning man who, when his heart longs,
And the sorrow of one at peace when his heart yearns,
Seeks solace in complaint and returns to patience.
Who vents his grief in lament, then returns to patience.
فَعُدso return يازَمانَO time of القُربِcloseness فيin خَيرِthe best of عيشَةٍlife
فَعُد يازَمانَ القُربِ في خَيرِ عيشَةٍ
وَأَنعَمِand the most tranquil بالٍstate of mind مابَداas long as ... appears كَوكَبٌa star دُرّيpearl-bright
وَأَنعَمِ بالٍ مابَدا كَوكَبٌ دُرّي
So return, O time of closeness, with life at its best,
Return, O days of nearness, in the best of life,
And the mind most at ease, as long as a pearl-bright star appears.
And enjoy fine things unseen before any star shone.
وَعِشand live ياO اِبنَson of نَصرٍNasr ماas long as اِستَهَلَّتpours rain غَمامَةٌa cloud
وَعِش يا اِبنَ نَصرٍ ما اِستَهَلَّت غَمامَةٌ
تَروحُyou go at evening إِلىtoward عِزٍّglory وَتَغدوand you go at morning عَلىupon نَصرِvictory
تَروحُ إِلى عِزٍّ وَتَغدو عَلى نَصرِ
And live, O son of Nasr, as long as a cloud pours rain,
And live, O son of victory, so long as no cloud gathers
Going at evening toward glory and setting forth at morning in victory.
That goes to power and returns at dawn.
Sol 6.1