شَجاًa choking sorrow فيin الحَشىthe heart تَردادُهُits recurrence لَيسَdoes not يَفتُرُslacken
شَجاً في الحَشى تَردادُهُ لَيسَ يَفتُرُ
بِهِbecause of it صُمنَhave fasted آماليmy hopes وَإِنّيwhile I لَمُفطِرُindeed not fasting
بِهِ صُمنَ آمالي وَإِنّي لَمُفطِرُ
A choking sorrow in the heart, whose recurrence never slackens;
A yearning in my heart that does not cease
Because of it my hopes have fasted, while I myself am not fasting.
It blunts my hopes, though fasting I release
حَلَفتُI swore بِمُستَنِّby the course of المُنىwishes تَستَرِشُّهُsprinkles it
حَلَفتُ بِمُستَنِّ المُنى تَستَرِشُّهُ
سَحابَةُa cloud of كَفٍّa hand بِالرَغائِبِwith desired gifts تُمطِرُrains
سَحابَةُ كَفٍّ بِالرَغائِبِ تُمطِرُ
I swore by the course of wishes, which is sprinkled
I swore by the brightness of wishes
By a hand's cloud that rains gifts longed for.
A palm-cloud rains down desires released
إِذاwhen دَرَجَتglided فيهِthrough it الصَباthe east wind كَفكَفَتheld back لَهاbefore it
إِذا دَرَجَت فيهِ الصَبا كَفكَفَت لَها
وَقامَand rose لُباريهاto rival it أَبوAbu الفَضلِal-Fadl جَعفَرُJa'far
وَقامَ لُباريها أَبو الفَضلِ جَعفَرُ
When the east wind glides through it, the cloud holds back before it;
When youthfulness in it flowed, it waved to her
And Abu al-Fadl Ja'far rises to rival it,
And for her company Abu Fadl Ja'far stood
بِسَيبٍwith a flood of bounty كَأَنَّas though السَيفَthe seashore مِنfrom ثَرِّthe copious flow of نُؤيِهِits rain-ditch
بِسَيبٍ كَأَنَّ السَيفَ مِن ثَرِّ نُؤيِهِ
وَأَندِيَةٍand bounties مِنهاfrom them نَدىthe dew of النَوءِthe rain-star يُعصَرُis wrung
وَأَندِيَةٍ مِنها نَدى النَوءِ يُعصَرُ
With a flood of bounty, as though the seashore sprang from its overflowing rain-ditch,
With a sword that from its sheath of water seems
And bounties from which the rain-star's dew is wrung.
And valleys where the dew of stars is wrung
لَقَدindeed زينَتِwas adorned الدُنياthe world بِأَيّامِwith the days of ماجِدٍa noble man
لَقَد زينَتِ الدُنيا بِأَيّامِ ماجِدٍ
بِهِthrough him المُلكُkingship يَبهىshines وَالمَفاخِرُand glories تَفخَرُtake pride
بِهِ المُلكُ يَبهى وَالمَفاخِرُ تَفخَرُ
The world has indeed been adorned by the days of a noble man;
The days of Majid did adorn the world
Through him kingship shines, and glories themselves take pride.
Through him the rule is graced and boasts are flung
فَتىًa young man مِنfrom يَدَيهِhis two hands البَأسُvalor يَضحَكُlaughs وَالنَدىand bounty
فَتىً مِن يَدَيهِ البَأسُ يَضحَكُ وَالنَدى
وَفيand in سَرجِهِhis saddle بَدرٌa full moon وَلَيثٌand a lion غَضَنفَرُa mighty lion
وَفي سَرجِهِ بَدرٌ وَلَيثٌ غَضَنفَرُ
A young man from whose hands valor and bounty laugh;
A youth whose might makes troubles laugh and flee
And in his saddle are a full moon and a mighty lion.
In his saddle, a full moon and roaring lion sprung
بِهِthrough him اِئتَلَفَتcame together آمالُthe hopes of وافِدَةِthe visiting delegation of المُنىwishes
بِهِ اِئتَلَفَت آمالُ وافِدَةِ المُنى
وَقامَتand stood لَدَيهِbefore him جَمَّةًin abundance تَتَشَكَّرُgiving thanks
وَقامَت لَدَيهِ جَمَّةً تَتَشَكَّرُ
Through him the hopes of wish-bearing visitors came together,
For him hopes flocking to their goal aligned
And stood before him in throngs, giving thanks.
And gathered by him thankful and bejeweled thronged
أَباO Abu الفَضلِal-Fadl إِنّيindeed I يَومَon the day جِئتُكَI came to you مادِحاًoffering praise
أَبا الفَضلِ إِنّي يَومَ جِئتُكَ مادِحاً
رَأَيتُI saw وُجوهَthe faces of الجودِgenerosity وَالنُجحِand success تَزهَرُshining
رَأَيتُ وُجوهَ الجودِ وَالنُجحِ تَزهَرُ
O Abu al-Fadl, on the day I came to you with praise,
Abu Fadl, when I came to you with praise
I saw the faces of generosity and success shining.
I saw the faces of success and bounty flowered
وَأَيقَنتُand I became certain أَنّيthat I فالِجٌcleaving غَمرَthe depths of زاخِرِa surging sea
وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي فالِجٌ غَمرَ زاخِرِ
تَثوبُreturn إِلَيهِto it بِالسَماحَةِwith generosity اَبحُرُseas
تَثوبُ إِلَيهِ بِالسَماحَةِ اَبحُرُ
And I knew I was cleaving the depths of a surging sea,
And knew I was a diver in an abundant sea
To which seas return with their generosity.
Where generosity's waves foam and surge
فَلاso no شَيءَthing أَمضىmore potent مِنthan رَجائِكَhope in you فيin النَدىbounty
فَلا شَيءَ أَمضى مِن رَجائِكَ في النَدى
وَلاand no شَيءَthing أَبقىmore lasting مِنthan ثَناءٍpraise يُحَبَّرُis finely embellished
وَلا شَيءَ أَبقى مِن ثَناءٍ يُحَبَّرُ
Nothing is more potent in bounty than hope placed in you,
Naught is surer than my hopes of your nobility
And nothing more lasting than praise finely wrought.
Naught lasts longer than a poetry emblazoned
وَماand not تَنصُرُlend aid الأَسيافُswords نَصرَthe aid of مَديحَةٍa praise-poem
وَما تَنصُرُ الأَسيافُ نَصرَ مَديحَةٍ
لَهاfor it عِندَat أَبوابِthe gates of الخَلائِفِthe caliphs مَحضَرُan audience
لَها عِندَ أَبوابِ الخَلائِفِ مَحضَرُ
Swords do not lend the aid that a praise-poem lends,
No aid of swords succeeds a poem's victory
One that has an audience at the caliphs' gates.
That at the caliphs' doors esteemed attendance has
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle اِنطَوىwithdrew عَنهاfrom it اللَئيمُthe ignoble man بِسَمعِهِwith his hearing
إِذا ما اِنطَوى عَنها اللَئيمُ بِسَمعِهِ
يَكونُthere is لَهاfor it عِندَamong الأَكارِمِthe noble مُنشَرُa place to unfold
يَكونُ لَها عِندَ الأَكارِمِ مُنشَرُ
When the ignoble man closes his ears to it,
When the villain turns his ear from it unhearing
It finds a place to be unfurled among the noble.
It finds welcome audience with the noble and the just
لَهاfor it بَينَamong أَبوابِthe gates of المُلوكِkings مَزامِرٌflutes
لَها بَينَ أَبوابِ المُلوكِ مَزامِرٌ
مِنَof الذِكرِrenown لَمnot تُنفَخblown into وَلاnor تُتَزَمَّرُplayed
مِنَ الذِكرِ لَم تُنفَخ وَلا تُتَزَمَّرُ
It has flutes among the gates of kings,
At the kings' courts it has unsilenced drums
Of renown, never blown into or played.
That of glory sing and are not stilled or oppressed
حَوَتgathered راحَتاهُhis two palms الباسَvalor وَالجودَand generosity وَالنَدىand bounty
حَوَت راحَتاهُ الباسَ وَالجودَ وَالنَدى
وَنالَand he attained الحِجاwisdom فَالجَهلُso ignorance حَيرانُbewildered أَزوَرُturned aside
وَنالَ الحِجا فَالجَهلُ حَيرانُ أَزوَرُ
His two palms have gathered valor, generosity, and bounty;
His hands grasped might and bounty and nobility
And he has attained wisdom, so ignorance is bewildered and turned aside.
And gained distinction when ignorance wandered lost
فَلاso not يَدَعُhe allows الإِنجازَfulfillment of promises يَملِكُcontrols أَمرَهُits affairs
فَلا يَدَعُ الإِنجازَ يَملِكُ أَمرَهُ
وَيَقدُمُهُand precedes it فيin الجودِgenerosity مَطلٌdelay مُؤَخَّرُdeferred
وَيَقدُمُهُ في الجودِ مَطلٌ مُؤَخَّرُ
So he never lets the course of fulfillment be governed,
So one who rules his own affairs does not neglect
Or fulfillment be forestalled in bounty by delay, itself deferred.
To lead in generosity and defer what he has tossed
إِلَيكَto you بِهاwith her عَذراءَa virgin زُفَّتwas escorted as a bride كَأَنَّهاas though she were
إِلَيكَ بِها عَذراءَ زُفَّت كَأَنَّها
عَروسٌa bride عَلَيهاupon her حَليُهاher ornaments يَتَكَسَّرُbends and sways
عَروسٌ عَلَيها حَليُها يَتَكَسَّرُ
I bring her to you, a virgin escorted as though she were
To you, untouched, brought as if a bride bedecked
A bride whose ornaments bend and sway upon her.
In fractured jewelry and wedding garb embossed
تُزَفُّis escorted as a bride إِلَيكُمto you ياO بنَson of نَصرٍNasr كَأَنَّهاas though she were
تُزَفُّ إِلَيكُم يا بنَ نَصرٍ كَأَنَّها
حَليلَةُthe wife of كِسرىKisra يَومَon the day آواهُgave him refuge قَيصَرُCaesar
حَليلَةُ كِسرى يَومَ آواهُ قَيصَرُ
She is escorted to you, O son of Nasr, as though she were
She's brought to you O Banu Nasr as if
Kisra's wife on the day Caesar gave him refuge.
The bride of Chosroes when Caesar gave him host
أَباO Abu الفَضلِal-Fadl إِنَّindeed الشِعرَpoetry مِمّاamong what يُميتُهُkills it
أَبا الفَضلِ إِنَّ الشِعرَ مِمّا يُميتُهُ
إِباءُthe refusal of الفَتىthe young man وَالمَجدُand glory يَحياlives وَيُقبَرُand is buried
إِباءُ الفَتى وَالمَجدُ يَحيا وَيُقبَرُ
O Abu al-Fadl, poetry is among the things put to death
Abu Fadl, poetry is such that refusal
By a young man's refusal; and glory lives and is buried.
Lets it die, while glory lives on and is engrossed
Sol 6.1