جُعِلتُmay I be made فِداكَyour ransom أَنتَyou مَنone whom لاnot نَدُلُّهُwe guide him
جُعِلتُ فِداكَ أَنتَ مَن لا نَدُلُّهُ
عَلىto الحَزمِprudence فيin التَدبيرِgovernance بَلrather نَستَدِلُّهُwe seek his guidance
عَلى الحَزمِ في التَدبيرِ بَل نَستَدِلُّهُ
May I be your ransom! You are not one we guide
to prudence in governance; rather, we seek your guidance.
وَلَيسَand no اِمرُؤٌman يَهديكَguides you غَيرَother than مُذَكَّرٍone who reminds
وَلَيسَ اِمرُؤٌ يَهديكَ غَيرَ مُذَكَّرٍ
إِلىtoward كَرَمٍgenerosity إِلّاexcept اِمرُؤٌa man ضَلَّhas gone astray ضُلُّهُhis very error
إِلى كَرَمٍ إِلّا اِمرُؤٌ ضَلَّ ضُلُّهُ
No man would guide you, other than by reminding you,
to generosity, save one whose very error has gone astray.
وَلَكِنَّناbut we مِنfrom يوسُفَYusuf بنِson of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
وَلَكِنَّنا مِن يوسُفَ بنِ مُحَمَّدٍ
عَلىupon أَمَلٍa hope كَالفَجرِlike dawn لاحَhas gleamed مُطِلُّهُits first appearance
عَلى أَمَلٍ كَالفَجرِ لاحَ مُطِلُّهُ
But in Yusuf ibn Muhammad
we have a hope like dawn, whose rising light has shone.
هِلالٌa crescent لَناof ours قَدindeed كادَalmost يَخمُدُdies out ضَوؤُهُhis light
هِلالٌ لَنا قَد كادَ يَخمُدُ ضَوؤُهُ
وَكُنّاand we used to نَراهُsee him as البَدرَthe full moon إِذwhen نَستَهِلُّهُwe first sighted him
وَكُنّا نَراهُ البَدرَ إِذ نَستَهِلُّهُ
He is our crescent, whose light has almost died,
though we saw him as the full moon when first we sighted him.
هُوَhe السَيفُthe sword عَضباًkeen-edged قَدalready أَرَثَّتhave grown worn جُفونُهُits scabbards
هُوَ السَيفُ عَضباً قَد أَرَثَّت جُفونُهُ
وَضُيِّعَand was neglected حَتّىuntil كُلُّevery شَيءٍthing يَفُلُّهُblunts him
وَضُيِّعَ حَتّى كُلُّ شَيءٍ يَفُلُّهُ
He is a keen-edged sword whose scabbards have grown threadbare,
neglected until anything can blunt him.
فَصُنهُso preserve him فَإِنّاfor we indeed نَرتَجيhope فيin غِرارِهِhis blade's edge
فَصُنهُ فَإِنّا نَرتَجي في غِرارِهِ
شِفاءًa remedy مِنَfrom الأَعداءِenemies يَومَthe day تَسُلُّهُyou unsheathe him
شِفاءً مِنَ الأَعداءِ يَومَ تَسُلُّهُ
So preserve him: in his blade's edge we hope to find
a remedy against enemies, the day you draw him.
لَهُhe has خُلُقٌa disposition رَحبٌgenerous وَنَفسٌand a spirit رَأَيتُهاI have seen it
لَهُ خُلُقٌ رَحبٌ وَنَفسٌ رَأَيتُها
إِذاwhen رَزَحَتsinks under its burden نَفسُthe spirit اللَئيمِof the base man تُقِلُّهُbears him up
إِذا رَزَحَت نَفسُ اللَئيمِ تُقِلُّهُ
His nature is generous, and I have seen his spirit
bear him up when the base man's spirit sinks.
فَفيمَthen for what purpose وَلِمand why صَيَّرتَyou have made سَمعَكَyour hearing ضَيعَةًan estate
فَفيمَ وَلِم صَيَّرتَ سَمعَكَ ضَيعَةً
وَوَقَفاand an endowment عَلىfor الساعيthe informer بِهِagainst him يَستَغِلُّهُhe exploits it
وَوَقَفا عَلى الساعي بِهِ يَستَغِلُّهُ
For what purpose, and why, have you made your ear an estate,
an endowment for his slanderer to harvest?
قَرارَةُa basin عَدلٍof justice سَيلُthe torrent كُلِّof every ثَنِيَّةٍmountain pass
قَرارَةُ عَدلٍ سَيلُ كُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ
إِلَيهاtoward it وَشِعبٌand a ravine كُلُّevery زَورٍfalsehood يَحُلُّهُlodges in it
إِلَيها وَشِعبٌ كُلُّ زَورٍ يَحُلُّهُ
A basin of justice: the torrent from every mountain pass
runs into it; a ravine where every falsehood lodges.
لِذَلِكَtherefore ذاthis المَولىretainer المُهانُdespised يُهينُهُhumiliates him
لِذَلِكَ ذا المَولى المُهانُ يُهينُهُ
فَيَحظىand so wins favor وَذاand this العَبدُslave الذَليلُabject يُذِلُّهُabases him
فَيَحظى وَذا العَبدُ الذَليلُ يُذِلُّهُ
Thus this despised retainer humiliates him
and wins favor, while this abject slave abases him.
أَتَغدوdo you go forth بِهِwith him فيinto الحَربِwar قَبلَbefore اِتِّغارِهِhis second teething
أَتَغدو بِهِ في الحَربِ قَبلَ اِتِّغارِهِ
وَفيand into الخَطبِthe crisis قَدalready أَعياhas baffled الأَولىthose before him مُصمَئِلُّهُits dire severity
وَفي الخَطبِ قَد أَعيا الأَولى مُصمَئِلُّهُ
Do you take him to war before his second teeth have grown,
and into a crisis whose severity has baffled those before him,
وَتَعقِدُهُand you bind him حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen اِستَحصَدَتhave grown strong لَهُfor him
وَتَعقِدُهُ حَتّى إِذا اِستَحصَدَت لَهُ
مَرائِرُهُhis twisted cords أَنشَأتَyou began بَعدُafterward تَحُلُّهُto untie him
مَرائِرُهُ أَنشَأتَ بَعدُ تَحُلُّهُ
and bind him tight until, when strength has come
to his twisted cords, you then begin to unravel him?
هُوَhe النَفَلُthe bounty الحُلوُsweet الَّذيwhich إِنif شَكَرتَهُyou thank him
هُوَ النَفَلُ الحُلوُ الَّذي إِن شَكَرتَهُ
فَقَدthen already ذابَhas melted فيin أَقصىthe depths of لَهاتِكَyour throat حَلُّهُits oil
فَقَد ذابَ في أَقصى لَهاتِكَ حَلُّهُ
He is sweet bounty: if you give thanks for it,
its oil has already melted deep in your throat.
وَفَيءٌand spoil فَوَقِّرهُso honor him وَإِنّيand I indeed لَواثِقٌam surely certain
وَفَيءٌ فَوَقِّرهُ وَإِنّي لَواثِقٌ
بِأَنthat لاnot يَراكَHe sees you اللَهُGod مِمَّنamong those who يَغُلُّهُembezzle it
بِأَن لا يَراكَ اللَهُ مِمَّن يَغُلُّهُ
And a share of spoil: honor him; I am indeed certain
that God will not see you among those who embezzle it.
فَلَوfor if كانَhe were فَرعاًa branch مِنamong فُروعِكَyour branches لَمwould not يَكُنbe
فَلَو كانَ فَرعاً مِن فُروعِكَ لَم يَكُن
لَناfor us مِنهُمُfrom them إِلّاexcept ذَراهُhis shelter وَظِلُّهُand his shade
لَنا مِنهُمُ إِلّا ذَراهُ وَظِلُّهُ
For if he were one branch among your branches, there would be
for us, from them, only his shelter and shade.
فَكَيفَhow then وَإِنand if لَمhas not يَرزُقِgrant اللَهُGod إِخوَةًbrothers
فَكَيفَ وَإِن لَم يَرزُقِ اللَهُ إِخوَةً
لَهُto him فَهوَthen he is بَعدَafter اليَومِtoday فَرعُكَyour branch كُلُّهُall of it
لَهُ فَهوَ بَعدَ اليَومِ فَرعُكَ كُلُّهُ
How much more, then, if God has granted no brothers
to him! Henceforth he is your one and only branch.
Sol 6.1