قُلsay لِلأَميرِto the emir تَجِدyou will find لِلقَولِfor speech مُضطَرَباroom to range
قُل لِلأَميرِ تَجِد لِلقَولِ مُضطَرَبا
وَتَلقَand you will find فيin كَنَفَيهِhis two sheltering sides السَهلَease وَالرُحُباand ample space
وَتَلقَ في كَنَفَيهِ السَهلَ وَالرُحُبا
Speak to the emir: you will find room for words,
Tell the prince you find him troubled by words,
and in his shelter find ease and ample space.
And he took the plains and expanses in his embrace.
فِداءُa ransom for نَعلِكَyour sandal مُعطىًone granted حَظَّa share of مَكرُمَةٍbounty
فِداءُ نَعلِكَ مُعطىً حَظَّ مَكرُمَةٍ
أَصغىhe heeded إِلىto المَطلِdelayed payment حَتّىuntil باعَhe sold ماwhat وَهَباhe had given
أَصغى إِلى المَطلِ حَتّى باعَ ما وَهَبا
May one granted a share of bounty be ransom for your sandal—
Your sandal's ransom is a gift of honored fortune.
one who yielded to delay until he sold what he had given.
He listened to blame until he sold what he had given.
إِنّيI indeed وَإِنand even though كانَthere were قَومٌsome men ماnot لَهُمfor them سَبَبٌa claim
إِنّي وَإِن كانَ قَومٌ ما لَهُم سَبَبٌ
إِلّاexcept قَضاءٌfate كَفاهُمsufficed them دونِيَto my exclusion السَبَباthe claim
إِلّا قَضاءٌ كَفاهُم دونِيَ السَبَبا
I, even though some men had no claim
And if there are people who have no cause,
except fate, which sufficed them, not me, as a claim,
Except a decree that sufficed them without me a cause,
لَمُضمِرٌsurely harboring غُلَّةًa burning thirst فيin القَلبِthe heart يُضرِمُهاkindles it
لَمُضمِرٌ غُلَّةً في القَلبِ يُضرِمُها
أَنّيthat I سَبَقتُI came first وَتُعطيand you award غَيرِيَsomeone other than me القَصَباthe victor's reed
أَنّي سَبَقتُ وَتُعطي غَيرِيَ القَصَبا
surely harbor a burning thirst in my heart, kindled
I have a grudge in my heart that kindles it,
by my having come first while you award another the victor's reed.
That I preceded and you give others the cane.
إِحفَظpreserve وَسائِلَclaims to favor شِعرٍverse فيكَin your praise ماnot ذَهَبَتtraveled
إِحفَظ وَسائِلَ شِعرٍ فيكَ ما ذَهَبَت
خَواطِفُdarting flashes of البَرقِlightning إِلّاexcept دونَshort of ماwhere ذَهَباit traveled
خَواطِفُ البَرقِ إِلّا دونَ ما ذَهَبا
Preserve the claims of verse in your praise: never have
Preserve the means of poetry in you, nothing of it has gone
lightning's darting flashes traveled as far as it has.
Except what the lightning bolts went beyond.
يَغدونَthey go forth مُغتَرِباتٍfar from home فيin البِلادِthe lands فَماand never
يَغدونَ مُغتَرِباتٍ في البِلادِ فَما
يَزَلنَthey cease يُؤنِسنَthey comfort فيacross الآفاقِthe horizons مُغتَرِباone far from home
يَزَلنَ يُؤنِسنَ في الآفاقِ مُغتَرِبا
They go forth as strangers through the lands, and never
They go abroad in the countries, so they
cease to comfort a stranger across the horizons.
Do not cease to cheer up horizons abroad.
فَلاso do not تُضِعهاneglect them فَماfor there is nothing فيon الأَرضِthe earth أَحسَنُfiner مِنthan
فَلا تُضِعها فَما في الأَرضِ أَحسَنُ مِن
نَظمِthe stringing of القَوافيthe rhymes إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle صادَفَتthey meet حَسَباnobility
نَظمِ القَوافي إِذا ما صادَفَت حَسَبا
So do not neglect them, for nothing on earth is finer than
So do not neglect it, for there is nothing finer on earth than
rhymes strung together when they meet with nobility.
The rhyme of verses when they encounter pedigree.
إِنif أَنتَyou لَمnot تَكُyou are عَدلَthe equal of الحَقِّright تُنصِفُهُyou do it justice
إِن أَنتَ لَم تَكُ عَدلَ الحَقِّ تُنصِفُهُ
لَمnot نَرجُwe hope بَعدَكَafter you خَلقاًany person يُنصِفُdoes justice to الأَدَباliterature
لَم نَرجُ بَعدَكَ خَلقاً يُنصِفُ الأَدَبا
If you are not right's equal, doing it justice,
If you were not just to the truth and do it justice,
we can hope for no one after you to do literature justice.
We would not after you see people who do justice to literature.
Sol 6.1