للحسنfor beauty مَاwhat للرّاحfor wine بالأروَاحِover souls
للحسن مَا للرّاح بالأروَاحِ
كمhow often فِيamid المحاسنbeauties غابvanished عقلreason الصًّاحيof the sober person
كم فِي المحاسن غاب عقل الصًّاحي
Beauty has wine's power over souls.
The beauty possesses what the soul possesses of spirits
How often has a sober person's reason vanished amid beauty!
How much is hidden in beauty from the mind of the awake
لوif تعذلyou reproached العشاقthe lovers فيماfor what عاينواthey beheld
لو تعذل العشاق فيما عاينوا
لعذلتyou would reproach أجساداًbodies بلاwithout أرواحsouls
لعذلت أجساداً بلا أرواح
If you reproached lovers for what they beheld,
If lovers were to be blamed for what they witnessed
you would reproach bodies without souls.
Bodies without souls would have been blamed
لاnot سيماthe like of قوماًpeople ترفعrose high شأنهمtheir standing
لا سيما قوماً ترفع شأنهم
عنabove وصفdescribing بهكنةa voluptuous woman وذاتand one wearing وشاحa sash
عن وصف بهكنة وذات وشاح
Especially those whose standing rose
Especially a people whose status was elevated
above describing a voluptuous woman and one wearing a sash,
Beyond description, of splendor and nobility
واستغرقواand they became immersed فِيin حبlove منhim whose أنوارهhis lights
واستغرقوا فِي حب من أنواره
قادتled إليهto him جوامحthe unruly ones الأشباحof the bodies
قادت إليه جوامح الأشباح
and who were immersed in love for him whose lights
And they were absorbed in love of one whose light
led unruly bodies toward him—
Guided them, rousing the spirits
خيرthe best of الورىhumankind نهجthe path of الهدىguidance الممدوحthe one praised فِيin
خير الورى نهج الهدى الممدوح فِي
الفرقانthe Criterion (Qur'an) والانجيلand the Gospel والألواحand the Tablets
الفرقان والانجيل والألواح
the best of humankind, the path of guidance, praised in
The best of creation is the path of guidance, praised
the Criterion, the Gospel, and the Tablets.
In the Quran, Bible and Tablets
نالattained السّعادةbliss منwhoever ترشفsipped مدحهpraise of him
نال السّعادة من ترشف مدحه
وشفاand healed الفؤادthe heart بِهِwith it منof الأتراحsorrows
وشفا الفؤاد بِهِ من الأتراح
Whoever sipped praise of him attained bliss
He obtained happiness who sipped his praise
and with it healed the heart of its sorrows,
And his heart was cured of anguish through him
كالفَاضلlike the distinguished البهْلولal-Bahlul حبرscholar زمَانهof his age
كالفَاضل البهْلول حبر زمَانه
صافيpure in الصَّبابةardent love قدوةa model for المدّاحpraise-poets
صافي الصَّبابة قدوة المدّاح
like the distinguished al-Bahlul, the scholar of his age,
Like the eminent al-Buhlul, the sage of his time
pure in ardent love, a model for poets of praise.
Of pure eloquence, a model for singers of praise
دِيوَانهhis poetry collection الدرّthe pearl المصفىrefined قَدْindeed سماrose high
دِيوَانه الدرّ المصفى قَدْ سما
بَيْنَamong المَدائحpraise-poems فِيin حليthe jewels of الإيضاحclarity
بَيْنَ المَدائح فِي حلي الإيضاح
His collection, The Refined Pearl, has risen high
His book, the filtered pearl, transcended
among praise-poems, adorned with clarity's jewels.
Among eulogies in the adornment of elucidation
وافىcame عَلَىalong السننthe path الفصيحeloquent نظامهits verse
وافى عَلَى السنن الفصيح نظامه
وحلّتand was freed إشارتهits allusion عنfrom الافصاحexplicit expression
وحلّت إشارته عن الافصاح
Its verse has followed the eloquent path,
And his systematic language attained the eloquent traditions
and its allusion was freed from explicit expression.
While his allusions sufficed to explain
يغنيspares اللّبيبthe discerning person عنthe need for السّميرan evening companion نسيبهits love poetry
يغني اللّبيب عن السّمير نسيبه
ومديحهand its praise-poetry لاشكwithout doubt نهجa path of صَلاحrighteousness
ومديحه لاشك نهج صَلاح
Its love poetry spares the discerning the need for an evening companion,
It makes the perceptive needless of listening to his equal
and its praise-poetry is surely a path to righteousness.
And his praise is assuredly the path of righteousness
مَاnot زلتI ceased آمُلI hope نشرهits circulation بَيْنَamong الورىhumankind
مَا زلت آمُل نشره بَيْنَ الورى
يتلىto be recited بكلevery عشيّةevening وصبَاحand morning
يتلى بكل عشيّة وصبَاح
I kept hoping for its circulation among humankind,
I have not ceased to hope for its circulation among people
to be recited every evening and morning,
To be recited every evening and dawn
حتّىuntil نكفلundertook (apparent typo) طبعهits printing ربthe lord of النَّدىgenerosity
حتّى نكفل طبعه رب النَّدى
والسيدand the nobleman المعرُوفrenowned بالإمناحfor bestowing gifts
والسيد المعرُوف بالإمناح
until the lord of generosity undertook its printing,
Until the Lord of dew sponsors its printing
and the nobleman renowned for bestowing gifts:
And the Master known for generosity
عمرUmar هوhe is الخشابal-Khashshab ذوpossessor of القدرhigh standing الّذيwhose
عمر هو الخشاب ذو القدر الّذي
آراؤهhis judgments ظفرتachieved بكلevery نجاحsuccess
آراؤه ظفرت بكل نجاح
Umar al-Khashshab, the man of standing whose
He is Omar Al-Khishab, of great worth
judgments have met with every success.
Whose views attained every success
لاmay not زالhe cease فِيin نشرspreading اللّطائفfine works مغرماenamored
لا زال فِي نشر اللّطائف مغرما
يرقىhe rises بِهمّنهthrough his resolve (apparent typo) لكلtoward every فلاحsuccess
يرقى بِهمّنه لكل فلاح
May he remain enamored of spreading fine works,
He still enjoys spreading subtleties
rising through his resolve toward every success.
And promoting them to every farmer
ومذand when انتهىreached its height فِيin الحسنbeauty رونقthe splendor of طبعهits printing
ومذ انتهى فِي الحسن رونق طبعه
ودناand drew near بروضتهin its garden جنىthe harvest of التفاحapples
ودنا بروضته جنى التفاح
And when the splendor of its printing reached beauty's height,
Since the elegance of his style was perfected
and the apple harvest in its garden drew near,
And the fruits of his meadow approached ripeness
أرختI dated للدرّfor the pearl المصفىrefined حسنهits beauty
أرخت للدرّ المصفى حسنه
بالطبعthrough printing مَاwhat للرَّاحfor wine بالأرواحover souls
بالطبع مَا للرَّاح بالأرواح
I dated the beauty of The Refined Pearl thus:
I portrayed the beauty of the filtered pearl
"In print, it has wine's power over souls."
In verse: The beauty possesses what the soul possesses of spirits
Sol 6.1