ياO اِبنَson of زَيدونَZaydun مَرحَباwelcome
يا اِبنَ زَيدونَ مَرحَبا
قَدindeed أَطَلتَyou have prolonged التَغَيُّباthe absence
قَد أَطَلتَ التَغَيُّبا
Welcome, Ibn Zaydun!
You have been away so long.
إِنَّindeed ديوانَكَyour collection of poems الَّذيwhich
إِنَّ ديوانَكَ الَّذي
ظَلَّremained سِرّاًa secret مُحَجَّباveiled
ظَلَّ سِرّاً مُحَجَّبا
Indeed, your collection of poems, which
remained a veiled secret,
يَشتَكيlaments اليُتمَorphanhood دُرُّهُits pearls
يَشتَكي اليُتمَ دُرُّهُ
وَيُقاسيand endures التَغَرُّباexile
وَيُقاسي التَغَرُّبا
its pearls lamenting orphanhood
and enduring exile,
صارَhas become فيin كُلِّevery بَلدَةٍtown
صارَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ
لِلأَلِبّاءِfor the discerning مَطلَباan object of pursuit
لِلأَلِبّاءِ مَطلَبا
has become, in every town,
something sought by the discerning.
جاءَناhe came to us كامِلٌKamil بِهِwith it
جاءَنا كامِلٌ بِهِ
عَرَبِيّاًArabic مُهَذَّباpolished
عَرَبِيّاً مُهَذَّبا
Kamil brought it to us,
in polished Arabic.
تَجِدُyou find النَصَّthe text مُعِجِباdelightful
تَجِدُ النَصَّ مُعِجِبا
وَتَرىand you see الشَرحَthe commentary أَعجَباmore wondrous
وَتَرى الشَرحَ أَعجَبا
You find the text delightful,
and the commentary still more wondrous.
أَنتَyou فيin القَولِexpression كُلِّهِall of it
أَنتَ في القَولِ كُلِّهِ
أَجمَلُthe most beautiful الناسِpeople مَذهَباin style
أَجمَلُ الناسِ مَذهَبا
In every form of expression, you
have the loveliest style of all.
بِأَبيmy father be your ransom أَنتَyou هَيكَلاًa temple
بِأَبي أَنتَ هَيكَلاً
مِنof فُنونٍarts مُرَكَّباcomposed
مِن فُنونٍ مُرَكَّبا
My father be your ransom—you are a temple
composed of many arts.
شاعِراًa poet أَمor مُصَوِّراًa painter
شاعِراً أَم مُصَوِّراً
كُنتَyou were أَمor كُنتَyou were مُطرِباa singer
كُنتَ أَم كُنتَ مُطرِبا
A poet or a painter—
were you, or were you a singer?
نُرسِلُwe send forth اللَحنَthe melody كُلَّهُall of it
نُرسِلُ اللَحنَ كُلَّهُ
مُبدِعاًinventive فيهِin it مُغرِباwondrously original
مُبدِعاً فيهِ مُغرِبا
We send forth the whole melody,
inventive and wondrous in it.
أَحسَنَthe finest الناسَpeople هاتِفاًsinging aloud
أَحسَنَ الناسَ هاتِفاً
بِالغَوانيof beautiful women مُشَبِّباsinging love poetry
بِالغَواني مُشَبِّبا
The finest of men in song,
singing love verses of beautiful women,
وَنَزيلَand guest of المُتَوَّجيـthe crowned (word continues)
وَنَزيلَ المُتَوَّجيـ
ـنَending of 'the crowned ones' النَديمَthe boon companion المُقَرَّباthe favored
ـنَ النَديمَ المُقَرَّبا
and a guest of the crowned heads,
their favored boon companion.
كَمhow often سَقاهُمhe gave them to drink بِشِعرِهِthrough his poetry
كَم سَقاهُم بِشِعرِهِ
مِدحَةًpraise أَوor تَعَتُّباreproach
مِدحَةً أَو تَعَتُّبا
How often he gave them to drink, through his verse,
praise or reproach!
وَمِنَand of المَدحِpraise ماthat which جَزىgave recompense
وَمِنَ المَدحِ ما جَزى
وَأَذاعَand proclaimed المَناقِباnoble deeds
وَأَذاعَ المَناقِبا
And some praise gave recompense
and proclaimed noble deeds.
وَإِذاand when الهَجوُsatire هاجَهُstirred him
وَإِذا الهَجوُ هاجَهُ
لِمُعاناتِهِto undertake it أَبىhe refused
لِمُعاناتِهِ أَبى
And when satire stirred him,
he refused to undertake it,
وَرَآهُand he saw it رَذيلَةًa vice
وَرَآهُ رَذيلَةً
لاnot تُماشيaccords with التَأَدُّباgood manners
لا تُماشي التَأَدُّبا
and saw it as a vice
that does not accord with good manners.
ماnot رَأىsaw الناسُpeople شاعِراًa poet
ما رَأى الناسُ شاعِراً
فاضِلَvirtuous in الخُلقِcharacter طَيِّباkind
فاضِلَ الخُلقِ طَيِّبا
People have never seen a poet,
noble in character and kind,
دَسَّsecretly slipped لِلناشِقينَfor those who inhale fragrance فيinto
دَسَّ لِلناشِقينَ في
زَنبَقِthe lily of الشِعرِpoetry عَقرَباa scorpion
زَنبَقِ الشِعرِ عَقرَبا
slip, for those who breathe its scent,
a scorpion into poetry's lily.
جُلتَyou roamed فيthrough الخُلدِParadise جَولَةًa tour
جُلتَ في الخُلدِ جَولَةً
هَلis there عَنِabout الخُلدِParadise مِنany نَباnews
هَل عَنِ الخُلدِ مِن نَبا
You have made a tour of Paradise;
is there any news of Paradise?
صِفdescribe لَناfor us ماwhat وَراءَهُbeyond it
صِف لَنا ما وَراءَهُ
مِنof عُيونٍsprings وَمِنand of رُبىhills
مِن عُيونٍ وَمِن رُبى
Describe for us what lies beyond it,
of springs and hills,
وَنَعيمٍand bliss وَنَضرَةٍand freshness
وَنَعيمٍ وَنَضرَةٍ
وَظِلالٍand shades مِنَof الصِباyouth
وَظِلالٍ مِنَ الصِبا
and bliss and freshness,
and shades of youth.
وَصِفِand describe الحورَthe houris موجَزاًbriefly
وَصِفِ الحورَ موجَزاً
وَإِذاand if شِئتَyou wish مُطنِباat length
وَإِذا شِئتَ مُطنِبا
And describe the houris briefly,
and, if you wish, at length.
قُمrise تَرىyou will see الأَرضَthe earth مِثلَماjust as
قُم تَرى الأَرضَ مِثلَما
كُنتُموyou were (plural) أَمسِyesterday مَلعَباa playground
كُنتُمو أَمسِ مَلعَبا
Rise: you will see the earth, as
you did yesterday, a playground.
وَتَرىand you will see العَيشَlife لَمhas not يَزَلceased
وَتَرى العَيشَ لَم يَزَل
لِبَنيfor the children of المَوتِdeath مَأرَباan object of desire
لِبَني المَوتِ مَأرَبا
And you will see that life still remains
an object of desire for death's children.
وَتَرىand you will see ذاكَthat one بِالَّذيby what
وَتَرى ذاكَ بِالَّذي
عِندَin the possession of هَذاthis one مُعَذَّباtormented
عِندَ هَذا مُعَذَّبا
And you will see that one, by what
this one has, tormented.
إِنَّindeed مَروانَMarwan عُصبَةٌa band
إِنَّ مَروانَ عُصبَةٌ
يَصنَعونَthey perform العَجائِباwonders
يَصنَعونَ العَجائِبا
Indeed, Marwan's house is a band
who work wonders.
طَوَّفواthey ranged widely الأَرضَthe earth مَشرِقاًeastward
طَوَّفوا الأَرضَ مَشرِقاً
بِالأَياديwith benefactions وَمَغرِباand westward
بِالأَيادي وَمَغرِبا
They ranged across the earth eastward,
with benefactions, and westward.
هالَةٌa halo أَطلَعَتكَmade you rise فيat
هالَةٌ أَطلَعَتكَ في
ذِروَةِthe summit of المَجدِglory كَوكَباa star
ذِروَةِ المَجدِ كَوكَبا
A halo that made you rise at
glory's summit as a star.
أَنتَyou لِلفَتحِto the conquest تَنتَميtrace your lineage
أَنتَ لِلفَتحِ تَنتَمي
وَكَفىand suffices الفَتحُthe conquest مَنصِباas lineage
وَكَفى الفَتحُ مَنصِبا
You trace your lineage to the conquest,
and the conquest is lineage enough.
لَستُI am not أَرضىcontent بِغَيرِهِwith anything other than it
لَستُ أَرضى بِغَيرِهِ
لَكَfor you جَدّاًa grandfather وَلاnor أَباa father
لَكَ جَدّاً وَلا أَبا
I accept no other
as your grandfather or father.
Sol 6.1