وَعِصابَةٍand a band بِالخَيرِthrough goodness أُلِّفَwas united شَملُهُمtheir ranks
وَعِصابَةٍ بِالخَيرِ أُلِّفَ شَملُهُم
وَالخَيرُand goodness أَفضَلُthe finest عُصبَةًcompany وَرِفاقاand companions
وَالخَيرُ أَفضَلُ عُصبَةً وَرِفاقا
And a band whose ranks were united by goodness,
United by virtue, their fellowship was mended,
And goodness is the finest company and companionship.
For virtue makes the best of comrades and allies.
جَعَلواthey made التَعاوُنَcooperation وَالبِنايَةَand building هَمَّهُمtheir chief concern
جَعَلوا التَعاوُنَ وَالبِنايَةَ هَمَّهُم
وَاِستَنهَضواand revived الآدابَliterature وَالأَخلاقاand morals
وَاِستَنهَضوا الآدابَ وَالأَخلاقا
They made cooperation and building their chief concern,
They made cooperation and building their care,
And revived literature and morals.
And revived morals and ethics.
وَلَقَدand indeed يُداوونَthey heal الجِراحَthe wounds بِبِرِّهِمthrough their kindness
وَلَقَد يُداوونَ الجِراحَ بِبِرِّهِم
وَيُقاتِلونَand they fight البُؤسَmisery وَالإِملاقاand destitution
وَيُقاتِلونَ البُؤسَ وَالإِملاقا
And indeed they heal wounds with their kindness,
Verily they cure wounds with their righteousness,
And fight misery and destitution.
And battle misery and despair.
يَسمونَthey rise بِالأَدَبِwith literature الجَديدِthe new وَتارَةًand at times
يَسمونَ بِالأَدَبِ الجَديدِ وَتارَةً
يَبنونَthey build لِلأَدَبِfor literature القَديمِthe old رِواقاa portico
يَبنونَ لِلأَدَبِ القَديمِ رِواقا
They elevate modern literature, and at times
They acclaim the new literature at times,
Build a portico for literature of old.
And build halls for the old at others.
بَعَثَawakened اِهتِمامَهُموtheir concern وَهاجَand stirred حَنانَهُمtheir tenderness
بَعَثَ اِهتِمامَهُمو وَهاجَ حَنانَهُم
زَمَنٌan invalid يُثيرُarouses العَطفَsympathy وَالإِشفاقاand compassion
زَمَنٌ يُثيرُ العَطفَ وَالإِشفاقا
Their concern was awakened and their tenderness stirred
Their care was stirred and their affection aroused
By an invalid who arouses sympathy and compassion.
By an age that excites sympathy and pity.
عَرَضَbefell القُعودُimmobility فَكانَso it became دونَin the way of نُبوغِهِhis genius
عَرَضَ القُعودُ فَكانَ دونَ نُبوغِهِ
قَيداًa fetter وَدونَand in the way of خُطىthe steps of الشَبابِyouth وِثاقاa shackle
قَيداً وَدونَ خُطى الشَبابِ وِثاقا
Immobility befell him, and stood in the way of his genius
Inactivity posed, lacking his brilliance,
As a fetter, and a shackle in the way of youth's strides.
A bond below the strides of youth and its vigor.
البُلبُلُthe nightingale الغَرِدُmelodious الَّذيwho هَزَّshook الرُبىthe hills
البُلبُلُ الغَرِدُ الَّذي هَزَّ الرُبى
وَشَجىand saddened الغُصونَthe boughs وَحَرَّكَand stirred الأَوراقاthe leaves
وَشَجى الغُصونَ وَحَرَّكَ الأَوراقا
The melodious nightingale who shook the hills
The warbling nightingale who shook the branches
And saddened the boughs and stirred the leaves
And stirred the boughs and shuffled the leaves,
خَلَفَsucceeded البَهاءَal-Baha عَلىin charge of القَريضِverse وَكَأسِهِand its cup
خَلَفَ البَهاءَ عَلى القَريضِ وَكَأسِهِ
فَسَقىso he gave drink بِعَذبِwith the sweetness of نَسيبِهِhis love poetry العُشّاقاthe lovers
فَسَقى بِعَذبِ نَسيبِهِ العُشّاقا
Succeeded al-Baha in verse and at its cup,
Left behind elegance in his ode and his glass,
And so gave lovers his sweet love poetry to drink.
Quenching with the soft drink of his pure love the enamored.
فيin القَيدِthe fetters مُمتَنِعُbarred الخُطىsteps وَخَيالِهِand his imagination
في القَيدِ مُمتَنِعُ الخُطى وَخَيالِهِ
يَطويfolds up البِلادَthe lands وَيَنشُرُand unfurls الآفاقاthe horizons
يَطوي البِلادَ وَيَنشُرُ الآفاقا
In fetters, his steps are barred, yet his imagination
Though fettered in his steps and imagination,
Folds up the lands and unfurls the horizons.
He spanned countries and expanded horizons.
سَبّاقُa frontrunner غاياتِthe goals of البَيانِeloquence جَرىhe ran بِلاwithout
سَبّاقُ غاياتِ البَيانِ جَرى بِلا
ساقٍa leg فَكَيفَso how إِذاif اِستَرَدَّhe regains الساقاthe leg
ساقٍ فَكَيفَ إِذا اِستَرَدَّ الساقا
Foremost in the race to eloquence's goals, he ran without
A precursor of the goals of rhetoric, he ran without
A leg—how then, if he regains his leg?
Feet, so imagine if he regained his footing!
لَوif يَطعمُtastes الطِبُّmedicine الصَناعُskillful بَيانَهُhis eloquence
لَو يَطعمُ الطِبُّ الصَناعُ بَيانَهُ
أَوor لَوif يُسيغُsavors لِماof what يَقولُhe says مَذاقاa taste
أَو لَو يُسيغُ لِما يَقولُ مَذاقا
If skillful medicine could taste his eloquence,
If only the physician's art were to feed on his rhetoric,
Or if it could savor a taste of what he says,
Or if only it were to make palatable what he says.
غالىwould go to extremes بِقيمَتِهِin valuing him فَلَمso would not يَصنَعfashion لَهُfor him
غالى بِقيمَتِهِ فَلَم يَصنَع لَهُ
إِلّاexcept الجَناحَthe wing مُحَلِّقاًsoaring خَفّاقاfluttering
إِلّا الجَناحَ مُحَلِّقاً خَفّاقا
It would prize him so highly that it would fashion for him
He is too precious to be utilized
Nothing but a soaring, fluttering wing.
Except for the wing, fluttering and hovering.
Sol 6.1