قُلْsay لِوَلِيِّto the guardian الدَّوْلةِof the state المُرْتَجَىin whom hopes are placed
قُلْ لِوَلِيِّ الدَّوْلةِ المُرْتَجَى
والمُتَّقَىand who is feared فيin الجُودِgenerosity والباسِand might
والمُتَّقَى في الجُودِ والباسِ
Tell the guardian of the state, in whom hopes are placed,
Say to the guardian of the aspired state,
and who is feared in generosity and might:
The one feared for his generosity and valor,
فُزْتَyou have won بِأَهْلِwith the people of الفَضْلِmerit حتَّىuntil حَكَوْاthey resembled
فُزْتَ بِأَهْلِ الفَضْلِ حتَّى حَكَوْا
عندَكَwith you فَوْزَاًFawz عندwith عَبَّاسِAbbas
عندَكَ فَوْزَاً عند عَبَّاسِ
You have won the men of merit, till they resembled
You have won the people of merit, so they told
Fawz with Abbas, in their place with you.
Stories of your victory next to Abbas.
لاسِيَّماespecially هذاthis الأَدِيبُman of letters الّذيwho
لاسِيَّما هذا الأَدِيبُ الّذي
أتَىhe brought مِنَfrom النَّظْمِverse بأجْناسِdiverse kinds
أتَى مِنَ النَّظْمِ بأجْناسِ
Especially this man of letters, who
Especially this literate one who
has brought forth diverse kinds of verse:
Came with poetry of various genres,
النَّابِهُthe distinguished المُفْلِقُthe masterful فيin مَدْحِهِhis praise
النَّابِهُ المُفْلِقُ في مَدْحِهِ
وهَجْوِهِand his satire والجارِحُand the wounder الآسِيthe healer
وهَجْوِهِ والجارِحُ الآسِي
distinguished and masterful in his praise
The eloquent one splitting with his praise,
and his satire, wounding and healing.
Satire, and wounding remarks,
لَمْnot أَرَI saw مِنْfrom قبلbefore وُقُوفِيmy acquainting myself عَلَىwith
لَمْ أَرَ مِنْ قبل وُقُوفِي عَلَى
ماwhat قالَhe said نشَّاباًarrows بِقِرْطاسِupon paper
ما قالَ نشَّاباً بِقِرْطاسِ
I had never seen, before acquainting myself with
I have not seen before my standing upon
his words, arrows upon paper,
What he said youthfully with paper,
وَنَخْلَةٍand a palm tree تَشْكُرُthanks جَدْواكَyour bounty مِنْfrom
وَنَخْلَةٍ تَشْكُرُ جَدْواكَ مِنْ
أَصْلٍa root ومِنْand from فَرْعٍa branch ومِنْand from راسِa crown
أَصْلٍ ومِنْ فَرْعٍ ومِنْ راسِ
and a palm tree thanking your bounty from
And a palm tree thanking your rain
its root, its branches, and its crown,
From its roots, branches, and head,
شاهِقَةٍtowering مِنْfrom دُونِthis side of مِصْرٍMisr (Egypt or Cairo) تُرَىis seen
شاهِقَةٍ مِنْ دُونِ مِصْرٍ تُرَى
وهيَand it حَوَالَيْaround دَرْبِthe lane of دَوَّاسِDawwas
وهيَ حَوَالَيْ دَرْبِ دَوَّاسِ
towering, visible this side of Misr,
Towering without Egypt in sight
while it stands around Darb Dawwas,
While it surrounds the path of crossers,
وَرُقْعَةُand a board الشِّطْرَنْجِof chess ثُمَّthen انْتَهَىhe finished
وَرُقْعَةُ الشِّطْرَنْجِ ثُمَّ انْتَهَى
ولَمْand not أكُنْI was لِلفَضلِof merit بالنّاسِيforgetful
ولَمْ أكُنْ لِلفَضلِ بالنّاسِي
and a chessboard—then he finished,
And the chessboard piece then ended
and I was not forgetful of merit—
And I was not forgetful of merit among people
حالِيَةٌadorned عامِرَةٌwell-filled شُبِّهَتْwere likened
حالِيَةٌ عامِرَةٌ شُبِّهَتْ
بَيادِقُpawns فيهاupon it بأَفْراسِto horses
بَيادِقُ فيها بأَفْراسِ
adorned and full, where
An inhabited station likened
pawns upon it were likened to horses.
To meadows in it with horses
فَقُلْso tell لناus مَنْwho ذاthis الأَدِيبُman of letters الّذيwho
فَقُلْ لنا مَنْ ذا الأَدِيبُ الّذي
زادَincreased بهِthrough him حُبِّيmy love وَوَسْواسِيand my restless thoughts
زادَ بهِ حُبِّي وَوَسْواسِي
So tell us: who is this man of letters
So tell us who is this literate one
through whom my love and my restless thoughts have grown?
Who increased my love and obsession
إنif كانَhe was مِثلِيlike me مَغربِيّاًMaghrebi فمَاthen no
إن كانَ مِثلِي مَغربِيّاً فمَا
فيin صُحْبَةِthe companionship of الأَجْناسِkindred people مِنْany باسِharm
في صُحْبَةِ الأَجْناسِ مِنْ باسِ
If he, like me, is Maghrebi, then no
If he is like me a Maghrebi then what
harm lies in the company of one's own kind.
Is wrong with the company of different kinds
وَإنَّand indeed مِثْلِيone like me عِندَهْbeside him اليَوْمَtoday كالlike the
وَإنَّ مِثْلِي عِندَهْ اليَوْمَ كال
صَخْرَةِrock عندَbeside الجَبلِthe mountain الراسِيfirmly rooted
صَخْرَةِ عندَ الجَبلِ الراسِي
And indeed, one like me beside him today is like a
And the likes of me are to him today like
rock beside a firmly rooted mountain.
The boulder next to the steady mountain
وبَيْنَand between دارَيْناour two homes كماas بينَناbetween us
وبَيْنَ دارَيْنا كما بينَنا
وأَيْنَand where is مُرَّاكِشُMarrakesh منْin relation to فاسِFez
وأَيْنَ مُرَّاكِشُ منْ فاسِ
And between our two homes is what lies between us:
And between our two homes is like between us
what is Marrakesh beside Fez?
And where is Marrakesh from Fez
وإنْand if يُكَذِّبhe denies نِسبَتِيmy lineage جِئْتُهُI shall come to him
وإنْ يُكَذِّب نِسبَتِي جِئْتُهُ
بِجُبَّتيwith my robe الصُّوفof wool وَدَفَّاسِيand my daffās garment
بِجُبَّتي الصُّوف وَدَفَّاسِي
And if he denies my lineage, I shall come to him
And if he doubts my origin I came to him
in my woollen robe and my daffās garment.
With my woolen jubba and sandals
وإنand if يَجِدhe finds فيin لُغَتيmy speech رِيبَةًcause for doubt
وإن يَجِد في لُغَتي رِيبَةً
أَكتمaktum (meaning unclear here) نباnaba (meaning unclear here) نازَعْتُI wrestled with إِفْلاسِيmy poverty
أَكتم نبا نازَعْتُ إِفْلاسِي
And if he finds cause for doubt in my speech:
And if he finds fault in my language
“Aktum naba” [unclear phrase]—I have wrestled with my poverty.
I’ll be silent for poverty contested my eloquence
Sol 6.1