أَجِلِcast المُعَلّىthe Mu‘alla (highest-winning arrow) مِنamong قِداحِgaming arrows سُرورِjoy
أَجِلِ المُعَلّى مِن قِداحِ سُرورِ
وأدِرand pass round كُؤوسَcups الأُنسِfellowship فَهوَfor it is سَميريmy evening companion
وأدِر كُؤوسَ الأُنسِ فَهوَ سَميري
Cast the Mu‘alla among the gaming arrows of joy;
Raise high the finest drink from cups of joy,
And pass round the cups of fellowship, for it is my evening companion.
And pass around the cups of companionship, for it is my entertainer.
خُلِعَتwere draped علىupon عِطفِthe shoulder of البَهاءِsplendor مَحاسِنيmy beauties
خُلِعَت على عِطفِ البَهاءِ مَحاسِني
فَكَسَتso they clothed بِهِwith it الآفاقَthe horizons ثَوبَa robe حُبورِjoy
فَكَسَت بِهِ الآفاقَ ثَوبَ حُبورِ
My beauties were draped upon the shoulder of splendor;
My beauty was cast upon the shoulder of splendor,
So with it they clothed the horizons in a robe of joy.
So it clothed the horizons in a robe of sapphire.
وتَناسَقَand harmonized الوَشيُthe brocade المفَوَّفُstriped حُلَّتيmy robe
وتَناسَقَ الوَشيُ المفَوَّفُ حُلَّتي
نَسَقَthe arrangement of الشُذورِgold beads عَلىupon نُحورِthe necks of الحورِhouris
نَسَقَ الشُذورِ عَلى نُحورِ الحورِ
And my robe’s striped brocade was arrayed
And my loose cloak was elegantly draped,
Like gold beads strung upon the necks of houris.
Like bangles over the wrists of the maidens.
شأوُutmost reach القُصورِthe palaces قُصورُهاtheir falling short عَنof رُتبَتيmy rank
شأوُ القُصورِ قُصورُها عَن رُتبَتي
فَأَناfor I am الَّتيshe who بَرَزَتhas stood forth فَعَزَّso became rare نَظيريmy equal
فَأَنا الَّتي بَرَزَت فَعَزَّ نَظيري
The utmost reach of palaces is to fall short of my rank;
The splendor of palaces is humbled before my rank,
For I am she who has stood forth, so my equal is rare.
For I am she who emerged and whose peer was exalted.
فيin المُبتَنىthe edifice المُراكشيِّof Marrakesh وأُفقِهِand its horizon
في المُبتَنى المُراكشيِّ وأُفقِهِ
أُزريI look down عَلىupon الزَوراءِal-Zawra والخابورِand al-Khabur
أُزري عَلى الزَوراءِ والخابورِ
In the architecture of Marrakesh and its horizon,
In the well-built and lavish structure and its horizons,
I put al-Zawra and al-Khabur to shame.
I surpass the most brilliant and the dimmest of stars.
أَعلىraised مَقاميmy station البارعthe masterful one الأسمىthe most exalted الَّذيwho
أَعلى مَقامي البارع الأسمى الَّذي
قَدindeed حازَwon سَبقَpreeminence النَظمِverse وَالمَنثورِand prose
قَد حازَ سَبقَ النَظمِ وَالمَنثورِ
My station was raised by the masterful, most exalted one, who
My supreme position is the most exceptional and sublime,
Has won preeminence in verse and prose.
Which has attained precedence in prose and verse.
فَإذاso when أَقَلَّlifted بَنانُهُhis fingertips أَقلامَهُhis pens
فَإذا أَقَلَّ بَنانُهُ أَقلامَهُ
نَفَثَتbreathed out عُقودَnecklaces السِحرِmagic بَينَbetween سُطورِlines
نَفَثَت عُقودَ السِحرِ بَينَ سُطورِ
So when his fingertips lift his pens,
When its fingers tips grasped the pens,
They breathe out necklaces of magic between the lines.
It emitted strands of magic between the lines.
عبدُAbd (servant) العَزيزِal-Aziz (the Mighty) أخوbrother of الجَلالَةِmajesty كاتِبٌa secretary
عبدُ العَزيزِ أخو الجَلالَةِ كاتِبٌ
سِرُّconfidential affairs الخَليفَةِthe caliph أَحمَدَAhmad المَنصورِal-Mansur (the victorious)
سِرُّ الخَليفَةِ أَحمَدَ المَنصورِ
Abd al-Aziz, brother of majesty, the privy secretary
Abdul Aziz, the brother of his Majesty, is a scribe,
Of the caliph Ahmad al-Mansur.
The secret of the Caliph Ahmad al-Mansur.
لاmay he not زالَcease to be فيin يُمنٍgood fortune وَأَمنٍand safety ماas long as شَدَتsing
لا زالَ في يُمنٍ وَأَمنٍ ما شَدَت
وُرقٌgrey doves بِرَوضٍin a garden بِالنَدىwith dew مَمطورِshowered
وُرقٌ بِرَوضٍ بِالنَدى مَمطورِ
May he ever enjoy good fortune and safety, so long as they sing—
As long as the leaves rustled with dew in the meadow,
Grey doves in a garden showered with dew.
He remained in prosperity and security.
Sol 6.1