هَلِis it…? الحِذْقُmastery إلاexcept لعَبْدِto ʿAbd الكَريمِal-Karīm
هَلِ الحِذْقُ إلا لعَبْدِ الكَريمِ
حَوىhe acquired فضلَهhis excellence حادثاُnewly gained عنfrom قديمِwhat is old
حَوى فضلَه حادثاُ عن قديمِ
Does mastery belong to anyone but ʿAbd al-Karīm?
Is wisdom only for the generous servant
He gained his excellence anew from what came before.
Whose excellence encompasses the new and old?
إذاwhen لمعَflashes البرقُthe lightning فيin كَفِّهِhis palm
إذا لمعَ البرقُ في كَفِّهِ
أفاضَhe pours forth علىover الوجهِthe face ماءَwater النَّعيمِbliss
أفاضَ على الوجهِ ماءَ النَّعيمِ
When lightning flashes in his palm,
When lightning flashes in his palm
He pours the water of bliss over the face.
He pours the water of bliss on the face.
جَهولُrash الحُسامِthe keen sword ولكنَّهand yet it
جَهولُ الحُسامِ ولكنَّه
يَروحُit returns ويغدوand sets out بِكَفَّيْin the two hands of حَليمِa gentle man
يَروحُ ويغدو بِكَفَّيْ حَليمِ
His sword is rash, and yet it
Ignorant of swords, yet he
Comes and goes in a gentle man's two hands.
Goes and returns with the hands of the forbearing.
فكمso how much قدindeed أراقhe shed بهwith it منof دمblood
فكم قد أراق به من دم
وكمand how many قدindeed أبانhe laid open بهwith it منof كلومwounds
وكم قد أبان به من كلوم
So how much blood he has shed with it,
So much blood has he spilled with it
And how many wounds he has laid open with it!
And so many wounds has he revealed with it,
كأنas though قواريرهhis bottles أفرخfledglings
كأن قواريره أفرخ
طوالlong المناقيرthe beaks خضرgreen الجسومthe bodies
طوال المناقير خضر الجسوم
His bottles are as though they were fledglings,
As if his pots had hatched
Long-beaked and green-bodied.
Green-bodied birds with long beaks.
لهhe has راحَةٌa palm سَيرُهاits movement راحةٌcomfort
له راحَةٌ سَيرُها راحةٌ
تَمُرُّit passes علىover الوَجْهِthe face مَرَّlike the passing of النَّسيمِthe breeze
تَمُرُّ على الوَجْهِ مَرَّ النَّسيمِ
He has a palm whose movement brings comfort,
His travel has an ease, its easiness
Passing over the face like a breeze.
Passing over the face like a gentle breeze.
فلوso if كانَit were منfrom قُبْحِهits ugliness أربداًdusky
فلو كانَ من قُبْحِه أربداً
لعادَit would become منthrough الحُسنِbeauty صافيclear الأديمِthe skin
لعادَ من الحُسنِ صافي الأديمِ
Even if it were dusky with ugliness,
If his ugliness were icier
It would emerge beautiful, with a clear complexion.
He would return from beauty pure silk.
نَعِمْناwe enjoyed comfort بخِدمَتِهthrough his service مُذْsince نَشاhe grew up
نَعِمْنا بخِدمَتِه مُذْ نَشا
فنحنُso we بهthrough him فيin نَعيمٍbliss مُقيمِlasting
فنحنُ به في نَعيمٍ مُقيمِ
We have enjoyed his service since he grew up,
We have enjoyed serving him since we grew up
So through him we dwell in lasting bliss.
So we are with him in lasting bliss.
وكمand how often قدindeed سكَنَّاwe relied إلىon غيرِهsomeone other than him
وكم قد سكَنَّا إلى غيرِه
فكنَّاso we were بهِthrough him فيin عّذابٍtorment أليمِpainful
فكنَّا بهِ في عّذابٍ أليمِ
And how often we have relied on someone else,
And how much we have settled with others
Only to suffer agonizing torment through him.
So we were with them in painful torment.
Sol 6.1