كَذاthus فَليَجدso let him strive مَنْwhoever يَطلُبseeks الرُّتبةَthe rank العُليَاthe highest
كَذا فَليَجد مَنْ يَطلُب الرُّتبةَ العُليَا
وَإلاand otherwise فَمَاthen not الدَّعوَىthe claim بِمُجدِيةٍof any use شَيِّاanything
وَإلا فَمَا الدَّعوَى بِمُجدِيةٍ شَيِّا
Thus let whoever seeks the highest rank strive.
Thus shall he who aspires to rank supreme find naught,
Otherwise, the claim avails nothing.
Unless by deeds that merit he such heights may mount.
جَرَىran صَاحِبُthe author of القاموسِal-Qamus فِيin بُعْدِthe distance of غَايَةٍa goal
جَرَى صَاحِبُ القاموسِ فِي بُعْدِ غَايَةٍ
فَجَّلىso he came in first وَبَاقِيand the rest of الناسِthe people فيin رِبقَةِthe fetter of الأعيَاexhaustion
فَجَّلى وَبَاقِي الناسِ في رِبقَةِ الأعيَا
The author of al-Qamus raced toward a distant goal,
The author of the lexicon trod a distant, lofty goal,
and came in first, while the others remained fettered by exhaustion.
And shone, while folk in mirk of ignorance still roam.
فَجَاءَso he brought forth بِمَاwith what لاَdoes not يُثقِلِweigh down اليَدthe hand حَجْمُهُits bulk
فَجَاءَ بِمَا لاَ يُثقِلِ اليَد حَجْمُهُ
وَيُوسِعُand amply supplies مِنْfrom مَعنَاهُits meaning كُلَّall الوَرَىhumanity رَيَّاthirst-quenching
وَيُوسِعُ مِنْ مَعنَاهُ كُلَّ الوَرَى رَيَّا
He brought forth what does not weigh down the hand with its bulk,
He brought what no hand bears, so slight its girth,
and whose meaning amply quenches all humanity's thirst.
Yet comprehends its meanings the entire earth.
يَضِيقُgrows narrow عَلَىfor مَنْone who رَامَsought قَولاًspeech مَجَالُهُhis scope
يَضِيقُ عَلَى مَنْ رَامَ قَولاً مَجَالُهُ
إذاif لَمnot تَكُنْbe مِماfrom what حَوَاهُcontained it لَهُfor him الفُتيَاthe authoritative answer
إذا لَم تَكُنْ مِما حَوَاهُ لَهُ الفُتيَا
For one who would speak, his scope grows narrow
Strait is the way for him of narrow scope, whose speech
if his answer is not drawn from what it contains.
O'ersteps not what for him her scrolls did teach.
وَمَاand not مِنَّةُthe bounty of القاموسِal-Qamus خُصَّتْwas confined بِجَانِبٍto one side
وَمَا مِنَّةُ القاموسِ خُصَّتْ بِجَانِبٍ
وَلَكِنَهَاbut it الأخرَىthe hereafter إذاif شِئتَyou wish وَالدُّنْيَاand this world
وَلَكِنَهَا الأخرَى إذا شِئتَ وَالدُّنْيَا
Nor is the bounty of al-Qamus confined to one realm;
No special favour Lexicon on some conferred,
rather, it spans the hereafter, if you will, and this world.
But generous boons the whole wide world interred.
سَقَىmay water صَيِّبُa downpour of الرضوانِdivine favor رَوضاًa garden ثَوَىhe rested بِهِin it
سَقَى صَيِّبُ الرضوانِ رَوضاً ثَوَى بِهِ
عَلَىfor كُلّevery حَرفٍletter مِنfrom تَرَاكِيبِهِhis compositions سُقياa watering
عَلَى كُلّ حَرفٍ مِن تَرَاكِيبِهِ سُقيا
May a downpour of divine favor water the garden where he rests,
The wine-pourer of Ridwan watered beds wherein
with a shower for every letter of his compositions.
For lexicon's every letter grows a tree.
خَدَمْتُI served بِهِwith it نَفْسِيmyself وَكَابَدْتُand I endured ثِقلَهُits weight
خَدَمْتُ بِهِ نَفْسِي وَكَابَدْتُ ثِقلَهُ
كَماjust as كَابَدَتْendured أمُّthe mother of الجَنِينِthe unborn child بِهِbecause of him وَنْيَاweariness
كَما كَابَدَتْ أمُّ الجَنِينِ بِهِ وَنْيَا
I served my own needs with it and endured its weight,
Myself I served it, and its weight I bore,
as a mother endures weariness from her unborn child.
As a mother bears her child, in pain and sore.
أسِيرُI travel فيin نَهَارِيmy daytime تَنَائِفِthe desolate reaches of بِيدِهِits deserts
أسِيرُ في نَهَارِي تَنَائِفِ بِيدِهِ
وَلَمْand did not تُثنِنِيturn me back عنfrom سَيرِهاtraversing them الليلَةُthe night الضَّحيَاmoonlit
وَلَمْ تُثنِنِي عن سَيرِها الليلَةُ الضَّحيَا
By day I traverse the desolate reaches of its deserts,
By day I travel led on by its hand,
nor did the moonlit night turn me from traversing them.
Nor turn from it by night, in dark or dawn's first ray.
فَآلَso it passed إلَىto كَفّthe hand of الأمِيرِthe prince الذيwho بِهِthrough him
فَآلَ إلَى كَفّ الأمِيرِ الذي بِهِ
أفَاضَpoured forth عَلَىupon الأحيَاthe living المَسرَّةَjoy وَالمَحيَاand life
أفَاضَ عَلَى الأحيَا المَسرَّةَ وَالمَحيَا
So it passed into the hand of the prince, through whom
To the Emir's hand it came, who joy did rain
joy and life were poured forth upon the living:
On all the living, sadness to refrain.
عَلِيِAli بنِson of حُسَينِHusayn حَسَّنَmay improve اللهُGod شَأنَهُhis standing
عَلِيِ بنِ حُسَينِ حَسَّنَ اللهُ شَأنَهُ
وَسَدَدَand may guide aright مِنهُfrom him الرَّأيَthe judgment وَالأمرَand the command وَالنهيَاand the prohibition
وَسَدَدَ مِنهُ الرَّأيَ وَالأمرَ وَالنهيَا
Ali ibn Husayn—may God improve his standing,
'Ali ibn Husayn - God Deck his fame! -
and guide aright his judgment, his commands and prohibitions.
Made straight through it thought, command, and deed.
وَمَاand not ضَاعَتْwere wasted الألطَافُacts of kindness مِنْfrom ذيone possessing كَرِيمَةٍa noble quality
وَمَا ضَاعَتْ الألطَافُ مِنْ ذي كَرِيمَةٍ
إذاif صَادَفَتْthey encounter منfrom قلبِthe heart of كُفٍْa worthy peer لهاfor them وَليَاa champion
إذا صَادَفَتْ من قلبِ كُفٍْ لها وَليَا
Nor are kindnesses from one of noble character wasted,
No boon is lost, if but a generous heart it meet,
if they find a champion in a worthy peer's heart.
A hand that's open, and a kinsman true.
وَقَابَلتْهُand I collated it عَنْby إذنِهِhis permission غَيرَnot مُخلِدٍinclined
وَقَابَلتْهُ عَنْ إذنِهِ غَيرَ مُخلِدٍ
إلَىto فعلthe practice of مَنْone who يَطوِيfolds away علىغثهover his worthless material طياa folding
إلَى فعل مَنْ يَطوِي علىغثه طيا
And I collated it, by his leave, not inclined
It met him with free leave, not fixed in place,
to the practice of one who folds his worthless material away.
Unlike the deeds of whoso masks his vice in grace.
وخاطبتهand I addressed him لاnot زالceased يسموhe rises مؤرخاًcomposing a chronogram
وخاطبته لا زال يسمو مؤرخاً
أتاكمhas come to you لطفthe favor of اللهGod بالسعدwith good fortune قدindeed حياgreeted
أتاكم لطف الله بالسعد قد حيا
And I addressed him—may he ever rise—with a chronogram:
It addressed him, ceaseless making honour's tide to flow:
God's favor has come to you; it has greeted you with good fortune.
"God's blessing came to you in fortune blest, so know!"
وَدَامَand may he remain رضِيَّcontented in العَيشِlife فِيin عِزِthe glory of مُلكِهِhis reign
وَدَامَ رضِيَّ العَيشِ فِي عِزِ مُلكِهِ
كَمَاjust as دَامَremains ذُوthe possessor of الحَيَاةِlife فِيin مُلكِهِhis dominion حَياalive
كَمَا دَامَ ذُو الحَيَاةِ فِي مُلكِهِ حَيا
And may he continue in a contented life amid the glory of his reign,
Long live in glory his command, as long did last
as long as the possessor of life remains alive in his dominion.
The life of Him whose rule shall never pass.
وأزكَىand the purest صَلاةٍblessing يَفرَغُruns out العَدُّّcounting دُونَهَاshort of it
وأزكَى صَلاةٍ يَفرَغُ العَدُّّ دُونَهَا
عَلىupon سَيِّدِthe master of الكَونَينِthe two worlds مَنْwho حَسَمَended الثَّأياdiscord
عَلى سَيِّدِ الكَونَينِ مَنْ حَسَمَ الثَّأيا
And the purest blessings, beyond all counting,
Most hallowed prayer be, whose count falls short before
be upon the master of the two worlds, who ended discord.
The Lord of Both Worlds, who cleft the dawn in four.
Sol 6.1