بعودكwith your return عادتreturned دولةthe reign of الكرمgenerosity الغمرboundless
بعودك عادت دولة الكرم الغمر
وأصبحand came to be طيءTayy; possibly 'folding away' الجودof generosity يؤذنgives notice بالنشرِof revival
وأصبح طيء الجود يؤذن بالنشرِ
With your return, the reign of boundless generosity returned.
Your return brought back the state of overflowing generosity
And Tayy of bounty now heralds revival.
And the morning of giving freely began to announce its dissemination
طلعتyou rose علىupon العافينthose seeking gifts منfrom كلevery وجهةdirection
طلعت على العافين من كل وجهة
وقدand already أظلمتhad darkened أمالهمtheir hopes طلعةa rising like that of البدرthe full moon
وقد أظلمت أمالهم طلعة البدر
You rose upon gift-seekers from every quarter,
You rose above the hopeful from every direction
like the rising of the full moon, when their hopes had darkened.
As their aspirations darkened like the rising of the full moon
فكانتso it became لهمfor them يمناكyour right hand أيمنmost auspicious سانحa favorable omen
فكانت لهم يمناك أيمن سانح
وكانتand it became لهمfor them يسراكyour left hand داعيةa summons to اليسرease اstray letter; no lexical meaning
وكانت لهم يسراك داعية اليسر ا
Thus your right hand became their most auspicious omen,
So your auspices were favorable omens for them
and your left hand summoned ease for them.
And your ease was inviting ease
علىover كلevery قطرregion منfrom نداكyour bounty غمامةa cloud
على كل قطر من نداك غمامة
مدومةunceasing تربيsurpassing علىbeyond ديمةa steady shower القطرof rain
مدومة تربي على ديمة القطر
Over every region hangs a cloud of your bounty,
Upon every drop of your clouds is a
unceasing, surpassing a steady shower of rain.
Permanent cloud that nurtures with drops of rain
وإنكand indeed you ليتa lion (apparent reading) مخدرlair-dwelling فيamid لظىthe blaze of الوغىbattle
وإنك ليت مخدر في لظى الوغى
وأحييand more bashful (apparent reading) غداةon the morning of السلمpeace منthan ربةthe lady of الخدرthe secluded chamber
وأحيي غداة السلم من ربة الخدر
And you are a lair-dwelling lion amid battle's blaze,
You are indeed an anesthetic in the agony of discord
yet more bashful on peace's morning than a lady in her secluded chamber.
And a reviver the morning after peace from the Rabe’a al-Khadra
إذاwhen امتدstretched out ليلthe night of النقعbattle-dust واستبهمand grew obscure الفضاthe open expanse
إذا امتد ليل النقع واستبهم الفضا
برزنthey emerged المناياthe deaths السودblack منfrom بيضلyour white blades (apparent reading) الحمرthe red ones
برزن المنايا السود من بيضل الحمر
When the night of battle-dust stretches out and the open field grows obscure,
When the night of gloom lingers and the horizon darkens
black deaths emerge from your white blades turned red.
The black fates emerge from the whiteness of the red
وأقسمand I swear لوif باكرتyou came at dawn upon حيthe clan of خفاجةKhafaja
وأقسم لو باكرت حي خفاجة
لماthey would not صبحواhave been greeted at dawn إلاexcept براعيةwith a herdswoman; probably 'with a bellow' البكرof the young camel
لما صبحوا إلا براعية البكر
And I swear, had you come at dawn upon the clan of Khafaja,
And I swear if you attacked the living audaciously
they would have met dawn only with the young camel's bellow [apparent reading].
They would only awake as cattle in the pasture
ولكنbut حمتهمshielded them عنfrom رماحكyour spears والظبيand the sword-edges (apparent reading)
ولكن حمتهم عن رماحك والظبي
وإنand even if يهلكواthey perish أرجاءthe reaches of مهلكةa deadly waste قعرdeep
وإن يهلكوا أرجاء مهلكة قعر
But from your spears and sword-edges they were shielded—
But your protection spared them from your spears
even if they perish—by the reaches of a deep, deadly waste.
And even if they perish in places of ruin and depths
مضواthey departed فعقيقso Aqiq القومof the clan منكbecause of you كأنّهas though it
مضوا فعقيق القوم منك كأنّه
يسيرmoves أسيراa captive للمخافةto fear والذعرand terror
يسير أسيرا للمخافة والذعر
They departed; so the clan's Aqiq, because of you, seems
They went on while the compact of the people from you was as if
to move as a captive to fear and terror.
It walks captive to fear and alarm
لعمرby the life of أبيAbu; father of يحيىYahya أخيbrother of البأسvalor أنهindeed he
لعمر أبي يحيى أخي البأس أنه
إذاwhen التقتclashed الفرسانthe horsemen أشجعbraver منthan عمروAmr
إذا التقت الفرسان أشجع من عمرو
By the life of Abu Yahya, brother of valor, surely he
By the life of my brother Abu Yahya the valorous one he is
is braver than Amr when the horsemen clash.
When the knights meet, more courageous than ‘Amr
تروحgo out in the evening بنوthe sons of الحاجاتneeds منهfrom him وتغتديand go out in the morning
تروح بنو الحاجات منه وتغتدي
إلىtoward أنعمfavors of بيرunclear; possibly goodness وانيةslow; languid خضرgreen; flourishing
إلى أنعم بير وانية خضر
The sons of need go forth from him at evening and at morning
The people of wants go to him for help and return
toward lush, slow-coming favors of goodness [wording uncertain].
To the most blissful and green meadows
هوhe لصدرthe chief (apparent reading) أضحىhas become واسعbroad الصدرof breast ذاpossessing لهىgifts
هو لصدر أضحى واسع الصدر ذا لهى
تسيلflowing علىupon سؤالpetitioners ضيقnarrow العذرin excuse
تسيل على سؤال ضيق العذر
He is the chief, now broad of breast, endowed with gifts
He is one whose chest is vast when angry and narrow when pleased
flowing upon petitioners, with little scope for excuse.
With overflowing clemency, knowledge, logic and reason
جوادgenerous غزيرabundant in الحلمforbearance والعلمand knowledge والحجىand discernment
جواد غزير الحلم والعلم والحجى
صحيحunblemished أديمthe hide of العرضhonor مستهلكconsuming الوفرِwealth
صحيح أديم العرض مستهلك الوفرِ
Generous, abundant in forbearance, knowledge, and discernment,
A steadfast, flawless, generous stallion
the hide of his honor unblemished, expending his wealth.
A towering mountain shaking the earth with awe
وطودand a mountain يمورsways الطودthe mountain فيin الأرضthe earth هيبةin awe
وطود يمور الطود في الأرض هيبة
لهof him ويميرand he provisions السيفthe sword منfrom هامةthe head of الذمرِthe valiant warrior
له ويمير السيف من هامة الذمرِ
And a mountain: the mountain sways in the earth in awe
And the sword glitters from the striking edge
of him; and he feeds the sword from a valiant warrior's head.
We saw him described as being supported by the virtues of generosity
رأيناهwe saw him موصوفاdescribed بعونas a support for مكارمnoble deeds
رأيناه موصوفا بعون مكارم
يعينgiving aid ومعروفاand known بعارفةfor a benefaction بكرِmaiden; unprecedented
يعين ومعروفا بعارفة بكرِ
We have seen him described as a support for noble deeds,
Helping and known for his knowledge of early Islam
giving aid, and renowned for a maiden benefaction.
So how his blessings made the frowning mouth laugh
فكمso how often أضحكتmade smile نعماهhis favors ثغرthe mouth of مؤملa hopeful seeker
فكم أضحكت نعماه ثغر مؤمل
وأبكتand made weep ظباعينblade-edges; an eye (apparently joined words) ملكof a king علىat ثغرِa frontier
وأبكت ظباعين ملك على ثغرِ
So often his favors have made a hopeful seeker's mouth smile,
And tears wet the eyes of a king over his mouth
and sword-edges have made a king's eye weep at a frontier.
He is humble in veneration and trails his pride
تواضعhe humbled himself إجلالاin reverence وذيلwhile the train of افتخارهhis pride
تواضع إجلالا وذيل افتخاره
يجرtrails علىover هامthe heads of المجرةthe Milky Way والنسرِand the Eagle
يجر على هام المجرة والنسرِ
He humbled himself in reverence, while the train of his pride
Dragging over the neck of Virgo and the eagle
trails over the heads of the Milky Way and the Eagle.
So the face asking him never yellows from his coldness
فماso never اصفرturned yellow وجهthe face of المجتديهone seeking his bounty بردهthrough his refusal
فما اصفر وجه المجتديه برده
ولاand not عادreturned عنfrom أبوابهhis gates بيدwith a hand صفرِempty
ولا عاد عن أبوابه بيد صفرِ
Thus no seeker's face turned yellow through his refusal,
Nor returns from his doors empty handed
nor did he return from his gates empty-handed.
He sees a horde of his might while alone
يرىis seen as جحفلاan army منthrough بأسهhis valor وهوwhile he is واحدone man
يرى جحفلا من بأسه وهو واحد
إذwhen لقيhe met الأعداءthe enemies فيin جحفلa host مجرِvast
إذ لقي الأعداء في جحفل مجرِ
He seems an army through his valor, though he is one man,
When meeting enemies in a tumultuous torrent
when he meets enemies massed in a vast host.
So the naked bodies of those who opposed him are exposed
فآراءthus the counsels of منwhoever عاداهopposed him محلولةunfastened العرىin their bonds
فآراء من عاداه محلولة العرى
وراياتهand his banners معقودةfastened بعرىwith the bonds of النصرِvictory
وراياته معقودة بعرى النصرِ
Thus the bonds of his enemies' counsels are undone,
And his banners tied with the rope of victory
while his banners are fastened with the bonds of victory.
His manners are as if created from the shining
وأخلاقهand his character traits منfrom لطفهنtheir delicacy كأنَّماas though
وأخلاقه من لطفهن كأنَّما
خلقنthey were created منfrom الزفرthe stars (apparent reading) المنيرةradiant والزهرِand blossoms
خلقن من الزفر المنيرة والزهرِ
And his qualities, in their delicacy, seem as though
And flowered south wind out of gentleness
they were made from radiant stars and blossoms [apparent reading].
He is gentle with those close to him like tender water
لطفgentle بمنtoward whoever والاهbefriended him كالماءlike water رقةin softness
لطف بمن والاه كالماء رقة
عنيفharsh بمنtoward whoever ناواهopposed him أقسىharder منthan الصخرِrock
عنيف بمن ناواه أقسى من الصخرِ
Gentle toward whoever befriends him, as tender as water,
And violent with those hostile to him, harder than rock
harsh toward whoever opposes him, harder than rock.
He enriches the essence of matters with his opinion
يثقفhe straightens منآدthe crooked parts of الأمورaffairs برأيهwith his judgment
يثقف منآد الأمور برأيه
فيغنيهthus it spares him عنfrom هزbrandishing المثقفةthe straightened spears السمرِthe brown ones
فيغنيه عن هز المثقفة السمرِ
He straightens the crookedness of affairs with his judgment,
Making him needless of shaking the brown pestle
thus sparing him the brandishing of straightened brown spears.
And he never ceased to overwhelm thoughts and senses
وماand not زالceased يغشىentering الروعbattle's terror وتراalone بنفسهby himself
وما زال يغشى الروع وترا بنفسه
وتأبىand refuses سطاهhis might أنthat ينامhe sleep علىwith وترِan unavenged wrong
وتأبى سطاه أن ينام على وترِ
And he has never ceased to enter battle's terror alone, by himself,
While his capacity refused to sleep on a lute string
and his might will not let him sleep with a wrong unavenged.
So you remained supporter of the faith, Abu Yahya, and never stopped
فلاso may you not زلتcease to be عونAwn; helper of الدينal-Din; the faith يحيىYahya ولمand may you not تزلcease
فلا زلت عون الدين يحيى ولم تزل
بجودكthrough your generosity فيناamong us حاسماeradicating داءthe affliction of ذيone possessing الفقرpoverty
بجودك فينا حاسما داء ذي الفقر
So may you ever remain Awn al-Din, Yahya, and never cease,
With your generosity decisively curing the disease of poverty
through your generosity among us, to end the poor man's affliction.
May Allah bless you, how much favor of His has pitched
لكfor you اللهGod كمhow many منof نعمةٍa blessing لهof his خيمتpitched its tent
لك الله كم من نعمةٍ له خيمت
بمنزلat the home of ذيone in عسرhardship فأصبحand so he became ذايسرpossessing ease
بمنزل ذي عسر فأصبح ذايسر
God be with you! How many a blessing of his has pitched its tent
Its tent at the abode of hardship, so it became comfortable
at the home of one in hardship, who then became prosperous.
So you remained the sought rain, the route of help
فلاso may you not زلتcease to be مقصودsought for الندىbounty مقصدa slayer of العداfoes
فلا زلت مقصود الندى مقصد العدا
بعيدfar-reaching in المدىrange وافيfull in الجداbounty نافذeffective in الأمرِcommand
بعيد المدى وافي الجدا نافذ الأمرِ
So may you ever be sought for bounty, a slayer of foes,
Far-reaching, loyal, authoritative and effective
far in reach, full in bounty, effective in command.
And you remained despite the envious, congratulating
ودمتand may you remain علىdespite رغمthe spite of الحسودthe envier مهنئاcongratulated (apparent reading)
ودمت على رغم الحسود مهنئا
بعودكon your return والعيدand the festival المباركthe blessed والفطرِand the breaking of the fast
بعودك والعيد المبارك والفطرِ
And may you remain, despite the envier's spite, congratulated
Your return, the blessed Eid, and the Feast.
on your return, the blessed festival, and the breaking of the fast.
Partial English translation: 55 of 56 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1