عنديI have لتاجِfor the crown of الملوكkings يحيىYahya
عندي لتاجِ الملوك يحيى
يحيىgives life to ذويthose in الفقرpoverty بالأياديwith gifts
يحيى ذوي الفقر بالأيادي
I have for Yahya, Crown of Kings—
who gives the poor new life with gifts—
مدائحpanegyrics لوif أتتthey reached عكاظاًUkaz
مدائح لو أتت عكاظاً
فهِّدwould be confounded قسQuss بهاby them الأياديal-Iyadi
فهِّد قس بها الأيادي
panegyrics which, if they reached Ukaz,
would leave Quss al-Iyadi confounded.
ربmaster of القناthe lances الراعفاتdripping blood سمراbrown
رب القنا الراعفات سمرا
والبيضand the bright swords حمراred غبafter الجلادِcombat
والبيض حمرا غب الجلادِ
Master of brown, blood-dripping lances,
and bright blades reddened after combat;
الذائبflowing الجودgenerosity للمرجيfor the hopeful petitioner
الذائب الجود للمرجي
فيin السنةthe year الصعبةharsh الجمادِrainless
في السنة الصعبة الجمادِ
whose bounty flows for the hopeful
in the harsh and rainless year;
والقائدand leading الخيلthe horses مشرفاتwith heads raised
والقائد الخيل مشرفات
شمproudly raised الهواديthe necks إلىagainst الأعاديthe enemies
شم الهوادي إلى الأعادي
who leads his horses, heads held high,
their necks proudly raised, against his foes.
ذوpossessor of راحةa palm سبطةopen أراحتgave relief
ذو راحة سبطة أراحت
منfrom أعطياتthe gifts of الأيديthe hands الجعادِtight-fisted
من أعطيات الأيدي الجعادِ
His open palm has freed us
from seeking gifts from tight-fisted hands.
عادتهhis habit أنthat تراهyou see him سمحاgenerous
عادته أن تراه سمحا
برفدهwith his bounty المبديfirst bestowed المعادِgiven again
برفده المبدي المعادِ
As is his habit, you find him generous,
with gifts first bestowed and given again.
ياO ويحwoe to مسترفدa seeker of gifts عدتهheld him back
يا ويح مسترفد عدته
عنfrom قصدmaking for أبوابهhis doors الغواديthe morning rainclouds
عن قصد أبوابه الغوادي
Alas for the petitioner held back
from his doors by the morning rainclouds!
وحبذاand how excellent منhe who غداhas become يرجَّىis hoped for
وحبذا من غدا يرجَّى
ندىbounty لهof his يخجلputs to shame الغواديthe morning rainclouds
ندى له يخجل الغوادي
How splendid the man whose hoped-for
bounty puts the morning rainclouds to shame!
علقتI attached myself منهin him بأريحيٍّto a generous man
علقت منه بأريحيٍّ
خرقlavish حييىmodest حرnoble جوادِgenerous
خرق حييى حر جوادِ
I have bound myself to him, a generous soul,
lavish, modest, noble, generous.
مرادthe pasture of إحسانهhis kindness خصيبlush
مراد إحسانه خصيب
ينالis attained فيهأقصىin it, the utmost المرادِdesire
ينال فيهأقصى المرادِ
The pasture of his kindness is lush;
there the utmost wish is attained.
قدindeed سدrelieved منof خلتيmy need نداهhis bounty
قد سد من خلتي نداه
ومعوزاand in want كنتI was منof سدادِsufficient means
ومعوزا كنت من سدادِ
His bounty has relieved my need,
when I lacked the means to meet it.
أحرىmost deserving الورىhumankind بالعلىof high honors وأجرىand more free-flowing
أحرى الورى بالعلى وأجرى
منهمthan them إذاwhen سيلhe is asked سيلa torrent وادِof a valley
منهم إذا سيل سيل وادِ
Most deserving of high honors among men, and freer-flowing
than they when asked—a valley's torrent.
فيin كلevery نادgathering لهhe has إيادfavors
في كل ناد له إياد
لطالبيto seekers of رفدهhis bounty تناديcalling out
لطالبي رفده تنادي
In every gathering his favors
call out to seekers of his bounty.
قليلscant مَنٍّreproach for favors بالمَنِّover gifts فيناamong us
قليل مَنٍّ بالمَنِّ فينا
جمabundant ندىbounty الكفthe hand والرمادِand the ashes
جم ندى الكف والرمادِ
He seldom holds his gifts over us,
rich in the bounty of hand and hearth-ash.
مبلغenabling to attain القاصدينthe petitioners منهماfrom him whatever
مبلغ القاصدين منهما
راموهthey desired it منهfrom him بلاwithout اقتصادِstint
راموه منه بلا اقتصادِ
He brings those who seek him to whatever
they desire from him, without stint.
كمhow many فكfreed أصفادهhis gifts أسيراa captive
كم فك أصفاده أسيرا
كانwas منbecause of الفقرpoverty فيin صفادِfetters
كان من الفقر في صفادِ
How many a captive his gifts have freed,
who had been bound in poverty's fetters!
فجودهso his bounty رائحgoing out at evening وغادand going out at morning
فجوده رائح وغاد
يسريtravels by night إلىto رائحan evening traveler وغادِand a morning traveler
يسري إلى رائح وغادِ
So his bounty goes out at evening and morning,
traveling by night to each evening and morning traveler.
وربيand by my Lord جيشan army كالسيلِlike a torrent طامِsurging
وربي جيش كالسيلِ طامِ
والليلand the night مُحلولِكpitch-dark السوادِblackness
والليل مُحلولِك السوادِ
And by my Lord, an army surged like a torrent,
and the night was pitch-black.
كأنas though أبطالهits champions اسودlions
كأن أبطاله اسود
تحملbearing غلباstout shafts منof الصعادِstraight lances
تحمل غلبا من الصعادِ
Its champions seemed like lions,
bearing stout, straight lances.
برزتyou stood forth فيهamid it بصدقwith firmness of عزمresolve
برزت فيه بصدق عزم
أحدsharper منthan بيضهits bright swords الحدادِkeen-edged
أحد من بيضه الحدادِ
You stood forth amid it with steadfast resolve,
sharper than its keen-edged swords.
بقيتmay you endure عونsupport of الدينthe faith المرجىthe one looked to
بقيت عون الدين المرجى
للسؤددfor nobility الجمabundant والسدادِand sound judgment
للسؤدد الجم والسدادِ
May you live on, Awn al-Din, looked to
for great nobility and sound judgment.
ياO حاضرever-ready with الجودgenerosity والعطاياand gifts
يا حاضر الجود والعطايا
لكلfor all ماwho are حاضرsettled وباديand nomadic
لكل ما حاضر وبادي
O ever-ready with bounty and gifts
for all, town-dweller and nomad!
ياO واهبgiver of الجردsleek horses تحتbeneath مردbeardless youths
يا واهب الجرد تحت مرد
والبدنand coats of mail والبدنand plump bodies الجرادِstripped bare
والبدن والبدن الجرادِ
O giver of sleek horses beneath beardless youths,
and coats of mail, and plump bodies stripped bare!
لولاwere it not for ضنىa wasting illness بيin me ألمstruck حيناfor a time
لولا ضنى بي ألم حينا
لاmay it not زالcease حلفاan ally لمنto those whom تعاديyou oppose
لا زال حلفا لمن تعادي
Were it not for a wasting illness that afflicted me awhile—
may it ever be allied with those you oppose—
ذكركremembering you كانwas الشفاءthe cure منهfor it
ذكرك كان الشفاء منه
إذwhen زادgrew worse بيin me والدعاءand prayer زاديmy provision
إذ زاد بي والدعاء زادي
remembering you was the cure for it,
when it worsened in me, and prayer was my provision—
جئتI would have come علىaccording to عادتيmy custom بمدحٍwith a panegyric
جئت على عادتي بمدحٍ
تحفةa gift of شادٍa singer وزادand provision for حاديa camel-driver
تحفة شادٍ وزاد حادي
I would have come, as always, with a panegyric,
a singer's gift and a camel-driver's provision.
يشهدbear witness ليfor me الحاسدونthe envious أنيthat I
يشهد لي الحاسدون أني
قدindeed زدتI surpassed فيهin it علىbeyond زيادِZiyad
قد زدت فيه على زيادِ
The envious bear witness for me that I
have surpassed Ziyad in it.
إسعدrejoice بشهرin the month of الصيامfasting واخلدand live forever
إسعد بشهر الصيام واخلد
ماas long as خلِّدتendure هضبتاthe two hills of نضادِNidad
ما خلِّدت هضبتا نضادِ
Rejoice in the month of fasting, and live forever,
as long as Nidad's two hills endure.
وابقَand live on لامرfor a command لهthat has نفاذauthority
وابقَ لامر له نفاذ
فيin كلevery أرضٍland بلاwithout نفادِexhaustion
في كل أرضٍ بلا نفادِ
And live on, your command prevailing
in every land, without end.
Sol 6.1