مسيتmay you pass the evening ياO مجدglory الهدىguidance
مسيت يا مجد الهدى
والدينand religion والمولىand the lord المظفرvictorious
والدين والمولى المظفر
May you pass the evening, O glory of guidance
You have attained, O glory of guidance,
and religion, and victorious lord,
The religion and the victorious Master,
بسعادةwith happiness ماnot إنemphatic particle لهاfor it
بسعادة ما إن لها
حدlimit ولاand no عدcount فتحصرso it could be bounded
حد ولا عد فتحصر
in happiness that has no
With happiness that has
limit or count by which it could be bounded.
No limit or number that can contain it.
وبقيتand may you endure ماas long as حدرlets fall الصباmorning (continued)
وبقيت ما حدر الصبا
حcompletion of 'morning' نقابveil صفحتهits face وأسفرand shines forth
ح نقاب صفحته وأسفر
And may you endure as long as morning
And you remained as the dawn uncovered
lets fall the veil of its face and shines forth,
Its veil and dawned,
فيin دولةa reign يطوىis folded up الزماtime (continued)
في دولة يطوى الزما
نcompletion of 'time' وملكهاand its dominion فيin الأرضthe earth ينشرis spread
ن وملكها في الأرض ينشر
in a reign where time is folded up,
In a state where time is folded
and its dominion is spread across the earth.
And its king's domain on earth expands.
ياO منwho يرومseeks العرفbounty منfrom
يا من يروم العرف من
نفرpeople عنfrom المعروفgood deeds نفرhave recoiled
نفر عن المعروف نفر
O you who seek bounty from
O you who intends good
people who recoil from good deeds,
From one who has turned away from good - turn away!
سلنيask me فإنيfor indeed I بالرجاabout men (continued)
سلني فإني بالرجا
لِcompletion of 'men' إذاif أردتyou want الخبرinformation أخبرbetter informed
لِ إذا أردت الخبر أخبر
ask me, for concerning men
Ask me, for I am knowledgeable
I am better informed, if you seek information.
Of men; when you want news, I inform.
إنif رمتyou seek ربحاprofit منfrom سوىother than أبIbn; son (continued)
إن رمت ربحا من سوى أب
نcompletion of 'Ibn' الصاحبal-Ṣāḥib المأمولhoped-for تخسرyou lose
ن الصاحب المأمول تخسر
If you seek profit from anyone but Ibn
If you seek profit from other than the
al-Ṣāḥib, on whom hopes rest, you will lose.
Trusted friend hoped for, you will lose.
لاdo not تطلبنseek emphatically لهfor him الشبيthe equal (continued)
لا تطلبن له الشبي
هcompletion of 'equal' وإنand if طلبتyou seek لهfor him تعذرit proves unattainable
ه وإن طلبت له تعذر
Do not seek his equal;
Do not seek the like of him,
and if you seek one for him, it will prove unattainable.
If you seek him, you will be frustrated.
ملكa king سريعswift العفوpardon مرfeared (continued)
ملك سريع العفو مر
هوبcompletion of 'feared' السطاmight يرجىis hoped in ويحذرand is feared
هوب السطا يرجى ويحذر
A king swift to pardon, feared
A king swift to pardon, awe-inspiring,
for his might, a source of hope and dread.
Hopeful yet cautious,
هوhe بالسماحin generosity منamong الورىmankind
هو بالسماح من الورى
أحرىmost worthy وبالإحسانand in beneficence أجدرmost deserving
أحرى وبالإحسان أجدر
He, among all mankind, in generosity,
He is more deserving with kindness
is most worthy, and in beneficence most deserving.
And most excellent in benevolence.
طلقcheerful; open المحياthe countenance واليديand the two hands (continued)
طلق المحيا واليدي
نcompletion of 'hands' جبينهhis brow كالصبحlike the morning أزهرradiant
ن جبينه كالصبح أزهر
Cheerful-faced and open-handed,
Open of countenance and hands -
his brow is radiant as the morning.
His forehead like the radiant dawn.
متهللbeaming فيin سرجهhis saddle
متهلل في سرجه
بحرan ocean وطودand a mountain حجىwisdom وقورdignified
بحر وطود حجى وقور
Beaming in his saddle,
Exultant in his saddle,
an ocean and a mountain of wisdom, dignified.
An ocean, a lofty and dignified mountain.
ماءwater علىupon راجيone hoping for الندىbounty
ماء على راجي الندى
وعلىand upon العداenemies نارfire تسعرblazes
وعلى العدا نار تسعر
Water to the one who hopes for bounty,
Water to the seeker of dew
and to his foes a fire ablaze.
And fire that burns foes.
لاnot الجودgenerosity منهfrom him تكلفaffectation
لا الجود منه تكلف
كلاcertainly not ولاand not المعروفkindness منكرunrecognized
كلا ولا المعروف منكر
His generosity is no affectation;
Neither is kindness burdensome to him
certainly not, nor is his kindness unrecognized.
Nor good deed reprehensible.
يقريhosts guests ويطعمand feeds والعشاand the evenings (continued)
يقري ويطعم والعشا
ياcompletion of 'evenings' قرةcold والجوand the air أغبرdust-laden
يا قرة والجو أغبر
He hosts guests and feeds them, while the evenings
He feeds, gives drink, shelters
are cold and the air is dust-laden.
The destitute, though times are harsh.
وتراهand you see him ماwhenever سدfills الفضاthe open air (continued)
وتراه ما سد الفضا
ءcompletion of 'open air' النقعdust كالأسدlike a lion الحزورmighty
ء النقع كالأسد الحزور
And you see him, whenever the air is filled
You will not see him close off
with dust, like a mighty lion,
The meadows like a wary lion.
متهجماcharging يلفىis found وازand blue (continued)
متهجما يلفى واز
رقcompletion of 'blue' رمحهhis spear بالطعنthrough thrusting أحمرred
رق رمحه بالطعن أحمر
found charging, while his blue
Rather, attacking, his spear
spear is red from thrusting.
Reddened with stabbing thrusts.
وإذاand when رئيhe is seen فيin صدرthe head دسa council (continued)
وإذا رئي في صدر دس
تcompletion of 'council' كانhe was أَجملthe fairest منof those who تصدرtook the foremost seat
ت كان أَجمل من تصدر
And when he is seen at the head of a council,
And when seen in the breast of foes
he is the fairest of those who preside.
He is more beautiful than a breastplate.
ذوpossessed of النائلbounty الجمabundant المعاrepeated (continued)
ذو النائل الجم المعا
دcompletion of 'repeated' العدّthe counting والرفدand largesse المكررrepeated
د العدّ والرفد المكرر
Possessed of abundant bounty, repeatedly
Possessor of frequent, bountiful gifts
counted, and of gifts bestowed again and again.
That repeat and overflow.
دمثgentle يالخلالin character (text uncertain) وماand not انتشىbecame intoxicated
دمث يالخلال وما انتشى
عطرfragrant الجمالbeauty وماand not تعطَّرperfumed himself
عطر الجمال وما تعطَّر
Gentle in character, though not intoxicated;
Of beautiful character, and nothing
fragrant with beauty, though he has used no perfume.
Of the fragrance of beauty lacked.
ياO منwho رأيناwe have seen أمرهhis command
يا من رأينا أمره
أمضىmore decisive منthan القدرfate المقدرpredestined
أمضى من القدر المقدر
O you whose command we have seen
O you whom we saw whose command
more decisive than predestined fate,
Is firmer than predetermined fate!
ياO فاعلdoer الفعلthe deed الجميbeautiful (continued)
يا فاعل الفعل الجمي
لcompletion of 'beautiful' وقائلand speaker القولthe word المحررwell-crafted
ل وقائل القول المحرر
O doer of the beautiful deed
O doer of excellent deeds
and speaker of the well-crafted word,
And speaker of decisive words!
لعلاكfor your greatness مدحيmy praise يصطفىis chosen
لعلاك مدحي يصطفى
ولمثلand for the like of جودgenerosity يديكyour two hands يذخرis saved
ولمثل جود يديك يذخر
for your greatness my praise is chosen,
Perhaps this, my eulogy, will choose
and saved for bounty like that of your hands.
And store for your like of generosity.
ياO منwho نصيبthe share عفاتهhis petitioners
يا من نصيب عفاته
منfrom وفرهhis abundance أَبداalways موفرplentiful
من وفره أَبدا موفر
O you whose petitioners' share
O you whose share of chastity
of your plenty is ever plentiful,
From his abundance is ever abundant!
ياO منwho إذاwhen استولىoverwhelms نداbounty (continued)
يا من إذا استولى ندا
هhis علىupon أخيa brother of عدمdestitution وامطرand rains down
ه على أخي عدم وامطر
O you—when your bounty overwhelms
O you when your assistance takes hold
a brother of want and rains down upon him,
Of a brother, loss becomes gain!
صاحcries out الغريقthe drowning man ولوeven if غداhe were to be
صاح الغريق ولو غدا
فيin ألفa thousand لبادfelt cloak وممطرand a raincoat
في ألف لباد وممطر
the drowning man cries out, even were he
The drowning man cries out though tomorrow
in a thousand felt cloaks and raincoats.
He be in a thousand shelters and downpours -
لاnot زلتmay you cease تلفىyou are found ظافراvictorious
لا زلت تلفى ظافرا
أبداforever وتعفوand you pardon حينwhen تظفرyou triumph
أبدا وتعفو حين تظفر
May you continue to be found victorious
Still you snatch him as ever victorious
forever, and may you pardon when you triumph.
And pardon when you triumph.
Sol 6.1