ياO كفhand يحيىYahya ذيpossessing الندىbounty والجودand generosity
يا كف يحيى ذي الندى والجود
سحيpour forth إذاwhen شحwithholds الغمامthe clouds وجوديand be generous
سحي إذا شح الغمام وجودي
O hand of Yahya, lord of bounty and generosity,
O generous hand of Yahya, moist with bounty,
Pour forth when the clouds withhold their rain, and be generous.
Quench my thirst when the clouds of bounty are scarce.
فلأنتfor indeed you بحرa sea والاكفand the hands جلامدboulders
فلأنت بحر والاكف جلامد
شتانhow different بينbetween الماءwater والجلمودand stone
شتان بين الماء والجلمود
For you are a sea, while other hands are boulders.
For you are an ocean, while other hands are frozen,
What a difference between water and stone!
Vast is the difference between water and ice.
فلقدfor indeed خلقتyou were created لسدto meet خلةthe need of معدمa destitute person
فلقد خلقت لسد خلة معدم
ولفتحand to open بابa door of سماحةgenerosity مسدودِbarred
ولفتح باب سماحة مسدودِ
For you were created to meet a destitute person's need,
You were created to fill the void of the destitute,
And to open a barred door of generosity.
And to open the gate of generosity when closed.
علمتI have known أكفhands فاعتلقتso I clung بثيبto a matron
علمت أكف فاعتلقت بثيب
منهاamong them لابكارfor the virgin gifts of السماحgenerosity ولودِprolific in bearing
منها لابكار السماح ولودِ
I have known hands, and clung to a matron
I learned of your palm and so I clung to the fold
Among them, prolific in bearing generosity's virgin gifts.
Of your robe, seeking the most generous and noble.
بأبيwith my father as ransom ندىthe bounty of يحيىYahya الوزيرthe vizier فإنهfor he
بأبي ندى يحيى الوزير فإنه
وزرa refuge for المثلthe destitute ونجدةand succor for المنجودthe afflicted
وزر المثل ونجدة المنجود
May my father be ransom for Yahya the vizier's bounty, for he is
By my father, the bounty of Yahya the minister,
A refuge for the destitute and succor for the afflicted.
He who exemplified wisdom and aided the needy.
لدنsupple المهزّةwhen shaken حينwhen تخطبyou seek رفدهhis bounty
لدن المهزّة حين تخطب رفده
فإذاand when عجمتyou test him صلبhard العودِof timber
فإذا عجمت صلب العودِ
Supple when shaken, when you seek his bounty,
When eloquence spoke, he was its protection,
Yet when you test him, he proves hard of timber.
And when it stumbled, he supported its staff.
أرماحهhis spears طعناًُwith thrusts تقصدstrike dead فيamong العداthe enemies
أرماحه طعناًُ تقصد في العدا
وندىand the bounty of يديهhis hands لقاصدfor a seeker وقصيدِand one slain
وندى يديه لقاصد وقصيدِ
His spears strike enemies dead with their thrusts,
His spears lunged to strike the enemies,
And his hands' bounty is for seeker and slain alike.
While his hand's bounty sought the poet and ode.
وتخالهand you imagine him أسداa lion إذاwhen غثيenters (likely غشي) الوغىbattle
وتخاله أسدا إذا غثي الوغى
فيon متنthe back of أجردa sleek steed عاسلloping كالسيدِlike a wolf
في متن أجرد عاسل كالسيدِ
You would think him a lion when he enters battle,
He seemed a lion when war's tumult roared
On a sleek steed's back, loping like a wolf.
Upon the bare back of a noble steed.
يهويhe swoops بنجمwith the star of سنانthe point of رمحa spear لمnot يزلcease
يهوي بنجم سنان رمح لم يزل
رجماa missile لشيطانagainst the devil of الوغىbattle المريدِthe rebellious
رجما لشيطان الوغى المريدِ
He swoops with the star of a spear's point that has ever been
With the star of his blade he ceaselessly struck
A missile against battle's rebellious devil.
The devil of chaos, that accursed fiend.
تتوردturn rose-red البيضthe white blades الرفاقslender (likely الرقاق) وكفهand his palm
تتورد البيض الرفاق وكفه
فيin الروعbattle's terror منfrom دمthe blood of ثغرةa throat ووريدِand a jugular vein
في الروع من دم ثغرة ووريدِ
The slender white blades and his palm turn rose-red
The white swords' blades, his palm
In battle's terror, with blood from a throat and jugular vein.
Made red with the blood of throats and veins during the fray.
ولربand many an جيشarmy كالكواكبlike the stars بعدةin number
ولرب جيش كالكواكب بعدة
لجبِclamorous تجيشseethe بهwith it رحابthe expanses of البيدِthe deserts
لجبِ تجيش به رحاب البيدِ
And many an army, like the stars in number,
With his army like stars in their loftiness,
Clamorous, with the desert's expanses seething with it,
He stirred the battle's vast plain.
متألقglittering الجنباتalong its sides ترعدmaking tremble هيبةwith dread
متألق الجنبات ترعد هيبة
فيwithin هبوتيهits two dust clouds فرائضflank muscles (likely فرائص) الرعديدِof the coward
في هبوتيه فرائض الرعديدِ
Its sides glittering, making quake with dread
His armor shone bright, striking awe
The coward's flank muscles within its twin clouds of dust—
With thunderbolts of duty upon the battlefield.
فكماتهso its champions فيin مأتمa mourning assembly بكbecause of you مؤتمgathered for mourning
فكماته في مأتم بك مؤتم
وطيورهand its birds ووحوشهand its wild beasts فيin عيدa festival
وطيوره ووحوشه في عيد
Its champions gather in mourning because of you,
His whale-like strength lamented the fallen king,
While its birds and wild beasts hold festival.
His birds and beasts rejoiced during the feast.
فرقتهyou scattered it بكعوبwith the joints of صدقa staunch ذابلslender lance
فرقته بكعوب صدق ذابل
وبصدقand with true باسvalor كالحديدlike iron حديدِkeen
وبصدق باس كالحديد حديدِ
You scattered it with the staunch joints of a slender lance,
He routed the enemy with truthful determination,
And with true valor, keen as iron.
And with truthful loyalty as solid as steel.
أوفيتyou have excelled عونAwn (Helper) الدينal-Din (of the Faith) بالهممthrough lofty aims التيthat
أوفيت عون الدين بالهمم التي
أوفتhave risen علىabove هممthe aims of الملواkings (likely الملوك) الصيدِthe proud
أوفت على همم الملوا الصيدِ
You have excelled, Awn al-Din, through lofty aims that
You fulfilled the support of the faith with ideals
Have risen above the aims of proud kings.
That accomplished the hopes of aspiring kings.
وبدأتand you began بالإحسانwith kindness ثمthen أعدتهyou repeated it
وبدأت بالإحسان ثم أعدته
فاسلمso may you remain well لهfor its sake منas an مبديءinitiator ومعيدِand renewer
فاسلم له من مبديء ومعيدِ
You began with kindness, then bestowed it again;
You began with benevolence and then redoubled it,
So may you remain well for its sake, as initiator and renewer.
So submit to the one who initiates and repeats kindness.
للهGod! (exclamation) كمhow many قلدتنيyou hung about my neck منناfavors بهاthrough them
لله كم قلدتني مننا بها
أطلقتyou freed منfrom أسرthe bondage of المطامعcovetous hopes جيديmy neck
أطلقت من أسر المطامع جيدي
God! How many favors you have hung about my neck, through which
God, how many favors you have burdened me with,
You freed my neck from the bondage of covetous hopes.
Freeing my hands from the shackles of greed.
وتعهداتكand your attentions ليto me فأحسنthus more beautiful منظراin appearance
وتعهداتك لي فأحسن منظرا
فيto العينthe eye منthan روضthe meadow of الحمىthe protected grounds المعهودthe familiar
في العين من روض الحمى المعهود
And your attentions to me are lovelier to behold
Your promises to me were beautiful to behold,
To the eye than the familiar meadow of the protected grounds.
More pleasing to the eye than a guarded meadow.
ماno مزنةraincloud كلفاءdark-mottled ممعةflashing (likely ملمعة) السناradiance
ما مزنة كلفاء ممعة السنا
وطفاءthick-fringed ذاتbearing بوارقlightning flashes ورعودand thunder
وطفاء ذات بوارق ورعود
No dark-mottled raincloud, flashing with radiance,
Not like the transient winter clouds,
Thick-fringed, bearing lightning flashes and thunder,
That quickly pass with thunder and lightning.
لماwhen طوتit enfolded أفقthe horizon of البسيطةthe earth نشَّرتit unfurled
لما طوت أفق البسيطة نشَّرت
خضرgreen الملأmantles علىover الهضابthe hills بالسودِat al-Sud (reading uncertain)
خضر الملأ على الهضاب بالسودِ
Which, when it enfolded the earth's horizon, unfurled
When you spread the green expanse with your hand,
Green mantles over the hills at al-Sud,
Darkness blanketed the plateaus with black.
يوماever بأندىmore bountiful منthan يدٍa hand لكof yours ثرةcopiously flowing
يوما بأندى من يدٍ لك ثرة
فيهاin it حياlife-giving rain فيهin which حياةthe life of وفودِvisiting delegations
فيها حيا فيه حياة وفودِ
Is ever more bountiful than your copiously flowing hand.
One day with the most radiant hand you possess,
It holds rain in which visiting delegations find life.
Full of life, vitality, and devotion.
فاستقبلso welcome العمرlife الجديدthe new مهنأcongratulated
فاستقبل العمر الجديد مهنأ
بقدومon the arrival of صومa fast قدalready أطنappeared (likely أطلّ) جديدanew
بقدوم صوم قد أطن جديد
So welcome your new span of life amid congratulations
So welcome the new life congratulating
On the arrival of a fast that has dawned anew.
The arrival of a fast that has announced itself anew.
لاnever زلتmay you cease ترفلwalk proudly فيin رداءa robe of سعادةhappiness
لا زلت ترفل في رداء سعادة
وتجرand you trail ذيلthe hem of النصرvictory والتأييدِand support
وتجر ذيل النصر والتأييدِ
May you never cease to walk proudly in a robe of happiness
You continue to dress in the robe of happiness,
And trail the hem of victory and support.
And drag the train of victory and support.
Sol 6.1