وَأَوقَدتُand I kindled نارِيmy fire بِاليَفاعِon the high ground فَلَمso it did not تَدَعleave
وَأَوقَدتُ نارِي بِاليَفاعِ فَلَم تَدَع
لِنيرانِfor the fires of أَعدائِيmy enemies بِنُعماكَthrough your bounty مَوقِداa place to kindle
لِنيرانِ أَعدائِي بِنُعماكَ مَوقِدا
And I kindled my fire on the high ground, so it left
I lit my fire with dry wood, leaving
no place for my enemies' fires to burn, thanks to your bounty.
No place for my enemies' fires, thanks to your bounty.
وَمَاand not كانَwas مَاليmy wealth طَارِفاًnewly acquired عَنfrom تِجَارَةٍtrade
وَمَا كانَ مَالي طَارِفاً عَن تِجَارَةٍ
وَمَاand not كَانَwas مِيرَاثاًan inheritance مِنof المَالِthe wealth مُتلَداlong-held
وَمَا كَانَ مِيرَاثاً مِن المَالِ مُتلَدا
And my wealth was not newly gained through trade,
My wealth was not from profitable trade
nor was it an inheritance of long-held wealth,
Or inherited fortune left to me.
وَلَكِنand yet عَطَاءٌa gift مِنfrom إِمامٍa leader مُبارَكٍblessed
وَلَكِن عَطَاءٌ مِن إِمامٍ مُبارَكٍ
مَلاfilled الأَرضَthe earth مَعروفاًkindness وَعَدلاًand justice وَسُؤدُداand nobility
مَلا الأَرضَ مَعروفاً وَعَدلاً وَسُؤدُدا
but a gift from a blessed leader,
But a gift from a blessed Imam
who filled the earth with kindness, justice, and nobility.
Who filled the land with good, justice and help.
شَكَوتُI complained إِليهِto him ثِقلَthe weight of غُرمٍa debt لَوَif انَّهthat it
شَكَوتُ إِليهِ ثِقلَ غُرمٍ لَوَ انَّه
وَمَاand what أَشتَكِيI complain of مِنهُfrom it عَلَىupon الفيلِthe elephant بَلّداwould immobilize it
وَمَا أَشتَكِي مِنهُ عَلَى الفيلِ بَلّدا
I complained to him of a heavy debt: were it
I complained to him of the burden of debt, as if
and what I suffer laid upon an elephant, it would bring it to a standstill.
I complained of an elephant, not just a mule foal.
فَلَمَّاso when حَمِدناهُwe praised him بِمَاfor what كانَhe was أَهلَهُworthy of it
فَلَمَّا حَمِدناهُ بِمَا كانَ أَهلَهُ
وَكَانَand he was حَقيقاًdeserving أَنto يُسَنَّىbe exalted وَيُحمَداand be praised
وَكَانَ حَقيقاً أَن يُسَنَّى وَيُحمَدا
So when we praised him as he deserved,
When we praised him as was his due,
and he was worthy of exaltation and praise,
For he deserved to be praised and lauded,
تَبَلَّجَhe brightened لِيtoward me وَاهتَزَّand thrilled حَتَّىuntil كَأَنَّماas though
تَبَلَّجَ لِي وَاهتَزَّ حَتَّى كَأَنَّما
هَزَزتُI brandished بِهِin him لِلمَجدِfor glory سَيفاًa sword مُهَنَّداof Indian steel
هَزَزتُ بِهِ لِلمَجدِ سَيفاً مُهَنَّدا
he beamed at me and thrilled, as though
He beamed at me and shook as if
I had brandished, in him, a sword of Indian steel for glory.
I had shaken a sharp sword in praise.
أَخوa man of فَجرٍlavish bounty لَمnot يَدرِhe knew مَاwhat البُخلُstinginess سَاعةًfor a moment
أَخو فَجرٍ لَم يَدرِ مَا البُخلُ سَاعةً
وَلاand not أَنthat ذاone possessed of جُودٍgenerosity عَلَىthrough البَذلِgiving أنفَداexhausted his wealth
وَلا أَن ذا جُودٍ عَلَى البَذلِ أنفَدا
A man of lavish bounty, he never knew for a moment what stinginess was,
A brother of dawn who never knew avarice
nor that a generous man could exhaust his wealth through giving.
And one so generous could never be impoverished.
وَإِنand if تُذكَرِis mentioned النُّعمَىthe favor الَّتِيwhich سَلَفَتwas bestowed before لَهto his credit
وَإِن تُذكَرِ النُّعمَى الَّتِي سَلَفَت لَه
فَأَكرِمthen how noble بِهاit is عِندِيin my eyes إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتit is mentioned يَداas a hand
فَأَكرِم بِها عِندِي إِذا ذُكِرَت يَدا
And if his former favor is recalled,
If past favors to him are mentioned
how noble a hand it is in my eyes when remembered!
Honor them when recalled, O hand of gifts.
يُشَرِّفُhe ennobles مَجداًglory مِنfrom أَبِيهِhis father وَجدِّهand his grandfather
يُشَرِّفُ مَجداً مِن أَبِيهِ وَجدِّه
وَقَدand indeed أَورَثَاthe two bequeathed بُنيانَan edifice of مَجدٍglory مُشَيَّداlofty
وَقَد أَورَثَا بُنيانَ مَجدٍ مُشَيَّدا
He ennobles the glory inherited from his father and grandfather,
He inherits glory from his father and grandfather
and they had bequeathed a lofty edifice of glory.
Who left a legacy of glorious, firm-founded glory.
أهانَhe held cheap تِلادَancestral holdings المَالِthe wealth فِيin pursuit of الحَمدِpraise إِنَّهindeed he
أهانَ تِلادَ المَالِ فِي الحَمدِ إِنَّه
إِمامُa leader of هُدىًright guidance يَجرِيhe proceeds عَلَىaccording to مَاwhat تَعَوَّداhe was accustomed to
إِمامُ هُدىً يَجرِي عَلَى مَا تَعَوَّدا
He held ancestral wealth cheap in pursuit of praise; indeed, he is
He disdained wealth's ignobility in praise
a leader of right guidance, following his accustomed course.
A leader of guidance, as was his habit.
فَكَمso how many لَكَto your credit عِندِيwith me مِنof عَطاءٍa gift وَنِعمَةٍand a favor
فَكَم لَكَ عِندِي مِن عَطاءٍ وَنِعمَةٍ
تَسوءُgrieve عَدُواًan enemy غائِبِينَthose absent وَشُهَّداand those present
تَسوءُ عَدُواً غائِبِينَ وَشُهَّدا
And how many gifts and favors you have bestowed on me,
How many gifts and favors you have given me,
that grieve enemies, absent and present alike!
Vexing absent and present enemies!
أُقيمَI remain بِحَمدٍwith praise مَاas long as أَقَمتُI stay وَأنand if أَبِنI depart
أُقيمَ بِحَمدٍ مَا أَقَمتُ وَأن أَبِن
إِلَىto غَيرِكُمothers than you لَمnot أحمَدِI praise المُتَوَدّداthe one courting friendship
إِلَى غَيرِكُم لَم أحمَدِ المُتَوَدّدا
I remain full of praise while I stay; and if I depart
I will live in praise as long as I live
to anyone but you, I shall not praise one who courts my friendship.
And never praise those hostile to you.
تَرَدّىhe robed himself بِمَجدٍin glory مِنfrom أَبيهِhis father وَجَدِّهِand his grandfather
تَرَدّى بِمَجدٍ مِن أَبيهِ وَجَدِّهِ
وَقَدand indeed أُورِثاthe two were bequeathed بُنيانَan edifice of مَجدٍglory مُشَيَّداlofty
وَقَد أُورِثا بُنيانَ مَجدٍ مُشَيَّدا
He robed himself in glory from his father and grandfather,
He is clad in glory from his father and grandfather
and they had been bequeathed a lofty edifice of glory.
Who left him a legacy of glorious, firm-founded glory
تَسورsurges بِهwithin him عِندَat العَطِيَّةِthe giving شِيمةٌa disposition
تَسور بِه عِندَ العَطِيَّةِ شِيمةٌ
هِيَit is الجُودُgenerosity مِنهُfrom him غَيرwithout أَنthat يَتَجَوَّداhe affects generosity
هِيَ الجُودُ مِنهُ غَير أَن يَتَجَوَّدا
A disposition surges within him at the moment of giving:
Nobility accompanies him in generosity
it is his generosity, not an affectation of generosity.
Generosity from him without even trying.
وَليand I have مِنكَfrom you مَوعودٌa promise طَلَبتُI sought نَجاحَهُits fulfillment
وَلي مِنكَ مَوعودٌ طَلَبتُ نَجاحَهُ
وأَنتَand you امرؤٌa man لاnot تُخلِفُyou break الدَّهرَever مَوعِداa promise
وأَنتَ امرؤٌ لا تُخلِفُ الدَّهرَ مَوعِدا
And I have your promise, whose fulfillment I have sought,
I asked you for success in what you promised me
and you are a man who never breaks a promise.
And you are one who never breaks his word.
وَعَوَّدتَنيand you accustomed me أَنthat لاnot تَزالَit ceases تُظلُّنيit shelters me
وَعَوَّدتَني أَن لا تَزالَ تُظلُّني
يَدٌa hand مِنكَfrom you قَدalready قَدَّمتَyou extended مِنfrom قَبلِهاbefore it يَداa hand
يَدٌ مِنكَ قَد قَدَّمتَ مِن قَبلِها يَدا
And you have accustomed me to being always sheltered
You accustomed me that your hand would never cease
by a hand of yours, before which you have already extended another hand.
To shade me, after preceding hands shaded me.
Sol 6.1