إِنindeed الحَكيمينthe two sages قَدcertainly فازاthey both excelled بِمَدِحِهماthrough their praise
إِن الحَكيمين قَد فازا بِمَدِحِهما
أَهلthose worthy of المَديحpraise بِتَلويحby allusion وَتَصريحand open declaration
أَهل المَديح بِتَلويح وَتَصريح
Indeed, the two sages have excelled through their praise
The two wise men have won praise for themselves,
of those worthy of praise, by allusion and open declaration.
People of praise through hints and explicitness.
وَالبُحتُريُّand al-Buhturi إِمامthe master الشعرpoetry قَدcertainly بلَغتhave attained
وَالبُحتُريُّ إِمام الشعر قَد بلَغت
أَشعارَهُhis poems رُتَباًranks تَسموsoar عَلىabove يوحYūḥ (the sun)
أَشعارَهُ رُتَباً تَسمو عَلى يوح
And al-Buhturi, the master of poetry, has attained,
And al-Buhturi, the master poet, his
through his poems, ranks that soar above Yūḥ, the sun.
Poetry has reached heights flying above inspiration.
لِأَنbecause تَأَخرcame later مَدحيmy praise عَنthan مَدائحهمtheir praises
لِأَن تَأَخر مَدحي عَن مَدائحهم
فَكُلُso everyone مَنwhom مَدَحوهُthey praised him دُونbeneath مَمدوحيthe one I praise
فَكُلُ مَن مَدَحوهُ دُون مَمدوحي
For my praise has come later than their praises,
Because my praise came after their praises
yet everyone they praised is beneath the one I praise.
So all who praised him are less than my praised one
مِنfrom ذاتِهِhis essence كَوّنتwas fashioned لُطفاًsubtly فَجثَتَهُso his body
مِن ذاتِهِ كَوّنت لُطفاً فَجثَتَهُ
إِذاwhen بصرتyou behold بِهاat it روحspirit عَلىupon روحspirit
إِذا بصرت بِها روح عَلى روح
From his essence it was subtly fashioned; thus his body,
From his essence I formed kindness, so I bowed down
when you behold it, is spirit upon spirit.
When I saw it, my soul above a soul.
أَقضىmost judicious قُضاةjudges الوَرىmankind مِنone whose عَمَّencompassed نائِلُهُhis bounty
أَقضى قُضاة الوَرى مِن عَمَّ نائِلُهُ
حَيّاًthe living وَمَيتاًand the dead قَضىhe ruled بِالعَهدby the covenant مِنfrom نوحNoah
حَيّاً وَمَيتاً قَضى بِالعَهد مِن نوح
Foremost of mankind’s judges, whose bounty embraces
The greatest of judges in the world, for he attained
the living and the dead, he ruled by the covenant from Noah.
In life and death, he judged by the covenant of Noah.
أَخلاقُهُhis virtues غُررٌshining distinctions آثارُهُhis deeds سَيرٌchronicles
أَخلاقُهُ غُررٌ آثارُهُ سَيرٌ
أَلفاظُهُhis words دُرَرٌpearls فيin سِلكa thread تَوضيحclarity
أَلفاظُهُ دُرَرٌ في سِلك تَوضيح
His virtues are shining distinctions; his deeds are chronicles;
His morals are gems, his traces are methods,
his words are pearls strung on a thread of clarity.
His words are pearls in a string of elucidation.
إِنif رُمتI seek أَذكُرI mention شَيئاًanything مِنof مَآثرهhis noble deeds
إِن رُمت أَذكُر شَيئاً مِن مَآثره
فَشَرحُهُso its explanation بِلِسانيwith my tongue غَيرnot مَشروحexplained
فَشَرحُهُ بِلِساني غَير مَشروح
If I seek to mention anything of his noble deeds,
If I wanted to mention something of his achievements
then explaining it with my tongue leaves it unexplained.
Explaining it with my tongue is not explained.
Sol 6.1