فَخراًtake pride دِمَشقDamascus عَلىover كُلall البِلادthe lands بِمَنin the one who
فَخراً دِمَشق عَلى كُل البِلاد بِمَن
أَولىbestowed on البَريةmankind مَعروفاًkindness وَعِرفاناand knowledge
أَولى البَرية مَعروفاً وَعِرفانا
Take pride, Damascus, over all lands, in him
Damascus boasts over all lands of one
who bestowed kindness and knowledge upon mankind:
Who did good and knew gratitude best of men
المَقريّal-Maqqari الَّذيwho فيin بَعضa portion of أَيسرthe least of ماwhat
المَقريّ الَّذي في بَعض أَيسر ما
حَوىhe possessed مِنof الفَضلexcellence كُلeveryone راحdeparted حَيراناbewildered
حَوى مِن الفَضل كُل راح حَيرانا
al-Maqqari, before even a portion of the least of what
Al-Maqarri, who even a little of the excellence
he possesses of excellence, everyone departs bewildered.
He embodied would leave every wise man perplexed
شَمسa sun مِنfrom الغَربthe West قَدindeed كانَتwere مَشارِقُهاits rising-places
شَمس مِن الغَرب قَد كانَت مَشارِقُها
بَلrather دونَهاbeneath it الشَمسthe sun يَومَon the day of الفَخرboasting بُرهاناas proof
بَل دونَها الشَمس يَومَ الفَخر بُرهانا
A sun whose rising-places lay in the West;
A sun setting in the west whose rising
rather, on the day of boasting, the sun is demonstrably beneath it.
Would put even the sun to shame as proof
أَغرّradiant ماnever أَحدقتsurrounded أَيديthe hands of العِظامthe great men بِهِaround him
أَغرّ ما أَحدقت أَيدي العِظام بِهِ
إِلّاexcept that وَأَضحىand he became بِماءِwith the water of الفَضلِexcellence رَياناquenched
إِلّا وَأَضحى بِماءِ الفَضلِ رَيانا
A radiant man: never have the hands of the great surrounded him
None prized what great minds valued more
without his becoming quenched with the water of excellence.
Except he who made it flow with excellence
تَكادyou almost تَقرأread فيin لَالاءٍthe gleam of غرتِهِhis brow
تَكاد تَقرأ في لَالاءٍ غرتِهِ
مِنfrom سورةthe chapter of العِزةhonor القَعساءinvincible عُنواناa heading
مِن سورة العِزة القَعساء عُنوانا
You can almost read in the gleam of his brow
You can almost read in the radiance of his face
a heading from the chapter of invincible honor.
A title from the chapter of Might and Honor
لَهُhe has مِنof الرَأيjudgment ماthat which تَحنوbow لاnot; probably a split 'to' يسرهpleases him; probably 'its least'
لَهُ مِن الرَأي ما تَحنو لا يسره
ثَواقبthe piercing ones الزهرthe stars إِرشاداًseeking guidance وَإِذعاناand submitting
ثَواقب الزهر إِرشاداً وَإِذعانا
His judgment is such that even before its least bow [uncertain reading]
He has such wisdom even the sharp ends
the piercing stars, seeking guidance and submitting.
Of flowers bend to his guidance obediently
وَسيرةand a way of life مِنfrom أَبيAbu حَفصHafs تَلقفهاhe took it
وَسيرة مِن أَبي حَفص تَلقفها
إِلىtogether with وَقارdignity يُضاهيmatches هَديthe conduct of سَلماناSalman
إِلى وَقار يُضاهي هَدي سَلمانا
And a way of life he took from Abu Hafs,
A life learned from Abi Hafs he embraced
together with a dignity that matches Salman's conduct.
To dignity rivaling the guidance of Salman
مُصاحبa companion to حسنthe beauty of فعلdoing الخَيرgood يِعشقهُhe loves it
مُصاحب حسن فعل الخَير يِعشقهُ
مَراقبmindful of رَبِهِhis Lord سرّاًsecretly وَإِعلاناand openly
مَراقب رَبِهِ سرّاً وَإِعلانا
A companion to the beauty of doing good, enamored of it,
Loving to do good he ardently seeks
mindful of his Lord, in secret and in public.
Privately and openly devoted to his Lord
يَقضيhe spends النَهارthe day بِدَرسin study غَيرnot مُندَرسfaded
يَقضي النَهار بِدَرس غَير مُندَرس
وَيَقطَعand he passes اللَيلthe night تَسبيحاًin glorification وَقُرآناand Qur'an recitation
وَيَقطَع اللَيل تَسبيحاً وَقُرآنا
He spends the day in study that never fades,
He spends his day teaching unfailingly
and passes the night in glorification and Qur'an recitation.
And night remembering God reciting Quran
لِأَيto which وَردwatering-place نوليshall we turn اليَومtoday وَجهِتناour direction
لِأَي وَرد نولي اليَوم وَجهِتنا
وَقَدwhen already غَداhas become بَحرِهِhis sea الطاميُّswelling مُرجاناcoral
وَقَد غَدا بَحرِهِ الطاميُّ مُرجانا
To which watering-place shall we turn today,
To which blossom should we turn our course today
when his swelling sea has become coral?
When his sea of gifts has become coral adorned
لَأَنbecause مَنَحناhe granted us يَلحَظhe glances; possibly 'with a glance' مِنof مَواهبهِhis gifts
لَأَن مَنَحنا يَلحَظ مِن مَواهبهِ
نِلناwe attained الثُرياthe Pleiades وَكانَand was الخَيرgoodness عُقباناour outcome
نِلنا الثُريا وَكانَ الخَير عُقبانا
Because he has granted us a glance of his gifts [wording uncertain],
For the blessings we gained from him
we have reached the Pleiades, and goodness has been our outcome.
Brought ease and goodness always followed
شَفىhe healed يَدرسhe studies الشفاal-Shifa ('The Healing') مَرضىthe ailing درايتناour understanding
شَفى يَدرس الشفا مَرضى درايتنا
لَماwhen أَفادَhe imparted مَعalong with الإِيضاحclarification إِنقاناunclear; possibly mastery
لَما أَفادَ مَع الإِيضاح إِنقانا
Studying al-Shifa, he healed our ailing understanding,
Healing, teaching medicine to our knowledge
when he imparted, along with clarification, mastery [uncertain word].
When he imparted elucidation and wisdom
هَيهاتfar from it هَيهاتfar from it مَنwho فيamong القَومthe people يَشبَهَهُresembles him
هَيهات هَيهات مَن في القَوم يَشبَهَهُ
هَلcan السَرابthe mirage يُباريrival الغَيثthe rain هِتاناpouring steadily
هَل السَراب يُباري الغَيث هِتانا
Far, far from it! Who among the people resembles him?
Alas! Who among the people resembles him
Can a mirage rival the rain as it pours?
Can a mirage compete with rain in bounty?
إِذاwhen مَشىhe walks فَعلىthen upon الأَعناقthe necks مَشيَتَهُhis tread
إِذا مَشى فَعلى الأَعناق مَشيَتَهُ
وَإِنeven if رَأَيتyou see رِجالthe men of الحَيthe tribe رُكباناmounted
وَإِن رَأَيت رِجال الحَي رُكبانا
When he walks, his steps are upon necks,
When he walks he treads upon their necks
even if you see the tribe's men mounted.
Yet if you saw the living they walked mounted
ياO سَيدmaster of العُلَماءِthe scholars العاملينwho act on their knowledge وَمَنand the one who
يا سَيد العُلَماءِ العاملين وَمَن
هُوَhe الإِمامthe imam المُفَداfor whom lives are offered حَيثماwherever كاناhe may be
هُوَ الإِمام المُفَدا حَيثما كانا
O master of scholars who live by their learning, and you
O Master of scholars, workers, and leader
who are the imam for whom lives are offered, wherever you may be:
Wherever there may be, of those who guide
أَبرَأتyou discharged ذمةthe liability of دَهرan age جاءَthat came يَمنَحَنيto grant me
أَبرَأت ذمة دَهر جاءَ يَمنَحَني
بَعدَafter الإِساءَةill-treatment مِنthrough لُقياكmeeting you إِحساناkindness
بَعدَ الإِساءَة مِن لُقياك إِحسانا
you discharged the debt of an age that came to grant me,
My life's debt is paid, my time brought me
after its ill-treatment, the kindness of meeting you.
After wronging me, the blessing of meeting you
دَهرٌan age يَقبّلkisses آماليmy hopes وَأَوسَعَهُand I lavish on it
دَهرٌ يَقبّل آمالي وَأَوسَعَهُ
إِذsince أَنتَyou مِنamong أَهلِهِits people حَمداًpraise وَشُكراناand gratitude
إِذ أَنتَ مِن أَهلِهِ حَمداً وَشُكرانا
An age that kisses my hopes—and I lavish on it,
A time kissing my hopes, expanding them
since you are among its people, praise and gratitude.
Because you of its people, praiseworthy, thanked
فَطَأso tread كَماas شئتyou wish لاnot تَنفكcease to be مُنتَصِراًvictorious
فَطَأ كَما شئت لا تَنفك مُنتَصِراً
بِأَخمصيكwith the arches of your two feet مِنof الأَعداءthe enemies تيجاناcrowns
بِأَخمصيك مِن الأَعداء تيجانا
So tread as you will, ever victorious,
Step with your heels, relentlessly victorious,
with the arches of your feet upon the crowns of enemies.
Upon the crowns of enemies whenever you please
وَأَهنأand rejoice فَأَنتَfor you are الَّذيthe one who وَلّاهُappointed for him خالَقهُhis Creator
وَأَهنأ فَأَنتَ الَّذي وَلّاهُ خالَقهُ
مِنfrom among المَلائكthe angels أَنصاراًsupporters وَأَعواناand helpers
مِن المَلائك أَنصاراً وَأَعوانا
And rejoice, for you are the one whose Creator appointed
And congratulations, for your Creator appointed you
supporters and helpers from among the angels.
Angels as helpers and aides
وَاِستَحلهاand savor it نَزهاًas a delight لَوif أَنَّهاthat it رزقتwere granted
وَاِستَحلها نَزهاً لَو أَنَّها رزقت
حَظّاًgood fortune لَكانَتit would have been لِعَينfor the eye of الدَهرTime إِنساناa pupil
حَظّاً لَكانَت لِعَين الدَهر إِنسانا
And savor it as a delight; had it been granted
And sanctified it as a gift, if it were graced
good fortune, it would have been the pupil of Time's eye.
With your company, would give life meaning
وَاِسمَعand listen لَهاto it مِنof قَوافrhymes لاnot يُماثلهاequals them
وَاِسمَع لَها مِن قَواف لا يُماثلها
قَولٌan utterance مِنof الشعرpoetry إِلاexcept قَولthe utterance of حَساناHassan
قَولٌ مِن الشعر إِلا قَول حَسانا
And listen to its rhymes, which are matched by no
Hear from it, unmatched by any verse
verse of poetry save the verse of Hassan.
Except the poetry of Hassan, eloquent words
Sol 6.1