أَميرَO Commander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful لَقَدindeed سَكَنّاwe found peace
أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ لَقَد سَكَنّا
إِلىin أَيّامِكَyour days الغُرِّradiant الحِسانِbeautiful
إِلى أَيّامِكَ الغُرِّ الحِسانِ
Commander of the Faithful, we have indeed found peace
O Commander of the Faithful, we have settled
in your radiant, beautiful days.
Into your virtuous, beautiful days.
رَدَدتَyou restored الدينَthe faith فَذّاًto oneness بَعدَماafter قَدalready
رَدَدتَ الدينَ فَذّاً بَعدَما قَد
أَراهُI see it فِرقَتَينِtwo factions تَخاصَمانِcontending with each other
أَراهُ فِرقَتَينِ تَخاصَمانِ
You restored the faith to unity, after I had
You have firmly reestablished the religion after
seen it as two contending factions.
I saw it split between two disputing factions.
قَصَمتَyou shattered الظالِمينَthe oppressors بِكُلِّin every أَرضٍland
قَصَمتَ الظالِمينَ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ
فَأَضحىso became الظُلمُoppression مَجهولَunknown المَكانِthe whereabouts
فَأَضحى الظُلمُ مَجهولَ المَكانِ
You shattered the oppressors in every land,
You vanquished the oppressors in every land
so oppression’s whereabouts became unknown.
So oppression became absent and unknown.
وَفيand in سَنَةٍa year رَمَتstruck مُتَجَبِّريهِمtheir tyrants
وَفي سَنَةٍ رَمَت مُتَجَبِّريهِم
عَلىaccording to قَدَرٍfate’s decree بِداهِيَةٍwith a calamity عَوانِrecurrent
عَلى قَدَرٍ بِداهِيَةٍ عَوانِ
And in a year that struck their tyrants,
And in one year you threw their arrogant leaders
by fate’s decree, with a recurring scourge,
Into a visible abyss of recklessness.
فَماso not أَبقَتit left مِنِof اِبنِIbn (son of) أَبيAbi (father of) دُؤادٍDu’ad
فَما أَبقَت مِنِ اِبنِ أَبي دُؤادٍ
سِوىexcept جَسَدٍa body يُخاطِبُcommunicates بِالمَعانيthrough signs
سِوى جَسَدٍ يُخاطِبُ بِالمَعاني
it left nothing of Ibn Abi Du’ad
You left no remnants of the sons of Abu Du'ad
but a body that communicates through signs.
Except a body conversing with meanings.
تَعَرَّبَadopted Arab ways بِاِرتِباطِby keeping tethered الجُرزِthe camels (uncertain reading) حَتّىuntil
تَعَرَّبَ بِاِرتِباطِ الجُرزِ حَتّى
رَمَتهُthey struck him فيin اليَدَينِboth hands وَفيand in اللِسانِthe tongue
رَمَتهُ في اليَدَينِ وَفي اللِسانِ
He adopted Arab ways by keeping camels tethered, until
He became fluent in Arabic through conversing
they struck him in both hands and tongue.
Until you threw him by the hands and tongue.
وَماand not كانَتthey were غِذاهُhis food زَمانَin the days when يَشريhe bought
وَما كانَت غِذاهُ زَمانَ يَشري
سَراطينَcrabs الصَراةِal-Sarat وَيَهرُبانِand Yahruban
سَراطينَ الصَراةِ وَيَهرُبانِ
Yet they had not been his food when he used to buy
His food during the time when he commanded
crabs from al-Sarat and Yahruban.
The Sultans of Syria and fled from them
تَحَيَّرَwas baffled فيهِby him سابورُSabur بنُibn (son of) سَهلٍSahl
تَحَيَّرَ فيهِ سابورُ بنُ سَهلٍ
وَطاوَلَهُand kept him waiting وَمَنّاهُand offered him الأَمانيhopes
وَطاوَلَهُ وَمَنّاهُ الأَماني
Sabur ibn Sahl was baffled by him,
Was questionable to Sapor ibn Sahl
and kept him waiting, holding out hopes to him.
And he fantasized and wished for safety.
إِذاwhen أَصحابُهُhis companions اِصطَبَحواtook their morning drink بِلَيلٍat night
إِذا أَصحابُهُ اِصطَبَحوا بِلَيلٍ
أَطالواthey prolonged الخَوضَthe discussion فيabout خَلقِthe creation of القُرانِthe Qur’an
أَطالوا الخَوضَ في خَلقِ القُرانِ
When his companions took their morning drink at night,
When his companions arose at night
they dwelt at length on the creation of the Qur’an.
They discussed at length the creation of the Quran,
يُديرونَthey pass around الكُؤوسَthe cups وَهُمwhile they are نَشاوىdrunk
يُديرونَ الكُؤوسَ وَهُم نَشاوى
يُحَدِّثُناrelates to us فُلانٌso-and-so عَنfrom فُلانِso-and-so
يُحَدِّثُنا فُلانٌ عَن فُلانِ
They pass the cups around while drunk:
Passing cups as they became intoxicated,
“So-and-so relates to us from so-and-so.”
With so-and-so telling us about so-and-so.
وَآخِرُand the latest حادِثٍevent أَنّاis that we غَدَوناwe set out in the morning
وَآخِرُ حادِثٍ أَنّا غَدَونا
نَعوذُwe seek refuge أَباO father of الوَزيرِthe vizier مِنَfrom الزَمانِTime
نَعوذُ أَبا الوَزيرِ مِنَ الزَمانِ
And the latest event is that we set out in the morning,
The last news is that tomorrow we will visit
seeking refuge, O vizier’s father, from Time.
And seek refuge for Abu al-Wazir from time.
وَكانَand he was إِذاwhen تَسَربَلَclothed himself in كُلَّevery قُبحٍugliness
وَكانَ إِذا تَسَربَلَ كُلَّ قُبحٍ
وَساءَكَand offended you فيin السَماعِhearing وَفيand in العِيانِdirect sight
وَساءَكَ في السَماعِ وَفي العِيانِ
And he was, when he clothed himself in every ugliness
Whenever he wore any ugliness
and offended you in hearing and in sight,
And you heard or saw evil from him,
أَهَشَّهُمُthe keenest of them إِلىfor غَيرِanything but المَعاليnoble deeds
أَهَشَّهُمُ إِلى غَيرِ المَعالي
وَأَضحَكَهُمand the merriest of them إِلىtoward غَيرِanything but الخِوانِthe dining table
وَأَضحَكَهُم إِلى غَيرِ الخِوانِ
the keenest of them for anything but noble deeds,
You made them turn away from dishonor
and their merriest—except at the dining table.
And laugh at other than sincerity.
Sol 6.1