إِنif تَأَمَّلyou contemplate مَحاسِنَthe virtues of الأَصبَهانِيِّal-Asbahani
إِن تَأَمَّل مَحاسِنَ الأَصبَهانِيِّ
تَجِدyou find طولَهُhis stature أَخاa brother to طولِthe length of باعِهhis reach
تَجِد طولَهُ أَخا طولِ باعِه
If you contemplate the virtues of al-Asbahani,
If you examine the beauties of al-Asbahani
you find his stature a brother to his long reach.
You will find his height like the length of his stature
أَوor تُحَصِّلهُyou scrutinize him لاnot تُحَصِّلyou find خِلافاًany difference
أَو تُحَصِّلهُ لا تُحَصِّل خِلافاً
بَينَbetween مَرآهُhis appearance بادِياًplainly visible وَسَماعِهand what is heard of him
بَينَ مَرآهُ بادِياً وَسَماعِه
Or scrutinize him: you find no difference
Or assess him, you will not find contrary
between seeing him in person and hearing of him.
Between his appearance openly and his hearing
يُؤخَذُis learned الحِلمُforbearance مِنfrom مَكيثِthe unhurried pace of تَأَنّيdeliberation
يُؤخَذُ الحِلمُ مِن مَكيثِ تَأَنّي
هِhis وَنُجحُand the fulfillment of العِداتِpromises مِنfrom إِسراعِهhis swiftness
هِ وَنُجحُ العِداتِ مِن إِسراعِه
Forbearance is learned from his measured deliberation,
Wisdom is taken from the deliberation of his composure
and the fulfillment of promises from his swiftness.
And the success of his tools from his hastening
يَنزِلُfall below القَومُthe people أَنفُساًin soul وَسَجاياand in character
يَنزِلُ القَومُ أَنفُساً وَسَجايا
عَنbelow تَعَلّيهِhis exaltation فَوقَهُمabove them وَاِرتِفاعِهand his eminence
عَن تَعَلّيهِ فَوقَهُم وَاِرتِفاعِه
Men fall short in soul and character
The people descend themselves and gravitas
of his exalted height and eminence above them.
From his exaltation above them and his loftiness
مُنصِبٌwearing out نَفسَهُhimself لِمُكتَسِبِto gain الحَمpraise (first part)
مُنصِبٌ نَفسَهُ لِمُكتَسِبِ الحَم
دِcompletion of 'praise' يُرىis regarded أَنَّهُthat it is مَكانُthe place of اِتِداعِهhis repose
دِ يُرى أَنَّهُ مَكانُ اِتِداعِه
He wears himself out in earning praise,
Appointing himself to the earner of praise
which is seen as the place of his repose.
It is seen that it is the place of his gathering
ياO أَباfather of عَبدِservant of اللَهِGod عَمَّرَكَmay He prolong your life اللَGod (first part)
يا أَبا عَبدِ اللَهِ عَمَّرَكَ اللَ
هُcompletion of 'God' لِعُرفٍfor a kindness عَمَمتَناyou embraced us all بِإِصطِناعِهby bestowing it
هُ لِعُرفٍ عَمَمتَنا بِإِصطِناعِه
O Abu Abd Allah, may God grant you long life
O Abu Abdullah, may God make you live
for the kindness you have bestowed upon us all.
For a norm that has generalized us with its manufacture
أَكثَرُmost of النَيلِbounty ضائِعٌis wasted غَيرَexcept ماwhat يَسpasses (first part)
أَكثَرُ النَيلِ ضائِعٌ غَيرَ ما يَس
ريcompletion of 'passes' إِلىinto نابِهِdistinguished الثَناءِpraise مُذاعِهits widely proclaimed form
ري إِلى نابِهِ الثَناءِ مُذاعِه
Most bounty is wasted, save what finds its way
Most of the attainment is lost except what flows
into distinguished praise, spread far and wide.
To the source of praise being propagated
لاdo not تَلُمنيblame me إِنif ضِقتُI am burdened by ديونَdebts of قَوافيrhymes of الthe
لا تَلُمني إِن ضِقتُ ديونَ قَوافي ال
شِعرِpoetry أَوor كِلتُI measure out لِلصَديقِto a friend بِصاعِهwith his own measure
شِعرِ أَو كِلتُ لِلصَديقِ بِصاعِه
Do not blame me if I am burdened by debts of the rhymes
Do not blame me if I fell short of the debts of the verse meters
of poetry, or measure out to a friend with his own measure.
Or got tired from carrying to a friend his measure
وَلِضَنّيand surely my stinginess بِالشِعرِwith poetry أَعذَبُis sweeter مِنthan ضَنِّthe stinginess of
وَلِضَنّي بِالشِعرِ أَعذَبُ مِن ضَنِّ
وَجيهٍWajih بِكُتبِهِwith his letters وَرِقاعِهand his notes
وَجيهٍ بِكُتبِهِ وَرِقاعِه
And my stinginess with verse is sweeter than the stinginess
And my stinginess with poetry is sweeter than the stinginess
of Wajih with his letters and notes.
Of dignitaries with their books and papers
إِنَّindeed هَذاthis القَريضَpoetry نَبتٌa plant مِنَfrom القَوspeech (first part)
إِنَّ هَذا القَريضَ نَبتٌ مِنَ القَو
لِcompletion of 'speech' يَزيدُincreases الفَعالُdeeds فيin إِناعِهits ripening
لِ يَزيدُ الفَعالُ في إِناعِه
Indeed, this poetry is a plant sprung from speech;
This poetry is a growth from the saying
deeds bring it to fuller ripeness.
The doer increases in its flexibility
هُوَit عِلقٌa precious possession تاجَرَتنيyou bargained with me فيهِover it بِالحيby guile (first part)
هُوَ عِلقٌ تاجَرَتني فيهِ بِالحي
لَةِcompletion of 'guile' حَتّىuntil غَبَنتَنيyou outbargained me بِإِبتِياعِهin buying it
لَةِ حَتّى غَبَنتَني بِإِبتِياعِه
It is a treasure: you bargained with me for it by guile,
It is a temptation in which I was decieved by guile
until you got the better of me in buying it.
Until you duped me by acquiring it
Sol 6.1