هَلِis ...? الفَتحُal-Fath إِلّاbut البَدرُthe full moon فيin الأُفُقِthe horizon المُضحىmorning-lit
هَلِ الفَتحُ إِلّا البَدرُ في الأُفُقِ المُضحى
تَجَلّىshone forth فَأَجلىand so dispelled اللَيلَthe night جِنحاًa wing عَلىupon جِنحِa wing
تَجَلّى فَأَجلى اللَيلَ جِنحاً عَلى جِنحِ
Is al-Fath anything but the full moon on the morning-lit horizon,
Is dawn naught but the full moon in the brightened horizon
which shone forth and dispelled the night, wing upon wing,
Appearing, to light up the night with its wings over wings?
أَوِor الضَيغَمُthe lion الضِرغامُthe fierce lion يَحميguards عَرينَهُhis lair
أَوِ الضَيغَمُ الضِرغامُ يَحمي عَرينَهُ
أَوِor الوابِلُthe downpour الدانيnear at hand مِنَfrom الديمَةِthe steady rain السَحِّpouring abundantly
أَوِ الوابِلُ الداني مِنَ الديمَةِ السَحِّ
or the lion—the fierce lion—guarding his lair,
Or the partridge sheltering its nest?
or the near-at-hand downpour of steadily streaming rain?
Or the copious rain from the pouring clouds?
مَضىhe advanced مِثلَlike ماthe way يَمضيadvances السِنانُthe spearhead وَأَشرَقَتand shone forth
مَضى مِثلَ ما يَمضي السِنانُ وَأَشرَقَت
بِهِin him بَسطَةٌa reach زادَتexceeded عَلىbeyond بَسطَةِthe reach الرُمحِthe spear
بِهِ بَسطَةٌ زادَت عَلى بَسطَةِ الرُمحِ
He advanced as the spearhead advances, and there shone
It passed as the spear passes, and there shone forth
in him a reach surpassing the reach of the spear.
An expanse vaster than the expanse of the lance,
وَأَشرَقَand he shone عَنwith بِشرٍcheerfulness هُوَit is النورُthe light فيat الضُحىforenoon
وَأَشرَقَ عَن بِشرٍ هُوَ النورُ في الضُحى
وَصافىand offered sincere friendship بِأَخلاقٍwith qualities هِيَthey are الطَلُّthe dew فيat الصُبحِdawn
وَصافى بِأَخلاقٍ هِيَ الطَلُّ في الصُبحِ
And he beamed with cheerfulness that is the light of forenoon,
And there shone forth the light at dawn, which is the light in the forenoon
and offered sincere friendship, his character the dew at dawn.
And a nature as pure as the dew in the morn,
فَتىًa youth يَنطَويharbor inwardly الحُسّادُthe enviers مِنbecause of مَكرُماتِهِhis noble deeds
فَتىً يَنطَوي الحُسّادُ مِن مَكرُماتِهِ
وَمِنand because of مَجدِهِhis glory الأَوفىmost complete عَلىupon كَمَدٍgrief بَرحِtormenting
وَمِن مَجدِهِ الأَوفى عَلى كَمَدٍ بَرحِ
A youth whose noble deeds leave his enviers brooding,
A youth whom jealous men roll themselves up
and whose consummate glory fills them with tormenting grief.
Against his noble qualities and his truer glory like a wrapped-up hedgehog
يَجِدُّhe acts earnestly فَتَنقادُand so yield الأُمورُaffairs لِجِدِّهِto his earnestness
يَجِدُّ فَتَنقادُ الأُمورُ لِجِدِّهِ
وَإِنand even if راحَhe goes about طَلقاًlighthearted فيin الفُكاهَةِmirth وَالمَزحِand jest
وَإِن راحَ طَلقاً في الفُكاهَةِ وَالمَزحِ
He acts in earnest, and affairs yield to his earnestness,
He is serious, so affairs are tractable to his seriousness
even if he goes about lighthearted in mirth and jest.
And if he walks about freely in jest and play
وَماand never أُقفِلَتwere locked shut عَنّاto us جَوانِبُthe approaches مَطلَبٍa goal
وَما أُقفِلَت عَنّا جَوانِبُ مَطلَبٍ
نُحاوِلُهُwe pursue it إِلّاexcept that افتَتَحناهُwe opened it بِالفَتحِthrough al-Fath
نُحاوِلُهُ إِلّا افتَتَحناهُ بِالفَتحِ
And no avenues to a goal were ever closed to us—
No side of an object of desire is locked against us
one we pursued—without our unlocking it through al-Fath.
Unless we open it with the Opening
فِداؤُكَyour ransom أَقوامٌpeoples سَبَقتَyou outstripped سَراتَهُمtheir nobles
فِداؤُكَ أَقوامٌ سَبَقتَ سَراتَهُم
إِلىto القِمَّةِthe summit العَلياءِloftiest وَالخُلُقِand character السَمحِmagnanimous
إِلى القِمَّةِ العَلياءِ وَالخُلُقِ السَمحِ
May peoples be your ransom: you have outstripped their nobles
Your ransom is folk whose natures preceded
in reaching the loftiest summit and magnanimous character.
To the sublime peak and noble temper
وَعَدتَyou promised فَأَوشِكso hasten نُجحَfulfillment وَعدِكَyour promise إِنَّهُindeed it
وَعَدتَ فَأَوشِك نُجحَ وَعدِكَ إِنَّهُ
مِنَpart of المَجدِglory إِعجالُhastening المَواعيدِthe promises بِالنُجحِwith fulfillment
مِنَ المَجدِ إِعجالُ المَواعيدِ بِالنُجحِ
You promised; hasten your promise's fulfillment, for it
You have promised and soon your promise will succeed
is a mark of glory to fulfill promises swiftly.
For hastening the fulfillment of promises is a glory of glory
وَأَنتَand you تَرىconsider نُصحَsincere counsel الإِمامِthe Imam فَريضَةًa duty
وَأَنتَ تَرى نُصحَ الإِمامِ فَريضَةً
وَإِخبارُهُand informing him عَنّيabout me سَبيلٌa way مِنَof النُصحِsincere counsel
وَإِخبارُهُ عَنّي سَبيلٌ مِنَ النُصحِ
And you deem sincere counsel to the Imam a duty,
And you see the advice of the Imam as a duty
and telling him about me is one form of such counsel.
And his informing about me as a kind of good advice
لَهُhe has مَكرُماتٌnoble deeds يَقصُرُfalls short الوَصفُdescription دونَهاshort of them
لَهُ مَكرُماتٌ يَقصُرُ الوَصفُ دونَها
وَأَبلَغُand the most eloquent مَدحٍpraise يُستَعارُis borrowed لَهاfor them مَدحيmy praise
وَأَبلَغُ مَدحٍ يُستَعارُ لَها مَدحي
He has noble deeds that description falls short of,
He has noble qualities beyond description
and the most eloquent praise borrowed for them is my own.
And the utmost praise that can be borrowed to praise them is my praise
Sol 6.1