أَيُّهاO الطالِبُthe seeker الطَويلُlong عَناؤُهhis toil
أَيُّها الطالِبُ الطَويلُ عَناؤُه
تَرتَجيyou aspire to شَأوَthe reach مَنone who يَفوتُكَoutstrips you شاؤُهhis reach
تَرتَجي شَأوَ مَن يَفوتُكَ شاؤُه
O seeker whose toil is long,
O long-suffering student
you aspire to the reach of one whose reach outstrips yours.
You hope for the fortune of one who surpasses you
دونَbefore إِدراكِreaching أَحمَدِAhmad بنِson of سُلَيماSulayman (first part)
دونَ إِدراكِ أَحمَدِ بنِ سُلَيما
نَcompletion of 'Sulayman' عُلوٌّa height يُعييexhausts الرِجالَmen اِرتِقاؤُهits ascent
نَ عُلوٌّ يُعيي الرِجالَ اِرتِقاؤُه
Before one can reach Ahmad ibn Sulayman,
Without realizing Ahmad bin Suleiman
there stands a height whose ascent exhausts men.
Loftiness that exhausts men in its ascent
ماnot قَصَدناهُwe sought him لِلتَفَضُّلِfor bounty إِلّاexcept
ما قَصَدناهُ لِلتَفَضُّلِ إِلّا
أَعشَبَتgrew grassy أَرضُهُhis earth وَصابَتand poured rain سَماؤُهhis sky
أَعشَبَت أَرضُهُ وَصابَت سَماؤُه
Never did we seek him for bounty but
We did not intend nobleness except
his earth grew verdant and his sky poured rain.
His land flourished and his sky poured
حَسَنُfair الفِعلِdeeds وَالرُواءِand appearance وَكَمand how often دَلـindicated (first part)
حَسَنُ الفِعلِ وَالرُواءِ وَكَم دَلـ
ـلَcompletion of 'indicated' عَلىto سُؤدُدِthe eminence الشَريفِof the nobleman رُواؤُهhis appearance
ـلَ عَلى سُؤدُدِ الشَريفِ رُواؤُه
Fair in deed and appearance—and how often
Good deeds and narration, how many implied
has a nobleman's appearance revealed his eminence!
The nobleness of the honorable narrator
ماءُlustre (literally, water) وَجهٍof a face إِذاwhen تَبَلَّجَbeamed أَعطاgave
ماءُ وَجهٍ إِذا تَبَلَّجَ أَعطا
كَyou أَماناًsafety مِنfrom نَبوَةِa rebuff الدَهرِof time ماؤُهits lustre
كَ أَماناً مِن نَبوَةِ الدَهرِ ماؤُه
A face's lustre—when it beams, its lustre grants
The water of a face when it sparkles gives you
you safety from the rebuffs of time.
Security from the prophecy of time's water
يَتَجَلّىshines forth ضِياؤُهُhis radiance فَيُجَلّيand so dispels
يَتَجَلّى ضِياؤُهُ فَيُجَلّي
ظُلمَةَthe darkness الحادِثِof calamity المُضِبِّmist-shrouded ضِياؤُهhis radiance
ظُلمَةَ الحادِثِ المُضِبِّ ضِياؤُه
His radiance shines forth, and his radiance dispels
Its light manifests so it clarifies
the darkness of mist-shrouded calamity.
The darkness of distressing events, its light
قَدindeed وَجَدناهُwe found him مُفضِلاًgenerous فَحَطَطناso we made camp
قَد وَجَدناهُ مُفضِلاً فَحَطَطنا
حَيثُwhere لايَكذِبُdoes not deceive المُرَجّيthe hopeful seeker رَجاؤُهhis hope
حَيثُ لايَكذِبُ المُرَجّي رَجاؤُه
We found him generous, so we made camp
We found him noble so we lowered ourselves
where a hopeful man's hope does not deceive him.
Where the hopeful's hope does not lie
وَهَزَزناهُand we roused him لِلفَعالِto noble deeds فَأَبدىso revealed
وَهَزَزناهُ لِلفَعالِ فَأَبدى
جَوهَرَthe substance الصارِمِof the keen blade الحُسامِthe cutting sword اِنتِضاؤُهhis being unsheathed
جَوهَرَ الصارِمِ الحُسامِ اِنتِضاؤُه
And we roused him to noble deeds; unsheathing him revealed
And we shook him into action so he showed
the true steel of a keen, cutting sword.
The essence of the resolute, decisive sword in its sheathing
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom أَنتَyou كَمhow often تَرامىtossed about بِأَمريwith my affairs
بِأَبي أَنتَ كَم تَرامى بِأَمري
خِلفَةُthe alternation الدَهرِof time صُبحُهُits morning وَمَساؤُهand its evening
خِلفَةُ الدَهرِ صُبحُهُ وَمَساؤُه
My father be your ransom! How often my affairs have been tossed about
By my father you are the successor of time
by time's alternation—its morning and its evening.
Its morning and its evening
وَإِلَيكَand to you النَجاحُsuccess فيماin what يُعانيhe struggles with
وَإِلَيكَ النَجاحُ فيما يُعاني
آمِلٌa hopeful seeker قَدindeed تَطاوَلَhas grown long اِستِبطاؤُهhis impatience at delay
آمِلٌ قَد تَطاوَلَ اِستِبطاؤُه
And with you lies success in the struggles of
And to you is success in what one suffers
a hopeful man whose impatient waiting has grown long.
A hopeful whose waiting has been prolonged
قَدindeed تَبَدَّأتَyou took the initiative مُنعِماًbestowing favors وَكَريمُand the noble one الـthe
قَد تَبَدَّأتَ مُنعِماً وَكَريمُ الـ
ـقَومِpeople مَنone who يَسبِقُprecedes السُؤَالَthe request اِبتِداؤُهhis initiative
ـقَومِ مَن يَسبِقُ السُؤَالَ اِبتِداؤُه
You have taken the initiative in giving; and the noble one among
You began bestowing and the generous one
the people is he whose initiative precedes the request.
Whose inquiry precedes request's beginning
فَاِمضِso press on قُدماًforward فَماfor nothing يُرادُis sought مِنَfrom السَيـthe sword (first part)
فَاِمضِ قُدماً فَما يُرادُ مِنَ السَيـ
ـفِcompletion of 'the sword' غَداةَon the morning of الهَيجاءِbattle إِلّاexcept مَضاؤُهits sharpness
ـفِ غَداةَ الهَيجاءِ إِلّا مَضاؤُه
So press onward, for nothing is sought from a sword
So walk on, for the sword desires after agitation
on the morning of battle but its sharpness.
Nothing but to be drawn
Sol 6.1