أَأَطْلُبُshould I seek? ياO مُحَمَّدُMuhammad أَنْthat يَؤُولاit turn
أَأَطْلُبُ يا مُحَمَّدُ أَنْ يَؤُولا
لِغَيرِكَto someone other than you وِدُّaffection قَلْبيmy heart أوor يَمِيلاit incline
لِغَيرِكَ وِدُّ قَلْبي أو يَمِيلا
Should I seek, O Muhammad, that it turn—
Shall I seek, O Muhammad, that another
My heart's love—to anyone but you, or incline that way?
Gain the love of my heart, or it sway?
وَأَرجوand I hope for غَيْرَother than بابِكَyour door ليfor me مَراماًa goal
وَأَرجو غَيْرَ بابِكَ لي مَراماً
وأَقصِدُand I seek غَيرَother than رَبعِكَyour dwelling ليfor me مَقيلاa noonday resting place
وأَقصِدُ غَيرَ رَبعِكَ لي مَقيلا
And hope for a goal at any door but yours,
Shall I hope from other than your door
And seek a noonday resting place in any dwelling but yours?
A purpose for me, or a place to stay?
وأَخطِبand I seek غَيرother than شَمسكَyour sun أَنthat تُجَلَّىbe unveiled
وأَخطِب غَير شَمسكَ أَن تُجَلَّى
وأَسأَلand I ask غَيْرَother than مائِكَyour water أَنْthat يَسِيلاit flow
وأَسأَل غَيْرَ مائِكَ أَنْ يَسِيلا
And seek the unveiling of a sun other than yours,
Shall I ask for other than your sun to shine,
And ask for water other than yours to flow?
Or other than your water to flow?
وَقَدand indeed أَنجَحتyou made succeed ليfor me بِنَدَاكَthrough your bounty مَسْعىًan endeavor
وَقَد أَنجَحت لي بِنَدَاكَ مَسْعىً
وَقَدْand indeed حَقَّقْتَyou fulfilled ليfor me أَملاًa hope وَسُولاand a wish
وَقَدْ حَقَّقْتَ لي أَملاً وَسُولا
For through your bounty you have made my endeavor succeed,
With your call, my journey has succeeded,
And fulfilled for me a hope and a wish.
With you, my hopes and passions grow.
جَعلْتَyou placed بِجَاهِكَthrough your standing العَلْياءَthe heights دُونيbeneath me
جَعلْتَ بِجَاهِكَ العَلْياءَ دُوني
وَرُعْتَand you terrified بِبأْسِكَwith your might الخَطْبَthe calamity المَهُولاthe dreadful
وَرُعْتَ بِبأْسِكَ الخَطْبَ المَهُولا
Through your standing you set the heights beneath me,
With your glorious stature you honor me,
And with your might terrified dreadful calamity.
With your might, formidable fears you stow.
وَمَاand not أَنَاI مُنْكِرٌdenying تِلْكَthose العَطَايَاgifts
وَمَا أَنَا مُنْكِرٌ تِلْكَ العَطَايَا
وَمَاand not أَناI جَاحِدٌdisavowing ذَاكَthat الجَمِيلاkindness
وَمَا أَنا جَاحِدٌ ذَاكَ الجَمِيلا
I do not deny those gifts,
I deny not those gifts you send me,
Nor do I disavow that kindness.
Nor the grace you on me bestow.
وَلاnor أَناI قانِعٌcontent لَكَfor you مِنْof وِدَادٍaffection
وَلا أَنا قانِعٌ لَكَ مِنْ وِدَادٍ
بِأَنْwith the fact that أُثْنِيI praise عَلَيْكَupon you وَأَنْand that أَقُولاI speak
بِأَنْ أُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ وَأَنْ أَقُولا
Nor am I content, in my affection for you,
Yet I am not content with praising you,
Merely to praise you and speak,
And with words only my thanks to show.
عَلىalthough أَنّيthat I am فتىًa young man فَطِنٌperceptive بَليغٌeloquent
عَلى أَنّي فتىً فَطِنٌ بَليغٌ
بَلوغٌone who attains ماwhatever سَلَكْتُI followed لَهُtoward it سَبِيلاa path
بَلوغٌ ما سَلَكْتُ لَهُ سَبِيلا
Though I am a perceptive, eloquent young man,
Though an astute and eloquent youth am I,
Attaining whatever I take a path to reach,
To praise you fittingly I do not know.
بِأَلْفَاظٍwith words تَخِرُّfall prostrate لَهَاbefore them القَوافِيrhymes
بِأَلْفَاظٍ تَخِرُّ لَهَا القَوافِي
وَيَنْقَادُand submits القَريضُpoetry لَهَاto them ذَلُولاdocile
وَيَنْقَادُ القَريضُ لَهَا ذَلُولا
With words before which rhymes fall prostrate,
With phrases that trip off the tongue with ease,
And poetry submits to them, docile.
And rhymes that obedient to me flow,
إذاif مَرَّتْthey pass عَلىover أُذُنَيْthe two ears of فَصيحٍan eloquent person
إذا مَرَّتْ عَلى أُذُنَيْ فَصيحٍ
سِوَاكَother than you يَعِضُّhe bites إِصْبَعَهhis finger طَوِيلاfor a long time
سِوَاكَ يَعِضُّ إِصْبَعَه طَوِيلا
If they pass over the ears of an eloquent man
If past an ear of one with eloquence supreme,
Other than you, he bites his finger for a long while.
Save you, he'd bite his finger tip in woe.
وَمَاand not أَناI بالغٌattaining بِكَثيرِwith much مَدْحِيmy praise
وَمَا أَنا بالغٌ بِكَثيرِ مَدْحِي
مِنَof الكَرمِthe generosity الَّذيwhich تَحْويyou possess قَليلاa little
مِنَ الكَرمِ الَّذي تَحْوي قَليلا
Yet with all my abundant praise I do not attain
With my abundant praise I reach but little
Even a little of the generosity you possess.
Of your nobility that confines me so.
وأَنْتَand you أَعزّmore exalted أَنْto تُدْعَىbe called عَزِيزاًexalted
وأَنْتَ أَعزّ أَنْ تُدْعَى عَزِيزاً
وأَنْتَand you أَجَلmore majestic أَنْto تُدْعَىbe called جَلِيلاmajestic
وأَنْتَ أَجَل أَنْ تُدْعَى جَلِيلا
And you are too exalted to be called merely exalted,
You are too noble to be called noble,
And you are too majestic to be called merely majestic.
Too sublime to be called sublime.
وَأَنْتَand you أَخٌa brother لِكُلّto every غَريبِstranger دَارٍhome
وَأَنْتَ أَخٌ لِكُلّ غَريبِ دَارٍ
إِذاwhen عَدِمَhe lacks القَرابةَkin والخَلِيلاand a close friend
إِذا عَدِمَ القَرابةَ والخَلِيلا
And you are a brother to every stranger far from home,
To every stranger in a foreign land,
When he lacks kin and a close friend.
When kith and friend he does not find,
يُسلّيconsoles لَفْظُكَyour speech الصَّبَّthe passionate lover المُعَنَّىthe tormented
يُسلّي لَفْظُكَ الصَّبَّ المُعَنَّى
وَيَشْفيand heals ذِكْرُكَmention of you الدَّنِفَthe enfeebled invalid العَليلاthe ailing
وَيَشْفي ذِكْرُكَ الدَّنِفَ العَليلا
Your speech consoles the tormented lover,
You are a brother, and your words console
And the mention of you heals the enfeebled invalid.
The ardent soul and heal the troubled mind.
إِذَاif وَهَبَbestowed الإلهُGod لناto us عُقُولاًminds
إِذَا وَهَبَ الإلهُ لنا عُقُولاً
وَهَبْتَyou bestowed لِماto what وُهِبْنَاهُwe were given it عُقُولاminds
وَهَبْتَ لِما وُهِبْنَاهُ عُقُولا
If God has bestowed minds upon us,
When God grants intellect, you grant
You have bestowed minds upon the minds we were given.
The means to deepen and refine.
فِداؤُكَyour ransom مَنْwhoever تَدِينُsubmit لَهُto him الأَمانيwishes
فِداؤُكَ مَنْ تَدِينُ لَهُ الأَماني
بِأَنْin that يَلْقَىhe finds إِلَيْكَto you لَهُfor himself وُصُولاaccess
بِأَنْ يَلْقَى إِلَيْكَ لَهُ وُصُولا
May he whose wishes bow to him be your ransom,
You ransom those whose hopes to you aspire,
In finding for himself a way to you;
That they may find in you their goal.
وَمَنْand whoever هُوَhe دُونَtoo lowly أَنْto يَرْنُوgaze بِطَرْفٍwith a glance
وَمَنْ هُوَ دُونَ أَنْ يَرْنُو بِطَرْفٍ
إِلَيكَat you فَكَيْفَso how تَنْظُرهyou regard him عَدِيلاas an equal
إِلَيكَ فَكَيْفَ تَنْظُره عَدِيلا
And he who is too lowly even to lift his gaze
He who does not look to you - how can he see?
To you—how could you regard him as an equal?
For him what substitution can there be?
تُرَىis seen شَمْسُthe sun of الضُّحىthe forenoon إِبّانwhen تَبْدُوit appears
تُرَى شَمْسُ الضُّحى إِبّان تَبْدُو
وَتُنْظَرُand is beheld حِينَwhen تُنْتَسبْare traced genealogically الأُصُولاancestral roots
وَتُنْظَرُ حِينَ تُنْتَسبْ الأُصُولا
The morning sun is seen when it appears,
The morning sun is seen when it first rises,
And is beheld when ancestral roots are traced.
And noted when the lineages first flowed,
فَمَنْso whoever وَافىcomes يَعيبُfinds fault with الشَّمْسَthe sun يَوْماًone day
فَمَنْ وَافى يَعيبُ الشَّمْسَ يَوْماً
كَفاهُit suffices him علىof جَهَالتِهِhis ignorance دَليلاas proof
كَفاهُ على جَهَالتِهِ دَليلا
So if anyone comes one day to fault the sun,
So one who'd fault the sun some day,
That alone is proof enough of his ignorance.
His ignorance would amply show.
Sol 6.1