وعلىand upon الأيامِthe days منfrom نعمائهِhis favors
وعلى الأيامِ من نعمائهِ
ساكِبٌpouring هامٍstreaming وفضْفاضٌand ample رِفَلْtrailing
ساكِبٌ هامٍ وفضْفاضٌ رِفَلْ
And upon the days, from his favors,
He generously bestows blessings every day
come pouring, streaming rain and an ample, trailing robe.
Lavishly pouring them out, unstinting and free
فَقَصيٌّso one far away مثلُlike دانٍone nearby فيin النَّدىbounty
فَقَصيٌّ مثلُ دانٍ في النَّدى
وكَمنْand like one who خالَimagined الغِنىwealth منْone who لمdid not يخلْimagine
وكَمنْ خالَ الغِنى منْ لم يخلْ
Thus the far-off are like the near in bounty,
Like rain pouring down at dawn
and one who never imagined wealth is like one who did.
As rich as one who never knew want can be
عارضٌa rain cloud يأتَلِقُgleams البِشْرُgood cheer بهin it
عارضٌ يأتَلِقُ البِشْرُ به
فالسَّنيso the radiance يُشْرقُshines والجَوْدُand bounty هَللْrain showers
فالسَّني يُشْرقُ والجَوْدُ هَللْ
A rain cloud in which good cheer gleams:
A shining star people’s faces glow in his light
so radiance shines, and bounty falls in showers.
So the years shine and generosity excels
صارمٌa keen blade يُغْمدهُsheathes it الحلمُforbearance فإنْbut if
صارمٌ يُغْمدهُ الحلمُ فإنْ
سَلَّهdraws it العزْمُresolve فمأثورٌthen a patterned sword أفَلْnotched
سَلَّه العزْمُ فمأثورٌ أفَلْ
A keen blade sheathed by forbearance; but if
A sharp sword, sheathed by restraint, but if
resolve draws it, it is a patterned, notched sword.
Resolve draws it, traditional glory prevails
عضدُsupport of الدينthe Faith فتىchampion of الحَيِّthe tribe إذاwhen
عضدُ الدين فتى الحَيِّ إذا
بَخِلَis stingy الجَوُّthe sky بِطَلٍّwith dew وسَبَلْand rain
بَخِلَ الجَوُّ بِطَلٍّ وسَبَلْ
ʿAḍud al-Dīn, the tribe’s champion when
The pillar of faith - when times grew mean
the sky withholds dew and falling rain.
And the age was miserly, lacking all chivalry
جائرٌunjust فيwith المالِwealth إذْwhen يَبْذلهُgives it away
جائرٌ في المالِ إذْ يَبْذلهُ
فإذاbut when ماemphatic particle مَلَكَholds الحُكْمَjudicial authority عَدَلْacts justly
فإذا ما مَلَكَ الحُكْمَ عَدَلْ
Unjust to his wealth when he gives it away,
Tyrannical about money, yet freely he spends it
but when he has the power to judge, he acts justly.
And when holding power, rules with equity
نعمَexcellent is قاريhost to الضَّيفthe guest فيin جُنحthe wing of الدجىdarkness
نعمَ قاري الضَّيف في جُنح الدجى
والمُحاميand the defender تحتbeneath أطْرافِthe points of الأسَلْthe spears
والمُحامي تحت أطْرافِ الأسَلْ
How fine a host to the guest under darkness’s wing,
Yes, hosting guests in the wings of night
and a defender beneath the points of spears,
And defending the weak - epitome of nobility
ومُجيلُand one who turns over الرأيthought فيin مُعْضِلَةٍa quandary
ومُجيلُ الرأي في مُعْضِلَةٍ
تتركُleaves الحازمَthe resolute man كالنِّكسِlike a weakling الوكِلْdependent on others
تتركُ الحازمَ كالنِّكسِ الوكِلْ
and one who turns his thoughts to a quandary
Sage advice when perplexed, leaving
that leaves the resolute like a helpless weakling.
The wise helpless as failing deputies
يكشفُdispels الحالكَthe pitch-darkness منof ظلْمائهاits gloom
يكشفُ الحالكَ من ظلْمائها
بضياءٍwith light منْfrom صوابٍsound judgment مُرْتجلْspontaneously conceived
بضياءٍ منْ صوابٍ مُرْتجلْ
He dispels the pitch-darkness of its gloom
Dispelling darkness with brilliant flashes of truth
with light from a sound judgment formed on the spot,
Extemporized, until the knotty becomes clear
فيعودُso becomes الصَّعْبُthe difficult part منof مُشْكِلهاits perplexity
فيعودُ الصَّعْبُ من مُشْكِلها
جَلَلاًtrifling منْfrom بعدafter ماthat كانَwas جَلَلْgrave
جَلَلاً منْ بعد ما كانَ جَلَلْ
so the hard part of its tangled problem becomes
Returning dignity to the difficult and veiled
trifling, after having been grave.
After turmoil - steadfast, true, and sincere
ثابتُsteadfast الوِدِّaffection كريمٌhonorable عَهْدُهhis pledge
ثابتُ الوِدِّ كريمٌ عَهْدُه
صادقُtrue to الوعْدِthe promise صديقُa friend لاnot يَمِلْtires
صادقُ الوعْدِ صديقُ لا يَمِلْ
Steadfast in affection, honorable in his pledge,
Loyal in friendship, faithful to his word
true to his promise, a friend who never tires.
Truthful in promise, a friend who'll never tire
فسلامُso a greeting اليومtoday حَقٌّa binding claim عِنْدهُin his eyes
فسلامُ اليوم حَقٌّ عِنْدهُ
دائمُconstant الإِرْعاءِcare مأمونُsafe from المَلَلْweariness
دائمُ الإِرْعاءِ مأمونُ المَلَلْ
So a greeting today is a claim upon him,
Today, peace for him is a debt of honor
ever honored, safe from weariness.
Ever gentle, never bored or irate
فيin نَداهُhis bounty ومُحيَّاand the countenance of وجْههِhis face
في نَداهُ ومُحيَّا وجْههِ
لِمُرَجِّيهِfor one hoping in him اجْتراءٌboldness وخَجَلْand bashfulness
لِمُرَجِّيهِ اجْتراءٌ وخَجَلْ
In his bounty and his countenance,
Glowing in his presence, his face greeting
his hopeful petitioner finds boldness and bashfulness.
Hopeful hearts kindly, though awkward and shy
فإذاso when أفْرَطَexceeds all bounds فيin الجودِgenerosity غَداcomes to
فإذا أفْرَطَ في الجودِ غَدا
يحْسبُconsiders الإفْراطَexcess منْعاًwithholding وبَخَلْand miserliness
يحْسبُ الإفْراطَ منْعاً وبَخَلْ
So when he gives beyond all measure, he comes
Exceeding in generosity, believing restraint
to regard that excess as withholding and miserliness.
Would be meanness, and thrift something vile
إنماonly الصَّاحبُthe patron ظِلٌّshade وحِمىًand sanctuary
إنما الصَّاحبُ ظِلٌّ وحِمىً
خصَرُcoolness الضَّاحيone exposed to the sun وعِزُّand honor المُستذلْthe abased
خصَرُ الضَّاحي وعِزُّ المُستذلْ
The Ṣāḥib is but shade and sanctuary,
A companion is but shade and shelter
coolness for those in the sun, and honor for the abased.
Waistband for one laid bare, honor for the reviled
فَهنَاهُso may it gladden him مَوْسمُthe season of العيدِEid وماand what
فَهنَاهُ مَوْسمُ العيدِ وما
بعدهُafter it عُمْرَthroughout the lifetime of اللياليthe nights المُقْتبَلْto come
بعدهُ عُمْرَ الليالي المُقْتبَلْ
So may he find joy in the season of Eid, and in what
A lifetime of nights to come, tributes compiled
follows it, through the lifetime of nights to come.
Partial English translation: 31 of 32 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1