للهِto God دَرُّexcellence! (expressing praise) غَمامٍa cloud سَحَّpoured down صيِّبُهُits rain
للهِ دَرُّ غَمامٍ سَحَّ صيِّبُهُ
سَحّاًin torrents علىَّupon me ولمand did not ألمحْglimpse ولمand did not أشمِwatch for lightning
سَحّاً علىَّ ولم ألمحْ ولم أشمِ
How splendid the cloud whose rain poured down
May Allah shower blessings on
in torrents upon me, though I neither glimpsed it nor watched its lightning.
A cloud whose rain has washed me
هَمىpoured ومُرًّand the bitterness of اِبائيmy defiance غيرُnot مُغتْصبٍwrested away
هَمى ومُرًّ اِبائي غيرُ مُغتْصبٍ
منيfrom me وأقعسand unbending عزِّيmy honor غيرُnot مُهتْضمِdiminished
مني وأقعس عزِّي غيرُ مُهتْضمِ
It poured, while my pride's bitter edge was not wrested
Though I saw naught and smelled naught
from me, and my unbending honor was not diminished.
He watered me while my father suffered drought unstolen from me
فَبِتُّso I spent the night أزْجيsending forth القوافيrhymes كلevery شاردةٍwandering verse
فَبِتُّ أزْجي القوافي كل شاردةٍ
غرّاءَradiant عالمَةٍversed بالشُّكْرِin gratitude للنِّعْمِfor blessings
غرّاءَ عالمَةٍ بالشُّكْرِ للنِّعْمِ
So I spent the night sending forth rhymes, each a wandering verse,
So I patch rhymes, each mismatched
radiant, versed in gratitude for blessings.
As thanks for blessings, a gleaming sign
وماand not الغمامthe cloud سوother than كفِّthe hand of ابْنa son of منْقبةٍnoble distinction
وما الغمام سو كفِّ ابْن منْقبةٍ
مُحسَّدٍmuch envied منfrom بنيthe sons of الجاوانِal-Jawan ذيpossessing هممlofty aims
مُحسَّدٍ من بني الجاوانِ ذي همم
And that cloud is none but the hand of a son of noble distinction,
That cloud was but the palm of Ibn Munqidh
much envied, of Banu al-Jawan, possessed of lofty aims:
A man of high ambitions, envied among the Jawan
مُهلهلُMuhalhil الخيرbounty والأيامُand the days قدindeed شهدتْhave borne witness
مُهلهلُ الخير والأيامُ قد شهدتْ
أنَّthat المهلهلal-Muhalhil حلفُthe sworn ally of البأسِvalor والكَرمand generosity
أنَّ المهلهل حلفُ البأسِ والكَرم
Muhalhil of bounty—and the days have borne witness
Hilal, goodness itself, and days have witnessed
that Muhalhil is the sworn ally of valor and generosity.
Hilal oathbound to valor and magnanimity
محطِّمُbreaker of السمرtawny spears يومon the day of الروعterror فيin مُقلٍeyes
محطِّمُ السمر يوم الروع في مُقلٍ
ومُغْمِدُand sheather of الهندIndian swords وانياتِweary فيin القِمِcrowns of heads (uncertain reading)
ومُغْمِدُ الهند وانياتِ في القِمِ
He shatters tawny spears in eyes on the day of terror,
Smasher of idols on the day of panic in weakness
and sheathes weary Indian swords in the crowns of heads.
Scabbard of India and softness in harshness
وقاتلُand slayer of المحلُdrought بالجدوىthrough bounty اذاwhen خمدتْdied down
وقاتلُ المحلُ بالجدوى اذا خمدتْ
نارُthe fire of القرىhospitality واضحلتand dwindled away نشأةthe arising of الدِّيمsteady rains
نارُ القرى واضحلت نشأة الدِّيم
And he slays drought with bounty whenever
Slayer of evils with glory when the fires
the fire of hospitality dies down and steady rains cease to arise.
Of home died down and life grew cold
يسقيwaters البلادthe lands اذاwhen اغبرَّتْturned dust-gray جوانبُهاtheir regions
يسقي البلاد اذا اغبرَّتْ جوانبُها
فيin الجدبdrought والحربand war صوْبَيْtwo downpours of نائلbounty ودمand blood
في الجدب والحرب صوْبَيْ نائل ودم
He waters the lands when their regions turn dust-gray,
Who irrigates the land when its edges
in drought and war, with twin downpours of bounty and blood.
Are dusty, in drought and war, a copious rain
ويُكْرمand he honors الضيفthe guest والجارand the neighbor المُقيمَdwelling بهwith him
ويُكْرم الضيف والجار المُقيمَ به
حتىso that يبيتاthey both spend the night منfrom الَّلأْواءِhardship فيin حَرَمِa sanctuary
حتى يبيتا من الَّلأْواءِ في حَرَمِ
He honors the guest and the neighbor dwelling with him,
Who hosts guest and neighbor staying with him
so that both spend the night in a sanctuary from hardship.
Till they rest secure from fear in a sanctuary
اذاwhen اسْتغاثاthey both seek help from ضياءDiya (radiance) الدينal-Din (the faith) جاءهُماhe comes to them both
اذا اسْتغاثا ضياء الدين جاءهُما
غَيْرانَprotectively zealous يمنعُwards off بأسthe ravages of الجوْرoppression والعدمand destitution
غَيْرانَ يمنعُ بأس الجوْر والعدم
When they seek Diya al-Din's help, he comes to them both,
If enlightened by faith they cry out, he comes to them
zealous in their defense, warding off the ravages of oppression and want.
A shelter, preventing injustice and destruction
لاnot يستبيحُtreats as lawful prey أسيراًa captive عندat نُصْرتهِhis victory
لا يستبيحُ أسيراً عند نُصْرتهِ
ولاnor يُقَحِّمُcharges فيin أعقابِthe wake of مُنهزمِone fleeing in defeat
ولا يُقَحِّمُ في أعقابِ مُنهزمِ
He does not make a captive lawful prey when victorious,
He takes no captive when victorious
nor charges on the heels of one fleeing in defeat.
Nor chases heads in the heels of fugitives
ولاnor يُصارمُbreaks with وِدّاًa dear friend غابَis absent جانبهُhis presence
ولا يُصارمُ وِدّاً غابَ جانبهُ
لكنهُbut he واصلٌmaintains ties للْخِلِّwith the friend والرَّحِمِand kin
لكنهُ واصلٌ للْخِلِّ والرَّحِمِ
Nor does he break with a dear friend who is absent,
Nor crosses swords with an absent ally
but maintains ties with friend and kin.
But befriends both near kin and far relation
حمىmay protect أباAbu (father of) الماجدِal-Majid الرحْمنُthe All-Merciful مالعبتْas long as it plays
حمى أبا الماجدِ الرحْمنُ مالعبتْ
ريحُthe wind الصَّباthe easterly breeze بفروعwith the branches of الضالwild lote trees والسَّلمand acacias
ريحُ الصَّبا بفروع الضال والسَّلم
May the All-Merciful protect Abu al-Majid as long as
The Merciful protected Abu al-Mujahid whom
the east wind plays with the branches of wild lote and acacia.
The morning breeze played with the boughs of the straying and peaceful myrtle
دُعاءa prayer ذيof one possessing شَغَفٍpassionate love بالماجدينَfor noble men ولاand no
دُعاء ذي شَغَفٍ بالماجدينَ ولا
كحُبِّهِlike his love لكريمِfor one noble in الأصْلِlineage والشِّيمِand character
كحُبِّهِ لكريمِ الأصْلِ والشِّيمِ
A prayer from one passionately devoted to noble men, yet no love
A yearning man's prayer for the magnificent ones but
equals his love for one noble in lineage and character.
No love of his like love of generous stock and trait.
Sol 6.1