لرواةِfor the reciters شعريof my poetry منfrom مدائحهِpraises of him
لرواةِ شعري من مدائحهِ
فيin كُلِّevery غُدْوةِmorning جُمعةٍof a Friday زَجَلُa clamor
في كُلِّ غُدْوةِ جُمعةٍ زَجَلُ
The reciters of my verse in praise of him
For the reciters of my poetry from among my eulogists
Raise a clamor every Friday morning,
Every Friday morning there is a tumult
كضجيجِlike the din أصواتِof voices الحَجيجِof the pilgrims إذاwhen
كضجيجِ أصواتِ الحَجيجِ إذا
ذَهَبَhas departed النَّهارthe day وحانَتand have arrived الأُصُلُthe evening hours
ذَهَبَ النَّهار وحانَت الأُصُلُ
Like the din of pilgrims’ voices when
Like the clamor of pilgrim voices when
Day departs and the evening hours arrive.
The day passes and nightfall arrives
بمحابِرٍwith inkwells تَسْقيgive drink to مَزابِرَهاtheir reed pens
بمحابِرٍ تَسْقي مَزابِرَها
فسِدامُهاso their ink-wadding منْfrom مَتْحِهاtheir drawing of ink غَلَلُparching thirst
فسِدامُها منْ مَتْحِها غَلَلُ
With inkwells that give their pens to drink,
With eloquence that waters its springs
Their ink-wadding thirsts from all the drawing.
So its continual flow is everlasting
فإذاso when وعَوْاthey grasp ماwhat صُغْتُI fashioned منof حِكَمٍwise sayings
فإذا وعَوْا ما صُغْتُ من حِكَمٍ
فَضُلَgains distinction الجَهولُthe ignorant وأذْعَنand submits الفضلthe learned
فَضُلَ الجَهولُ وأذْعَن الفضل
When they grasp the wise sayings I have fashioned,
When they understand what wisdom I have imparted
The ignorant gain distinction, and the learned yield.
The ignorant submit and the virtuous acquiesce
ركبَتْthey mounted أموناًa trusty mount ذاتَhaving أربعةٍfour
ركبَتْ أموناً ذاتَ أربعةٍ
لاnot الوَخْدswift pacing شيمتهاher customary way ولاnor الرَّمَلُtrotting
لا الوَخْد شيمتها ولا الرَّمَلُ
They ride a trusty, four-cornered mount,
It rides the high seas on four legs
Whose way is neither swift pacing nor trotting.
Neither soft nor sandy is its gait
هوْجاءَheadlong تَثْنيleaves الغُدْرَthe pools ناضِبَةًdrained
هوْجاءَ تَثْني الغُدْرَ ناضِبَةً
يَبَساًbone-dry ولاand no عَلٌّsecond draught ولاnor نَهَلُfirst draught
يَبَساً ولا عَلٌّ ولا نَهَلُ
Headlong, she leaves the pools drained,
Parching the waterless desert, neither
Bone-dry, though she takes neither second draught nor first.
Grassy nor verdant its abode
تُهْديshe conveys إلىto الأسْماعِthe ears ماwhat حَمَلتْshe has carried
تُهْدي إلى الأسْماعِ ما حَمَلتْ
فتنالُهُso they attain it بالحيلَةِthrough artifice المُقَلُthe eyes
فتنالُهُ بالحيلَةِ المُقَلُ
She conveys to ears what she has carried,
It carries to hearing that which it bears
And eyes attain it through artifice.
Reaching them through guile ever gentle
تُهديshe brings مديحَpraise of مُهَذَّبٍa refined man نَدُسٍdiscerning
تُهدي مديحَ مُهَذَّبٍ نَدُسٍ
الْبَحْرُthe sea فيin ثَوْبَيْهِhis two robes والجَبَلُand the mountain
الْبَحْرُ في ثَوْبَيْهِ والجَبَلُ
She brings praise of a refined, discerning man:
Bearing polished, subtle eulogy
The sea and mountain dwell within his two robes.
The sea in its raiment, the mountain in its mantle
تَخْشىfear صَوارِمَهُhis keen swords بلَيْلَتِهduring his night
تَخْشى صَوارِمَهُ بلَيْلَتِه
وصَباحِهِand his morning الأعْداءُthe enemies والإِبِلُand the camels
وصَباحِهِ الأعْداءُ والإِبِلُ
His keen swords are feared at night
By night and morn, enemies and camels
And in the morning by enemies and camels.
Fear its swords
فتظلُّso they remain إنْif سُلَّتْthey are unsheathed علىin حَذَرٍwariness
فتظلُّ إنْ سُلَّتْ على حَذَرٍ
ألْجَسْرَةُthe sturdy she-camel الوَجْناءُbroad-cheeked والبَطَلُand the hero
ألْجَسْرَةُ الوَجْناءُ والبَطَلُ
So, if the swords are drawn, both remain wary:
Remaining vigilant if drawn
The sturdy, broad-cheeked she-camel and the hero,
The mighty warriors and the brave
فَزعَيْنِboth frightened أمْنُهماthe safety of both إذاwhen غُمِدَتْthey are sheathed
فَزعَيْنِ أمْنُهما إذا غُمِدَتْ
يوماًfor a day وحالَand interpose الجَفْنُthe scabbard والخِلَلُand the coverings
يوماً وحالَ الجَفْنُ والخِلَلُ
Both frightened; their safety comes when the blades are sheathed
The two blades—when sheathed their safety
For a day, with scabbard and coverings interposed.
By day the eyelid closes and the scabbard rests
يَمٌّan ocean منof المعروفِkindness ذوpossessing لُجَجٍdeep waters
يَمٌّ من المعروفِ ذو لُجَجٍ
لاnot ناضِبٌdwindling ثَمِدٌa scant pool ولاnor وَشَلُa trickle
لا ناضِبٌ ثَمِدٌ ولا وَشَلُ
An ocean of kindness, possessed of deep waters,
A rain of bounty, copious, not run dry
Not a dwindling, scant pool, nor a trickle.
Nor stale nor stagnant its downpour
لوif حَلَّhe settled قَيْظاًin midsummer عندat مُقْفِرَةٍa barren tract
لو حَلَّ قَيْظاً عند مُقْفِرَةٍ
لزَهاwould surely flourish بهاin it الحَوْذانُbuttercups والنَّفَلُand clover
لزَها بها الحَوْذانُ والنَّفَلُ
Were he to settle in a wasteland in midsummer,
If it rained at a desolate place
Buttercups and clover would flourish there.
It would clothe it in greens and blessings
شاكيfully equipped with السِّلاحِweapons علىdespite تَفَضُّلِهِhis light clothing
شاكي السِّلاحِ على تَفَضُّلِهِ
يخشىfears سُطاهُhis onslaught الجَحْفلُthe great army الزَّجِلclamorous
يخشى سُطاهُ الجَحْفلُ الزَّجِل
Fully armed though lightly clad,
Complaining of the generosity of his weapons
The clamorous host fears his onslaught.
Fearing his domination the ignoble coward
منfrom رأيهhis judgment ورَويِّand the mature reflection خاطِرِهِof his mind
من رأيه ورَويِّ خاطِرِهِ
بيضُgleaming الصَّوارمِkeen swords والقَناand lances الذُّبُلُslender
بيضُ الصَّوارمِ والقَنا الذُّبُلُ
From his judgment and his mind’s deliberation come
By his view and the inspiration of his thoughts
Gleaming, keen-edged swords and slender lances.
The blades are white, the spears faded
وعليهand upon him منfrom تَقْواهُhis piety سابِغَةٌa full-length mail coat
وعليه من تَقْواهُ سابِغَةٌ
حَصْداءُtightly linked ماnot فيin سَرْدِهاits chainwork خَلَلُa gap
حَصْداءُ ما في سَرْدِها خَلَلُ
And he wears full-length mail made from his piety,
Clothing him in the perfection of his piety
Tightly linked, with no gap in its chainwork.
A breastplate without gaps its armor
تنْبوrebound سِهامُthe arrows الخطْبِof calamity طائشَةًflying astray
تنْبو سِهامُ الخطْبِ طائشَةً
عنهاfrom it إذاwhen ماever (emphatic) صَرَّحَbecomes manifest الجَلَلُgreat disaster
عنها إذا ما صَرَّحَ الجَلَلُ
Calamity’s arrows glance off, flying astray,
Deflecting the stray arrows of calamitous news
From it, when great disaster stands revealed.
Whenever disasters are proclaimed
تاجُthe crown الملوكِof kings فتىthe gallant youth النَّوالِof bounty إذاwhen
تاجُ الملوكِ فتى النَّوالِ إذا
هَرَّsnarls الشتاءُwinter وأخْلَفَand fails السَّبَلُthe rain
هَرَّ الشتاءُ وأخْلَفَ السَّبَلُ
The crown of kings, the gallant giver when
The crown of kings is the youth of generosity
Winter snarls and the rains fail.
When winter departs and paths are cut off
خِرْقٌa magnanimous man إذاwhen لَجَّتْpersist عَواذلُهhis reprovers
خِرْقٌ إذا لَجَّتْ عَواذلُه
بالجودِover generosity لَجَّpersists الجودُgenerosity والنِّحَلُand gifts
بالجودِ لَجَّ الجودُ والنِّحَلُ
A generous soul: when his reprovers persist
A rend that when its calamities pour down
In chiding bounty, bounty and gifts persist.
Generosity pours forth and bees pour down
يمْرونَthey milk أخْلافَthe teats النَّوالِof bounty لهُfor him
يمْرونَ أخْلافَ النَّوالِ لهُ
فكأنَّهُمْso it is as though they أغْرَواurged him on وماand did not عَذلَواreproach
فكأنَّهُمْ أغْرَوا وما عَذلَوا
They milk bounty’s teats for him,
They pass down the legacy of his generosity
As though they urged him on, not reproached him.
As if they neither lacked nor fell short
لاmay ... never زالَhe cease to be شمسa sun عُلاًof glory مُشَرِّقَةًshining
لا زالَ شمس عُلاً مُشَرِّقَةً
لاnot يعْتَريovertakes أضْواءَهاits lights الطَّفَلُdusk
لا يعْتَري أضْواءَها الطَّفَلُ
May he remain a radiant sun of glory,
The sun of his high station never ceases shining
Whose light is never overtaken by dusk.
Its brilliance untouched by decline
Sol 6.1