تُقِرُّattest بأسْرارِto the secrets of التُّقىpiety خَلَواتُهُhis private hours
تُقِرُّ بأسْرارِ التُّقى خَلَواتُهُ
وتَشْهَدُand bear witness بالخيْرِto goodness العَميمِall-embracing مَجامِعُهْhis gatherings
وتَشْهَدُ بالخيْرِ العَميمِ مَجامِعُهْ
His private hours attest to the secrets of piety,
And his gatherings bear witness to all-embracing goodness.
ويَرْهَبُهُand fear him الواشُونَthe tale-bearers حتىso much that كأنَّماas though
ويَرْهَبُهُ الواشُونَ حتى كأنَّما
مَغيبُthe hidden affairs of سِواهُanyone besides him غَيْبُهُhis own hidden affairs فهوso he is وازِعُهْhis restrainer
مَغيبُ سِواهُ غَيْبُهُ فهو وازِعُهْ
And tale-bearers fear him so much that it is as though
Others' secrets were his own, and he kept them in check.
يُصيخُhe listens attentively ويُرْعيand lends الخَيرَgoodness مَسْمَعthe ear of راغِبٍan eager listener
يُصيخُ ويُرْعي الخَيرَ مَسْمَع راغِبٍ
وتَنْبُوand recoil عنِfrom الفُحْشِfoul speech المُلِمِّthat intrudes مَسامِعُهْhis ears
وتَنْبُو عنِ الفُحْشِ المُلِمِّ مَسامِعُهْ
He listens and lends goodness an eager listener's ear,
And his ears recoil from intrusive foul speech.
ويلْقىand he meets الخُطوبَcalamities المُكْفَهِرَّاتِscowling باسِماًsmiling
ويلْقى الخُطوبَ المُكْفَهِرَّاتِ باسِماً
إذاwhen البعضُsome people فاضَتْoverflow للخُطوبat calamities مَدامِعُهْhis tear ducts
إذا البعضُ فاضَتْ للخُطوب مَدامِعُهْ
And he meets scowling calamities with a smile,
When others' eyes overflow with tears at calamities.
وتُغْنيand suffice عنِin place of البيضِgleaming الظُّبىsword-blades عَزَماتُهُhis firm resolves
وتُغْني عنِ البيضِ الظُّبى عَزَماتُهُ
إذاwhen الرَّوْعُterror كَلَّتْgrow blunt سُمْرُهُhis brown spears وقَواطِعُهْand his sharp swords
إذا الرَّوْعُ كَلَّتْ سُمْرُهُ وقَواطِعُهْ
And his firm resolves make gleaming sword-blades needless,
When, amid terror, his brown spears and keen blades grow dull.
وزيرٌa vizier إذاwhen كُرَّتْare repeated أحاديثُthe tales of مَجْدِهِhis glory
وزيرٌ إذا كُرَّتْ أحاديثُ مَجْدِهِ
تَفاوَحَgrew fragrant لُوحُthe expanse of الجَوِّthe air واسْتَنَّand raced forth رادِعُهْhis restrainer
تَفاوَحَ لُوحُ الجَوِّ واسْتَنَّ رادِعُهْ
A vizier—when tales of his glory are retold,
The air's expanse grows fragrant, and his restrainer races forth.
يَعِزُّgains honor ويُثْريand grows rich جارُهُhis neighbor وضُيوفهُand his guests
يَعِزُّ ويُثْري جارُهُ وضُيوفهُ
ويَرْدىand perishes ويَخْزىand is disgraced خَصْمُهُhis foe ومُقارِعُهْand his challenger
ويَرْدى ويَخْزى خَصْمُهُ ومُقارِعُهْ
His neighbor and his guests gain honor and riches,
And his foe and challenger perish and are disgraced.
حَوىhas gathered شَرفُSharaf الدينِal-Din لافَخارَglories فلمْso did not يَنَلْattain
حَوى شَرفُ الدينِ لافَخارَ فلمْ يَنَلْ
بنوthe sons of المَجْدِglory أدْنىthe least of ماwhat غَداhe has become وهوwhile he is فارِعُهْtowering above it
بنو المَجْدِ أدْنى ما غَدا وهو فارِعُهْ
Sharaf al-Din has gathered glories; never have
The sons of glory attained the least of what he has come to surpass.
أبوAbu جعفرٍJa'far غَرْسa sapling of الخِلافَةِthe caliphate والذيand the one whose
أبو جعفرٍ غَرْس الخِلافَةِ والذي
تُخافُare feared عَواديهِhis onslaughts وتُرْجىand are hoped for صَنائعُهْhis favors
تُخافُ عَواديهِ وتُرْجى صَنائعُهْ
Abu Ja'far, the caliphate's sapling, and he whose
Onslaughts are feared and whose favors are hoped for.
فلاso may not زالَcease عُمْرَthroughout the lifetime of الدهْرِtime يُرجىbe looked to with hope ويُتَّقىand be feared
فلا زالَ عُمْرَ الدهْرِ يُرجى ويُتَّقى
يُهانُbe humiliated مُعاصيهِwhoever defies him ويُكْرَمُand be honored طائعُهْwhoever obeys him
يُهانُ مُعاصيهِ ويُكْرَمُ طائعُهْ
So may he forever remain a source of hope and fear,
May those who defy him be humiliated, and those who obey him honored.
Sol 6.1