إذاif ماemphatic particle سَنىradiance ملقاكُمof meeting you فاتَeludes ناظِريmy gaze
إذا ما سَنى ملقاكُم فاتَ ناظِري
وفاتَand eludes لِسانيmy tongue قُرْبَةٌcloseness وسَلامُand a greeting
وفاتَ لِساني قُرْبَةٌ وسَلامُ
If the radiance of meeting you eludes my gaze,
If your meeting me happens to elude my eyes,
and words of affection and greeting elude my tongue,
My tongue will falter in greeting and peace.
فأنْعمُthen the most blissful عيْشيof my life عندat ذلكthat شِقْوَةٌmisery
فأنْعمُ عيْشي عند ذلك شِقْوَةٌ
وأوْضحُand the brightest صُبحيof my morning ليلةٌa night وظَلامُand darkness
وأوْضحُ صُبحي ليلةٌ وظَلامُ
then, at that moment, my life's greatest bliss is misery,
My life will become wretched with misery,
and my brightest morning is night and darkness.
My radiant dawn be night and gloominess.
فلاso may no نزحتْgrow distant دارٌabode بفارسِwith the knight خِندفٍof Khindif
فلا نزحتْ دارٌ بفارسِ خِندفٍ
وطابَand may be pleasant بهthrough him حيثwherever اسْتَقرَّhe settles مَقامُa dwelling
وطابَ به حيث اسْتَقرَّ مَقامُ
So may no abode carry Khindif's knight far away,
No home moved without the knight of Khindif,
and may the place where he settles be pleasant through him.
Who blessed it wherever he settled down.
فتىًa young man هوhe للمُقْويfor the destitute منof المالِwealth ثروةٌa fortune
فتىً هو للمُقْوي من المالِ ثروةٌ
وللخائفِand for the fearful الجانيwrongdoer حِمىًa refuge وعِصامُand a safeguard
وللخائفِ الجاني حِمىً وعِصامُ
A young man, a fortune to one bereft of wealth,
To the oppressed he's wealth from his riches,
and to the fearful wrongdoer, a refuge and a safeguard.
To the frightened fugitive, refuge and guard.
وعندand when انتضاءunsheathing العزمresolve هوْجاءُa raging gale زعْزعٌtempestuous
وعند انتضاء العزم هوْجاءُ زعْزعٌ
وفيand in الصَّبْرpatience منهfrom him يَذْبُلٌYadhbul (a mountain) وشَمامُand Shamam (a mountain)
وفي الصَّبْر منه يَذْبُلٌ وشَمامُ
And when resolve is unsheathed, he is a raging, tempestuous gale,
When resolve is stirred he is tumultuous,
and in his patience he is Yadhbul and Shamam.
In patience with him are fading and allure.
هَنيءُpleasant النَّدىbounty لاnot يُمترىcoaxed forth بوسيلةٍthrough intercession
هَنيءُ النَّدى لا يُمترى بوسيلةٍ
ولاand no يحْبِسُholds back المعروفَkindness منهُfrom him كلامُwords
ولا يحْبِسُ المعروفَ منهُ كلامُ
His bounty is sweet, needing no intercession to draw it forth,
Generous with the dew he brooks no bargaining,
and no words hold back his kindness.
Nor does his speech good deeds ever confine.
ولاnor يُتْبعُdoes he follow الوَفْرbounty الجزيلَlavish بمنَّةٍwith a reminder of favor
ولا يُتْبعُ الوَفْر الجزيلَ بمنَّةٍ
إذاwhen مَنَّboast of favors بالوَفْرِof bounty الزَّهيدِmeager فِئامُmultitudes
إذا مَنَّ بالوَفْرِ الزَّهيدِ فِئامُ
Nor does he follow lavish bounty with reminders of his favor,
No favor follows his ample generosity,
when multitudes boast of their meager gifts.
If with sparse kindness commoners he obliges.
ولاnor تنْقُضunravel الأيامُthe days مبرمَfirmly bound عَهدهِhis pledge
ولا تنْقُض الأيامُ مبرمَ عَهدهِ
إذاwhen خانَbetrays وافٍa faithful man واسْتُبيحَand is violated ذِمامُa pledge of protection
إذا خانَ وافٍ واسْتُبيحَ ذِمامُ
Nor do the days unravel his firmly bound pledge,
No days violate his solemn covenant,
when a faithful man betrays and pledged protection is violated.
If a loyal friend is betrayed and protection violated.
ولاnor لهَواهُfor his passion بالمَناقِبِfor noble deeds سَلْوَةٌforgetting
ولا لهَواهُ بالمَناقِبِ سَلْوَةٌ
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle انْقَضىhas ended وجْدٌardent longing ومَرَّand has passed مَرامُan aim
إذا ما انْقَضى وجْدٌ ومَرَّ مَرامُ
Nor does his love of noble deeds ever fade,
His passion bears no frivolity for merits
when passion is spent and an ambition has passed.
When fervor expires and purpose is realized.
وأوْحَدُand peerless مجْدٍin glory لاnot يُثَنَّىmatched by a second بمثلهِby his like
وأوْحَدُ مجْدٍ لا يُثَنَّى بمثلهِ
ولكنَّهُbut he تحتbeneath العَجاجِthe dust cloud لُهامُa mighty army
ولكنَّهُ تحت العَجاجِ لُهامُ
And peerless in glory, he has no second like him,
Peerless glorious fame none can match it,
yet beneath the battle dust he is a mighty army.
But under oppression it's a roaring lion.
وزيرٌa vizier يفرُّflees المحْلُdrought عنfrom جوِّthe air أرضهof his land
وزيرٌ يفرُّ المحْلُ عن جوِّ أرضه
كأنَّas though بَنانَthe fingertips الخِنْدفِيِّof the Khindifi غَمامُrainclouds
كأنَّ بَنانَ الخِنْدفِيِّ غَمامُ
A vizier—drought flees the air above his land,
Minister who space flees his land's climate,
as though the Khindifi's fingertips were rainclouds.
As if Khindifi's edifices were clouds.
أبوfather of جعفرٍJa'far غرسُthe sapling الخِلافةof the caliphate والذيand the one who
أبو جعفرٍ غرسُ الخِلافة والذي
حَوىattained المجدَglory والعَلْياءَand eminence وهوwhile he was غُلامa boy
حَوى المجدَ والعَلْياءَ وهو غُلام
Abu Ja'far, the caliphate's sapling, and the one who
Abu Ja'far, the caliphate's scion but still
attained glory and eminence while still a boy.
The abode of glory and loftiness as a lad.
زهيدُsparing of الكرىsleep نائيfar-off الصباحdawn لحفظto guard منthose who
زهيدُ الكرى نائي الصباح لحفظ من
هُمُthey منْthrough حِماهُhis protection آمِنونَsafe نِيامُasleep
هُمُ منْ حِماهُ آمِنونَ نِيامُ
Sparing of sleep, his dawn far off, he guards those
Caring little for worldly things, remote from youth,
who, through his protection, are safe and asleep.
To protect those whom his defense made tranquil sleepers.
Sol 6.1