كأنَّas though القَناthe spears والمَشْرفيَّةَand the Mashrafi swords بالضُّحىat forenoon
كأنَّ القَنا والمَشْرفيَّةَ بالضُّحى
لدىamid مأزقٍa battle's narrow press غابتvanished بصبحٍat dawn كواكبهْits stars
لدى مأزقٍ غابت بصبحٍ كواكبهْ
It is as though the spears and Mashrafi swords at forenoon,
The palace and al-Mashrafiyya at dawn
amid a battle's crush whose stars had faded at dawn,
Seem at an impasse where its stars have vanished
تُصَرِّفهاwield them أبطالُchampions وِتْرٍa blood feud تَرفَّعواthey rose above
تُصَرِّفها أبطالُ وِتْرٍ تَرفَّعوا
عنabove الشَّنقِlesser blood-money المرذولignoble والعارand shame صاحبهits companion
عن الشَّنقِ المرذول والعار صاحبه
wielded by warriors seeking vengeance, who rose above
Ruled by the heroes of a noble lineage
paltry, ignoble blood-money and the shame that attends it,
Who spurned the despised strangling and its disgraceful companion
أبَوْاthey refused غيرanything but ضربٍblows فيto المفارقthe crowns of heads أرْعلِgashing
أبَوْا غير ضربٍ في المفارق أرْعلِ
وطعنٍand thrusts كولْغlike the lapping of الذئبthe wolf تدمىgrow bloodied ثعالبهْits spear-shaft tips
وطعنٍ كولْغ الذئب تدمى ثعالبهْ
accepting only gashing blows to the crowns of heads
They refused anything but a fatal blow in the battlefields
and thrusts like a wolf's lapping, their shaft-tips bloodied,
And a stab like a wolf’s fang that bloodies foxes
سُطاthe onslaughts of شرفSharaf (honor) الدينal-Din (of the faith) الوزيرthe vizier وعزمهُand his resolve
سُطا شرف الدين الوزير وعزمهُ
علىagainst الأمرthe task أعْياbaffled القادرينthe able مطالبُهْits demands
على الأمر أعْيا القادرين مطالبُهْ
were the onslaughts of Sharaf al-Din the vizier, and his resolve
Suta's honor and determination
against a task whose demands had baffled the able.
Against the matter made the capable weary of its demands
همامٌa man of mettle كنصلlike the blade of السيفthe sword ندبٌeager إِلىfor العلىthe heights
همامٌ كنصل السيف ندبٌ إِلى العلى
جزيلٌabundant أياديهِhis benefactions كثيرٌnumerous مَناقبهْhis virtues
جزيلٌ أياديهِ كثيرٌ مَناقبهْ
A man of mettle, like a sword's blade, eager for the heights,
Aspirations like the sharp edge of a sword, a call to the heights
abundant are his favors, and many his virtues.
Abundant are his hands and numerous his virtues
اذاwhen شطَّlies far away مأمولٌa hoped-for goal منof المجدglory والعُلىand eminence
اذا شطَّ مأمولٌ من المجد والعُلى
حوتْهُsecure it لهfor him أقلامهُhis pens وقواضِبهْand his keen swords
حوتْهُ له أقلامهُ وقواضِبهْ
When a hoped-for prize of glory and eminence lies far away,
Whenever hopes of glory and sublimity brewed
his pens and his keen swords secure it for him.
His pens and arrows contained them for him
فماضٍthus one is keen-edged وهاماتُand the heads of الرجالِthe men غُمودُهits sheaths
فماضٍ وهاماتُ الرجالِ غُمودُه
وجارٍand one runs وساحاتِand the expanses of الطُّروسِthe parchment sheets مذاهبهits paths
وجارٍ وساحاتِ الطُّروسِ مذاهبه
Thus one is keen-edged, with men's heads for its sheaths,
Progressing while the zeal of men are his pillars
and the other runs, with parchment's expanses for its paths.
Ongoing while the plains of steeds are his paths
تبارىvie اليهِtoward him عندin سَلْمٍpeace ومَعْركٍand battle
تبارى اليهِ عند سَلْمٍ ومَعْركٍ
حميديْنِboth praiseworthy منهfrom him كُتبهُhis writings وكَتائبهْand his battalions
حميديْنِ منه كُتبهُ وكَتائبهْ
Toward him they vie, in peace and battle:
Racing to him in peace and battle
his writings and his battalions, both praiseworthy and sent forth by him.
Are his praiseworthy books and battalions
اذاwhen بخلis stingy الجونthe dark cloud المُسفُّlow-hanging بودقْهِwith its rain
اذا بخل الجون المُسفُّ بودقْهِ
علىtoward مُسْنتٍa famine-stricken man أغنتهُmake him independent عنهof it رغائبهْhis lavish gifts
على مُسْنتٍ أغنتهُ عنه رغائبهْ
When the dark, low-hanging cloud withholds its rain
When the clouds' rain is stingy with its pouring
from a famine-stricken man, his lavish gifts leave him no need of it.
His good qualities make him needless of wishes
طليقُcheerful المُحيَّاof countenance يسبقprecedes البشرthe smile جودهhis generosity
طليقُ المُحيَّا يسبق البشر جوده
وتتبعُand follow حُسْنَthe graciousness of الاِعتذارِthe apology مواهبهhis gifts
وتتبعُ حُسْنَ الاِعتذارِ مواهبه
His countenance is open; his generosity precedes his smile,
Unbound in gallantry, his generosity outpaces mankind
and his gifts follow his gracious apology.
And his excellent apologies are rewarded
كأَنَّas though نديَّthe assembly of الحيthe clan عندduring حديثهِhis speech
كأَنَّ نديَّ الحي عند حديثهِ
مُعرَّسُthe resting-place of داريٍّa Dari perfumer تُفضُّare opened حقائبُهْhis packs
مُعرَّسُ داريٍّ تُفضُّ حقائبُهْ
It is as though the clan's assembly, when he speaks,
As if the Zephyr's delight in his talk
were a Dari perfumer's resting-place, with his packs opened.
Were a Dar'i voice revealing its burdens
فلاso no ناشِقٌone inhaling the scent اِلاexcept جَوادٌa generous man وباسِلٌand a brave man
فلا ناشِقٌ اِلا جَوادٌ وباسِلٌ
تَهزُّهُماstir them both أخلاقهُhis character ومذاهبهْand his ways
تَهزُّهُما أخلاقهُ ومذاهبهْ
So none breathes in the scent but a generous man and a brave one,
No stubborn but magnanimous and valiant
both stirred by his character and his ways.
In morals and paths shaken by him
فتىًa young man طابَwas noble ميلاداًin birth وطابَand was noble غريزةًby nature
فتىً طابَ ميلاداً وطابَ غريزةً
وطابتand were noble مساعيهhis endeavors وطابتْand were noble مكاسبهْhis gains
وطابت مساعيه وطابتْ مكاسبهْ
A young man of noble birth and noble nature,
A lad of blessed birth and nature
and noble are his endeavors, and noble are his gains.
And blessed are his endeavors and gains
فجاءso he came كغمرِlike a deep expanse of الماءwater يُرْديfells مُزحماًone forcing his way in
فجاء كغمرِ الماء يُرْدي مُزحماً
ويُسْبحُand buoys عوَّاماًa skilled swimmer ويلْتذُّand takes delight شاربهits drinker
ويُسْبحُ عوَّاماً ويلْتذُّ شاربه
So he came like deep water, felling whoever forces his way in,
So he came like pouring rain, crowding
and buoying a skilled swimmer, while its drinker delights in it.
Swimming playfully, enjoying its drinker
يُجاهرُacts openly بالضربwith blows العنيفِfierce بَسالةًwith valor
يُجاهرُ بالضرب العنيفِ بَسالةً
ويكْبُرُand is too great قدراًin stature أنْfor تدبَّto creep عقاربُهْhis scorpions
ويكْبُرُ قدراً أنْ تدبَّ عقاربُهْ
He openly strikes fierce blows with valor,
Boasting courageously of fierce blows
and is too great in stature for his scorpions to creep.
And excelling, though time creeps slowly
أَبوAbu (father of) جعفرٍJaʿfar غرسthe scion of الخلافةthe caliphate مصطفىthe chosen one of الاthe imamate (opening fragment)
أَبو جعفرٍ غرس الخلافة مصطفى الا
ِمامةِimamate (continuing fragment) هاديthe head of كلevery مجدٍglory وغاربُهْand its crest
ِمامةِ هادي كل مجدٍ وغاربُهْ
Abu Jaʿfar, the caliphate's scion, the chosen one of the
Abu Ja'far has planted the caliphate, Mustafa
imamate, the head of every glory and its crest.
The guiding Imam of all glory and its horizons
أباحَdispelled ظلامَthe darkness of الليلِnight والحَظِّand fortune جودُهhis generosity
أباحَ ظلامَ الليلِ والحَظِّ جودُه
ونورُand the light of مُحيّاهُhis countenance فزالتْso vanished غَياهبُهْits deep shadows
ونورُ مُحيّاهُ فزالتْ غَياهبُهْ
The darkness of night and fortune was dispelled by his generosity
His generosity permitted the darkness of night and fortune
and the light of his face; so its deep shadows vanished.
And the light of his existence banished its ambiguities
Sol 6.1