لاnot تعجبmarvel الناسُthe people منat كرِّيmy repeating مدائحَهhis praises
لا تعجب الناسُ من كرِّي مدائحَه
فليسfor it is not ذلكthat منيfrom me موضِعَa cause العَجبِwonder
فليس ذلك مني موضِعَ العَجبِ
Let people not marvel at my repeating his praises,
People should not be surprised at my abundant praise for him,
For that, coming from me, is no cause for wonder.
For that is not strange coming from me.
أوصافُهhis qualities علَّمتْنيtaught me كلَّevery مُعْجِزةٍmiraculous feat
أوصافُه علَّمتْني كلَّ مُعْجِزةٍ
منamong الغرائبmarvels لاnot التَّجويدُmastery فيin الأدبِliterature
من الغرائب لا التَّجويدُ في الأدبِ
His qualities taught me every wondrous feat
His virtues have taught me every miracle,
Among marvels; mastery of literature did not.
Of wonders, not excellence in literature.
وأينand where مِثْلُthe equal عليٍّAli فيin مفاخِرهِhis glories
وأين مِثْلُ عليٍّ في مفاخِرهِ
اذاwhen تنازعتِcontended السَّاداتُthe lords فيover الرُّتبِranks
اذا تنازعتِ السَّاداتُ في الرُّتبِ
And where is Ali's equal in his glories,
And who is like Ali in his glories
When lords contend for rank?
When the nobles compete in rank?
لهhe has عليهمover them اذاwhen رامواthey sought مُماثَلَةًparity
له عليهم اذا راموا مُماثَلَةً
الفضلُsuperiority فيin السعيendeavor والتفضيلُand preeminence فيin النسبlineage
الفضلُ في السعي والتفضيلُ في النسب
When they seek to match him, he has over them
He has superiority over them if they seek to equal him,
Superiority in endeavor and preeminence in lineage.
In striving and in noble lineage.
الوجهُthe face كالبدرِlike the full moon لاnot زوراًfalsehood ولاand not مَلَقاًflattery
الوجهُ كالبدرِ لا زوراً ولا مَلَقاً
والحلمand forbearance كالطَّودlike a mountain والكفَّانand both hands كالسحبlike clouds
والحلم كالطَّود والكفَّان كالسحب
His face is like the full moon—no lie or flattery—
His face is like the full moon, neither false nor made up,
And his forbearance is like a mountain, and his two hands like clouds.
And his forbearance like a mountain, his palms like clouds.
اُبعدْتُI was kept away بالفضلbecause of merit عمَّنfrom those قبلهbefore him سَفَهاًout of folly
اُبعدْتُ بالفضل عمَّن قبله سَفَهاً
وبتُّand I became بالفضلthrough merit منهto him أيَّso very مُقْتربِclose
وبتُّ بالفضل منه أيَّ مُقْتربِ
For my merit, I was kept far from those before him, out of folly,
I have been distanced by merit from those before him in ignorance,
Yet through merit I became so very close to him.
And I have come close by merit to him, whichever way I turn.
والفضلand merit كالصُّبحlike dawn يهديguides منwhoever لهhe has نظرٌsight
والفضل كالصُّبح يهدي من له نظرٌ
ولاand not يصيرُcomes بهby it الأعمىthe blind man إِلىto أرَبِa goal
ولا يصيرُ به الأعمى إِلى أرَبِ
And merit, like dawn, guides whoever has sight,
And merit is like the dawn, guiding those who can see,
But by it the blind man does not reach his goal.
Yet the blind cannot come any closer to it.
Sol 6.1