تتيهُexult بهin him الأيامُthe days فخراًwith pride وغِبْطةًand gladness
تتيهُ به الأيامُ فخراً وغِبْطةً
وتأرَجُand grow fragrant إذwhen تُتْلىare recited عُلاهُhis glories المَواسِمُthe festivals
وتأرَجُ إذ تُتْلى عُلاهُ المَواسِمُ
The days exult in him with pride and gladness,
The days take pride and joy in him,
And festivals grow fragrant when his glories are recited.
And bloom when his sublime qualities are recited.
وتحسُدهُand envy him الأنواءُthe rain-bringing stars وهيwhile they are مخيلَةٌpromising rain
وتحسُدهُ الأنواءُ وهي مخيلَةٌ
إذاwhen ماever (emphasis) هَمىpours down معْروفُهُhis kindness والمَكارِمُand noble deeds
إذا ما هَمى معْروفُهُ والمَكارِمُ
And the rain-bringing stars envy him as they promise rain,
The stars envy him in their imaginations,
Whenever his kindness and noble deeds pour down.
When his virtues and nobilities become apparent.
ويخجلُand is abashed نورُthe light البدرof the full moon منbefore قسماتهِhis features
ويخجلُ نورُ البدر من قسماتهِ
وباهِرُand the dazzling ضوءِlight of الشمسthe sun إذwhen هوhe باسِمsmiling
وباهِرُ ضوءِ الشمس إذ هو باسِم
The full moon's light is abashed before his features,
The light of the full moon is ashamed before his beauty,
And so is the sun's dazzling light when he smiles.
And the brilliant rays of the sun are dimmed when he smiles.
مريرُfirmly knit القوىin strength لاdoes not يدرأrepel العزمُresolve حزمهhis prudence
مريرُ القوى لا يدرأ العزمُ حزمه
ولكنand yet هُمامٌa valiant man حازمُjudicious الرَّأيin judgment عازِمresolute
ولكن هُمامٌ حازمُ الرَّأي عازِم
Firm in strength, his resolve does not override his prudence;
Bitter are the souls, determination cannot stop his resolute purpose,
But he is valiant, sound of judgment and resolute.
Rather he is one with strong opinion and determined in resolve.
فتىthe young champion الحَيِّof the tribe أمَّاas for كَفُّهُhis hand فغَمامَةٌthen a cloud
فتى الحَيِّ أمَّا كَفُّهُ فغَمامَةٌ
دَلوحٌheavy with rain وأماand as for بأسُهُhis might فهوthen it is صارِمُa keen sword
دَلوحٌ وأما بأسُهُ فهو صارِمُ
The tribe's young champion—as for his hand, it is a cloud,
The young man of the tribe, his palm is like a rain-cloud,
Heavy with rain; as for his might, it is a keen sword.
His sword gleams, and his might is sharp.
يزيدُhe grows باجْلابwith the onslaught of الخطوبcalamities بسالةًin valor
يزيدُ باجْلاب الخطوب بسالةً
ويَرْحُبand grows broader حلْماًin forbearance إذْwhen تجُلُّgrow grave الجرائمoffenses
ويَرْحُب حلْماً إذْ تجُلُّ الجرائم
He grows in valor as calamities assault him,
He increases in courage when facing calamities,
And his forbearance broadens as offenses grow grave.
And shows clemency when serious crimes appear.
إذاwhen أمْكنتهُgives him an opening غِرَّةٌan unguarded moment منْfrom عَدوِّهِhis enemy
إذا أمْكنتهُ غِرَّةٌ منْ عَدوِّهِ
غَدتْbecome موبقاتُdeadly blows الحتفof death وهيwhile they are مراحمmercies
غَدتْ موبقاتُ الحتف وهي مراحم
When his enemy's heedlessness gives him an opening,
If his enemy deceives him,
Death's deadly blows turn into acts of mercy.
Destruction turns into kindness.
ولَوعٌpassionately devoted بذكرِto remembering اللّهِGod فيin خَلَواتِهِhis solitude
ولَوعٌ بذكرِ اللّهِ في خَلَواتِهِ
وفيand in الجهرpublic expression بالإحسانِof beneficence والشُّكرand gratitude قائمsteadfast
وفي الجهر بالإحسانِ والشُّكر قائم
Passionately devoted to remembering God in his solitude,
Burning with remembrance of Allah in his solitude,
And in public, steadfast in beneficence and gratitude.
And thankful and doing good openly.
إذاwhen أغْنَمhe awards as gain العافينَthe petitioners بالرِّفْدِthrough bounty مالَهُhis wealth
إذا أغْنَم العافينَ بالرِّفْدِ مالَهُ
غداhe becomes وهوand he is للحمدِof praise المُخَلَّدِeverlasting غانِمُa gainer
غدا وهو للحمدِ المُخَلَّدِ غانِمُ
When he bestows his wealth on petitioners as bounty,
If he profits the prosperous with his wealth,
He gains, in turn, everlasting praise.
He becomes, for perpetual praise, a winner.
وإنْand though شيَّدbuilds up الأموالwealth مَحْمَدُthe excellence of كسبِهِhis earning
وإنْ شيَّد الأموال مَحْمَدُ كسبِهِ
فمنْthen through جودِهِhis generosity بالنَّائِلwith gifts الغمْرabundant هادمone who tears down
فمنْ جودِهِ بالنَّائِل الغمْر هادم
And though his honorable earning builds up wealth,
And if Mahmoud builds up wealth from his earnings,
Yet his generosity with abundant gifts tears it down.
It is from his generosity to the needy that he demolishes the flood.
أبوfather of جعفرٍJa'far غرسُthe sapling of الخلافةthe caliphate والذيand the one who
أبو جعفرٍ غرسُ الخلافة والذي
يُقِرُّacknowledges بفضْليهِhis two excellences كَميٌّan armored warrior وعالِمُand a scholar
يُقِرُّ بفضْليهِ كَميٌّ وعالِمُ
Abu Ja'far, the caliphate's sapling, is the one
Abu Ja'far, the pillar of the caliphate, and the one,
Whose twofold excellence warrior and scholar acknowledge.
Whose virtues a few and scholar acknowledge.
إذاif جَحَدَاthe two deny أوor أنكَراthe two disavow شَهدتْbear witness لهfor him
إذا جَحَدَا أو أنكَرا شَهدتْ له
فَتاوٍlegal rulings مُضيئاتُilluminating الحِجاthe intellect ومَلاحمُand fierce battles
فَتاوٍ مُضيئاتُ الحِجا ومَلاحمُ
If the two deny or disavow it, these bear witness for him:
If they deny or reject this, his brilliant qualities bear witness,
Legal rulings that illumine the intellect, and fierce battles.
Dispelling the night of calamities, though the day be dark.
فيكشفso he dispels ليلthe night of الخطبcalamity والخطبwhile the calamity حالكٌpitch-dark
فيكشف ليل الخطب والخطب حالكٌ
ويجلوand clears away عجاجthe dust clouds of الحربwar واليومُwhile the day قاتمُmurky
ويجلو عجاج الحرب واليومُ قاتمُ
So he dispels calamity's night, though the calamity is pitch-dark,
He trembles for righteousness, as if,
And clears the dust of war, though the day is murky.
The landmarks provoked in him a bleeding wound.
ويَهْتَزُّand thrills للمعروفِat doing good حتىuntil كأنَّهُas though he were
ويَهْتَزُّ للمعروفِ حتى كأنَّهُ
نَزيفُone intoxicated by مُدامٍwine هَيَّجَتهُhave stirred him المَعالمُthe landmarks
نَزيفُ مُدامٍ هَيَّجَتهُ المَعالمُ
He thrills to doing good, until he seems
He aspires above every lofty-soaring vulture,
A man drunk on wine, stirred by the landmarks.
As if the highest summits were base and lowly.
عَلاhe rises هِمَّةًin aspiration عنabove كلِّevery سامٍlofty one مُحلِّقٍsoaring
عَلا هِمَّةً عن كلِّ سامٍ مُحلِّقٍ
كأنَّas though دَهاسَthe soft sandy flats of الأنْعُميْنِal-An'umayn النَّعائمthe Na'a'im stars
كأنَّ دَهاسَ الأنْعُميْنِ النَّعائم
In aspiration he surpasses every lofty, soaring one,
The wealth of the world is despised by his noble worth,
As though the soft sandy flats of al-An'umayn were the Na'a'im stars.
As pebbles and coins are equal to the abject.
وهانَand became trivial غِنىthe wealth of الدنياthis world علىbeside نُبْلthe nobility of قدْرهhis stature
وهانَ غِنى الدنيا على نُبْل قدْره
فسِيَّانِso alike are رضْراضsmall fragments of الحصىpebbles والدراهمand dirhams
فسِيَّانِ رضْراض الحصى والدراهم
Worldly wealth is trivial beside his noble stature,
When the hidden caravan breaks up and its beautiful features crumble,
So broken pebbles and dirhams are alike.
And every pouncing one comes near in his steps,
إذاwhen انحلwears thin الركْبَthe riders السُّرىnight travel وتهدمتand have been battered
إذا انحل الركْبَ السُّرى وتهدمت
غَواربُwithers منfrom إِرْقالِهاtheir swift trotting ومَناسِمُand footpads
غَواربُ من إِرْقالِها ومَناسِمُ
When night travel has wasted the riders and worn down
Like the sliding of sand dunes.
Withers and footpads through their swift trotting,
And the minister becomes a place of rest and refuge,
وأصبحand has begun يُدنيshortens خطوهits stride كلُّevery واثِبٍbounding beast
وأصبح يُدني خطوه كلُّ واثِبٍ
كأنَّas though حُوارَthe camel calf of المُجْدباتِthe barren lands الضفبارمunclear in the supplied text
كأنَّ حُوارَ المُجْدباتِ الضفبارم
And every bounding beast now shortens its stride,
No harm from the sneaky or ruin from the destructive.
As though the camel calf of the barren lands were [unclear word in supplied text],
His fresh branch grew in glory - Tamim and Darim -
وكانand was الوزيرthe minister الصدرthe foremost ملفىًa resort وموئلاًand a refuge
وكان الوزير الصدر ملفىً وموئلاً
فلاthen neither الخمصhunger عرَّاقa gnawer to the bone ولاnor الضُّرُّhardship هاذمa destroyer
فلا الخمص عرَّاق ولا الضُّرُّ هاذم
And the foremost minister was a resort and refuge,
By Allah, how Tamim and Darim have grown!
Then neither hunger gnaws to the bone nor hardship destroys.
They came to him in torrents of munificence, as though,
نمىnurtured فرعهُhis branch الزَّاكيflourishing تميمٌTamim ودارمٌand Darim
نمى فرعهُ الزَّاكي تميمٌ ودارمٌ
فللهِso glory to God ماwhat تَنْميnurture تميمٌTamim ودارِمُand Darim
فللهِ ما تَنْمي تميمٌ ودارِمُ
Tamim and Darim nurtured his flourishing branch,
Its rivulets in glory were plentiful rains.
God be praised for what Tamim and Darim nurture!
فجاؤاso they brought بهhim غمْرَabundant الرِّداءِin cloak كأنماas though
فجاؤا به غمْرَ الرِّداءِ كأنما
أنامِلُهُhis fingertips فيin المُجْدِباتِthe barren lands غَمائمُrain clouds
أنامِلُهُ في المُجْدِباتِ غَمائمُ
So they brought him forth, his cloak rich with bounty, as though
His fingertips in the barren lands were rain clouds.
Partial English translation: 39 of 42 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1