حَباهُbestowed upon him إِلهُthe God of العرشthe Throne جوداًgenerosity ونجْدةًand valor
حَباهُ إِلهُ العرش جوداً ونجْدةً
يودُّهُماlongs for both حدُّthe edge of الظُّبىsword blades وندىand the moisture of القطْرِrain
يودُّهُما حدُّ الظُّبى وندى القطْرِ
The God of the Throne bestowed on him generosity and valor,
The Lord of the Throne endowed him with generosity and aid,
Which sword-edges and the moisture of rain long to possess.
Loved by the zebras and the dew of rain.
وأبيضَand a fair face وضَّاحاًradiant سنىthe radiance of قَسَماتِهِhis features
وأبيضَ وضَّاحاً سنى قَسَماتِهِ
يعودbecomes لهfor him الليلthe night الدَّجوجيُّpitch-dark كالظُّهرlike noon
يعود له الليل الدَّجوجيُّ كالظُّهر
And a fair, radiant face, with features so bright,
With a face bright as the dawn, dividing its beauty,
That pitch-dark night becomes for him like noon.
The dark night returns to him like the mid-day sun.
فقامَso he rendered بشُكْرthanks to اللّهGod عنfor كُلِّevery نِعْمَةٍblessing
فقامَ بشُكْر اللّه عن كُلِّ نِعْمَةٍ
بأمثالهاwith their like بالخيرthrough goodness يبقىendures معwith الشُّكْرِgratitude
بأمثالها بالخير يبقى مع الشُّكْرِ
So he rendered thanks to God for every blessing
So he thanked Allah for every blessing,
With matching gifts of goodness, which endures with gratitude.
With their like in good he remains with gratitude.
حَمىhe protected وقَرىand fed جيرانَهُhis neighbors وضُيوفَهand his guests
حَمى وقَرى جيرانَهُ وضُيوفَه
فباتواso they spent the night بخيرٍin well-being منfrom نوالٍbounty ومنand from نَصْرِprotection
فباتوا بخيرٍ من نوالٍ ومن نَصْرِ
He protected and fed his neighbors and guests,
He protected his neighbors and guests,
So they spent the night in comfort, with bounty and protection.
So they spent the night in well-being, gain, and victory.
وجادَand he gave generously زكاةًas alms عنfor صباحَةِthe beauty of وجْههِhis face
وجادَ زكاةً عن صباحَةِ وجْههِ
علىto مُعْتفيهthose seeking his bounty بالبشاشةِwith smiling warmth والبِشْرِand cheerfulness
على مُعْتفيه بالبشاشةِ والبِشْرِ
And as alms for the beauty of his face, he lavished
And he gave alms with the brightness of his face,
Smiles and cheer upon those seeking his bounty.
To the needy with joy and good tidings.
فدلَّتْso indicated علىto المعروفkindness منهfrom him طَلاقَةٌa cheerful expression
فدلَّتْ على المعروف منه طَلاقَةٌ
كماjust as دلَّguided أعْناقthe necks of العِطاشthe thirsty سنىthe radiance of الفجرdawn
كما دلَّ أعْناق العِطاش سنى الفجر
His cheerful expression thus pointed to his kindness,
Thus his eloquence indicated his kindness,
Just as dawn's radiance guides the necks of the thirsty.
As did the necks of the thirsty the morning light.
أبوAbu (father of) جعفرٍJa'far أربىsurpassed علىbeyond جعفرِJa'far of النَّدىbounty
أبو جعفرٍ أربى على جعفرِ النَّدى
وإنْand though كانhe was مشهورrenowned for المكارمِnoble deeds والذِّكرِand renown
وإنْ كان مشهور المكارمِ والذِّكرِ
Abu Ja'far surpassed Ja'far the generous,
Father of Ja'far, who raised Ja'far of bounty,
Though his noble deeds and name were renowned.
Though famed for his virtues and mention.
طَمَتْoverflowed ثروةٌwealth بالبرمكيِّfor the Barmakid فسهَّلتso it made easy
طَمَتْ ثروةٌ بالبرمكيِّ فسهَّلت
نوالاًgiving وجادand gave generously الخِنْدِفيُّthe Khindifi ولمand did not يُثْرِgrow rich
نوالاً وجاد الخِنْدِفيُّ ولم يُثْرِ
Wealth flooded the Barmakid, making it easy
Wealth ceased in Barmki so he eased
To give; the Khindifi gave though he was not rich.
Giving and the noble Khundufi did not hoard.
فأوْلاهُماso the worthier of the two بالمدحof praise منthe one who كانwas مُؤثِراًgiving others preference
فأوْلاهُما بالمدح من كان مُؤثِراً
ببُلْغَتهِwith his own sustenance أهلthe people of الخصاصةneed والفَقْرِand poverty
ببُلْغَتهِ أهل الخصاصة والفَقْرِ
Thus, of the two, the worthier of praise is he who favored
So he deserved praise from the grateful,
The needy and poor with his own scant sustenance.
With his eloquence the elite and destitute.
فماfor no واهِبٌgiver أبْقَتْhave retained يداهُhis two hands ذخيرةًa reserve
فما واهِبٌ أبْقَتْ يداهُ ذخيرةً
كمنis like one who ماnot لهhas for himself غيرother than المحامدpraiseworthy deeds منof ذُخْرِtreasure
كمن ما له غير المحامد من ذُخْرِ
For no giver whose hands have kept a reserve
No giver maintained provision,
Is like one whose only store is praiseworthy deeds.
Like one whose only possessions are praise and treasure.
أبىrefused العارضُthe raincloud الثَّجَّاجُpouring abundantly حبسwithholding بقيَّةٍa remainder
أبى العارضُ الثَّجَّاجُ حبس بقيَّةٍ
ولُؤمُand the stinginess of الرَّكاياthe wells يحبسholds back الماءthe water فيin القعرthe depths
ولُؤمُ الرَّكايا يحبس الماء في القعر
The downpouring cloud refuses to keep a remnant,
The tall, slender man refused to withhold remnants,
While the wells' stinginess holds water in their depths.
And the shame of bowls withholds water in the depth.
فياso, oh لكfor you منof طوْدٍa mountain رفيعٍlofty وعارضٍand a raincloud
فيا لك من طوْدٍ رفيعٍ وعارضٍ
هَموعٍpouring rain وسيفٍand a sword لاnever يَملُّtires منof الهبرhewing
هَموعٍ وسيفٍ لا يَملُّ من الهبر
What a lofty mountain you are, and a raincloud
O you tall, lofty pillar,
Pouring down, and a sword untiring in its hewing!
Sword that never tires of unsheathing.
إذاwhen عقرslaughters الأبالَcamels والنِّيبَand old she-camels فيin الوغىbattle
إذا عقر الأبالَ والنِّيبَ في الوغى
وفيand in السلمpeace كانتthey became طعمةfood for الضيفthe guest والنَّسْرِand the vulture
وفي السلم كانت طعمة الضيف والنَّسْرِ
When it slaughters camels and old she-camels in war
When he cripples steeds and warriors in battle,
And in peace, they become food for guest and vulture.
And in peace he is the prey of guest and eagle.
تُلاقيهyou meet him نشْوانَintoxicated with الشَّمائلِnoble qualities والعُلىand eminence
تُلاقيه نشْوانَ الشَّمائلِ والعُلى
فلولاbut were it not for تُقاهhis piety قلتyou would say نشوانُdrunk منfrom خمرِwine
فلولا تُقاه قلت نشوانُ من خمرِ
You meet him intoxicated with noble qualities and eminence;
You meet him with the traits and virtues of nobles,
But for his piety, you would call him drunk on wine.
If not for your sanity, I'd say you meet him drunk.
حبيسrestrained الخُطىsteps عنfrom كلevery عارٍdisgrace مُدنسٍdefiling
حبيس الخُطى عن كل عارٍ مُدنسٍ
ولكنbut جوادٌa noble steed مُحرزٌwinning قصبthe prize-reed of الفخرglory
ولكن جوادٌ مُحرزٌ قصب الفخر
His steps are held back from every defiling disgrace,
Restrained in step from all disgrace,
Yet he is a noble steed winning the prize-reed of glory.
Though a steed secured, a cane of pride.
فليتso, would that السَّراةَthe nobles الأقدمينof old بنيsons of النُّهىwisdom
فليت السَّراةَ الأقدمين بني النُّهى
وجوهَthe leading figures of المعاليlofty deeds فيin الفلاةthe wilderness وفيand in المِصْرthe city
وجوهَ المعالي في الفلاة وفي المِصْر
Would that the nobles of old, sons of wisdom,
If only the ancient nobles of resolve
The foremost in lofty deeds, in desert and city,
And the faces of glory in the wilderness and Egypt
ترىcould see الشِّبلthe lion cub ليثاًas a lion والطَّليعةand the vanguard جحفلاًas a mighty army
ترى الشِّبل ليثاً والطَّليعة جحفلاً
وجَمَّةَand the pool of وادٍa valley أصبحتhas become لُجَّةthe deep expanse of البحرthe sea
وجَمَّةَ وادٍ أصبحت لُجَّة البحر
Could see the cub a lion, the vanguard a mighty host,
Could see the cub a lion and the vanguard an army,
And a valley's pool become the sea's deep expanse!
And a river bend that became the expanse of the sea.
أقرُّواthey would acknowledge إذاًthen طُرَّاًall بتفضيلِthe superiority of سابقٍa frontrunner
أقرُّوا إذاً طُرَّاً بتفضيلِ سابقٍ
جموحٍrushing unbridled إلىtoward الغاياتthe goals مُلتهبblazing in الحُضرgalloping
جموحٍ إلى الغايات مُلتهب الحُضر
Then they would all acknowledge the superiority of a frontrunner,
They would acknowledge the superiority of one exceeding,
Rushing unbridled toward the goals, his gallop ablaze.
Galloping to the farthest goals, heated in zeal.
أخِيرٌlater in time ولكنbut أوَّلٌforemost فيin فَخارِهِhis glory
أخِيرٌ ولكن أوَّلٌ في فَخارِهِ
ولاand no فخرglory للمفضولfor the surpassed فيin قِدَمthe antiquity of العصرِthe age
ولا فخر للمفضول في قِدَم العصرِ
Later in time, yet foremost in his glory,
Last but first in his pride,
And the lesser man gains no glory from an earlier age.
No pride for the surpassed in the era’s span.
وزيرٌa vizier يَدُقُّshatters السَّمْهريَّthe Samhari spear بمزبرٍwith a pen
وزيرٌ يَدُقُّ السَّمْهريَّ بمزبرٍ
ويهزمُand routs أسطارthe rows of الكتائبbattalions بالسَّطرِwith a written line
ويهزمُ أسطار الكتائب بالسَّطرِ
A vizier who shatters the Samhari spear with a pen,
A minister who pounds the emerald with chisel
And routs the lines of battalions with a written line.
And defeats the lines of battalions with prose.
تَساويthe equality of بنيthe sons of الأشْعارpoetry نظْماًin versification وإنماand only
تَساوي بني الأشْعار نظْماً وإنما
تفاوتُهمtheir differences فيin الفضلexcellence والصيتand fame والقدْرand rank
تفاوتُهم في الفضل والصيت والقدْر
The sons of poetry are alike in versification; only
The poems of people are equal in prosody, but
In excellence, fame, and rank do they differ.
Differ in merit, fame, and worth.
وماand not شُعَراءُthe poets of الناسhumankind إِلاَّexcept مَعادِنٌmines
وما شُعَراءُ الناس إِلاَّ مَعادِنٌ
وماand not كلevery أرضٍland معدنُa mine of الذهبgold التِّبرraw gold
وما كل أرضٍ معدنُ الذهب التِّبر
The poets of humankind are nothing but mines,
The poets of mankind are but mines,
And not every land is a mine of raw gold.
Not every land is a mine of pure gold.
Sol 6.1