طربتrejoiced قوافيthe rhymes of الشعرpoetry حيثُas يقودهاleads them
طربت قوافي الشعر حيثُ يقودها
ودِّيmy affection لتاجِfor the Crown of الدولةthe State الجَحْجاحِthe mighty chief
ودِّي لتاجِ الدولة الجَحْجاحِ
The rhymes of poetry rejoiced as they were led
The rhymes of poetry were enchanting as he led them,
By my affection for Taj al-Dawla, the mighty chief,
My affection to the crown of the state, the undaunted.
طربthe rapture of المُتَيّمِthe love-struck بالوصالِat union وشاربٍand of a drinker
طرب المُتَيّمِ بالوصالِ وشاربٍ
نشوانَintoxicated تَنْغِضُهsets him swaying حُميَّاthe fiery strength of الرَّاحِwine
نشوانَ تَنْغِضُه حُميَّا الرَّاحِ
With the rapture of the love-struck at union, and of a drinker
The longing lover's bliss in union, the contented sipper
Intoxicated, whom wine's fiery strength sets swaying,
Of delight that soft breezes diminish, gently wafting.
لأغرَّfor a radiant man فيَّاضِoverflowing with النَّوالِbounty مُمَدَّحٍmuch praised
لأغرَّ فيَّاضِ النَّوالِ مُمَدَّحٍ
حازwon الفخارَglory بنجدةٍthrough valor وسَماحِand generosity
حاز الفخارَ بنجدةٍ وسَماحِ
For a radiant man, overflowing with bounty, much praised,
For the generous overflowing bowl he praised,
Who won glory through valor and generosity.
Attaining glory through his help and generosity.
ينجابُis dispelled محلُthe drought of الأرضthe earth عنfrom قسماتهhis facial features
ينجابُ محلُ الأرض عن قسماته
ويعودand becomes منهthrough him الليلُthe night وجهthe face of صَباحِdawn
ويعود منه الليلُ وجه صَباحِ
The earth's drought clears before his features,
The abode of land yields to his decrees,
And through him night becomes the face of dawn.
And from it returns the night, face of dawn.
يلقىmeets العُفاةَseekers of bounty بذيwith a face possessing حياءٍmodesty مُطْرقٍdowncast
يلقى العُفاةَ بذي حياءٍ مُطْرقٍ
عندwhen النَّوالgiving وفيand in الوغىbattle بوَقاحِwith a bold face
عند النَّوال وفي الوغى بوَقاحِ
He meets seekers of bounty with a modest, downcast face
He meets the uncouth with dignified reserve,
When giving, and in battle with a bold one.
At the bowl, and in tumult with self-restraint.
فتراهُso you see him يومon the day of السلمpeace مُتْلِفَsquandering مالهِhis wealth
فتراهُ يوم السلم مُتْلِفَ مالهِ
ولدىand amid الكتيبةِthe battalion مُتْلفdestroying الأرواحِlives
ولدى الكتيبةِ مُتْلف الأرواحِ
So in peacetime you see him exhausting his wealth,
You see him in peace, harmonizing his wealth,
And amid the battalion, destroying lives.
And with the army, harmonizing souls.
حتفُthe death of الرجالmen لدىduring النزالcombat وضربهand his blows
حتفُ الرجال لدى النزال وضربه
والطعنُand thrusting حتفُthe death of صوارمٍkeen swords ورماحِand spears
والطعنُ حتفُ صوارمٍ ورماحِ
He is the death of men in combat, and his blows
Men's destiny in battle and his strike,
And thrusts are the death of keen swords and spears.
And piercing, the destiny of keen swords and spears.
تغزوgo to war صحاحاًintact بيضهُhis bright swords ورماحُهُand his spears
تغزو صحاحاً بيضهُ ورماحُهُ
وتعودand return غِبَّafter الروعbattle's terror غيرَnot صِحاحِintact
وتعود غِبَّ الروع غيرَ صِحاحِ
His bright swords and spears go to war intact,
He boldly raids the lands, his white swords and spears,
And return after battle's terror no longer intact.
And returns driving fear, not missing his mark.
فيهin him حِرانٌstubborn balking دونَbefore كلevery دنيَّةٍbase deed
فيه حِرانٌ دونَ كل دنيَّةٍ
وأخوand a man of مضاءٍresolve فيin pursuit of العُلىthe heights وجِماحِand unbridled drive
وأخو مضاءٍ في العُلى وجِماحِ
He stubbornly balks at every base deed,
In him is passion, without any vileness,
And has resolve and unbridled drive toward the heights.
And a brother of splendor, at the peak, soaring.
نُعْمىthe bounty of أبيAbu (father of) العباسِal-Abbas أيُّhow utterly مُباحةٍfreely available
نُعْمى أبي العباسِ أيُّ مُباحةٍ
وحِمىand the protected domain of أبيAbu (father of) العباسal-Abbas غيرُnot مُباحِopen to intrusion
وحِمى أبي العباس غيرُ مُباحِ
Abu al-Abbas's bounty—how freely available!
Excellent, Abu Al-Abbas, what liberties!
Yet Abu al-Abbas's protected domain is inviolable.
And the sanctuary of Abu Al-Abbas is inviolable.
غَيْرانُzealous فيfor الرحمنthe All-Merciful رَبُّpossessed of تَقيَّةٍpiety
غَيْرانُ في الرحمن رَبُّ تَقيَّةٍ
عَبثَاتُهhis playful acts جِدٌّearnestness بغيرwithout مُزاحِjesting
عَبثَاتُه جِدٌّ بغير مُزاحِ
Zealous for the All-Merciful, possessed of piety,
Zealous for the Merciful, Lord of piety,
His playful acts are earnest, without any jest.
His passions are serious, not joking.
تركَforsook الهوىpassion فيin عنفوانِthe prime of شَبابهِhis youth
تركَ الهوى في عنفوانِ شَبابهِ
حيثُwhile الشيوخُold men ذووpossessed of هَوىًpassion ومراحِand merriment
حيثُ الشيوخُ ذوو هَوىً ومراحِ
He forsook passion in the prime of his youth,
He left desire in his youthful prime,
While old men are full of passion and merriment.
Where the elders have desire and diversion.
فإذاso when العيونُeyes لمَحْنَglance نحوtoward مُحرَّمٍsomething forbidden
فإذا العيونُ لمَحْنَ نحو مُحرَّمٍ
أغْضىlowers his gaze ونحوand toward المجدglory رَبُّpossessed of طِماحِsoaring ambition
أغْضى ونحو المجد رَبُّ طِماحِ
So when eyes glance toward something forbidden,
So if eyes glance toward forbidden fruit,
He lowers his gaze, yet toward glory he has soaring ambition.
He lowers his gaze, and to glory, Lord of ambition.
أخْلاقُthe virtues of آباءٍforefathers تَقَيَّلَhe emulated منهُمُfrom them
أخْلاقُ آباءٍ تَقَيَّلَ منهُمُ
شِيمthe traits of العُلىnobility يوْمَيْon the two days of ندىًgenerosity وكِفاحِand combat
شِيم العُلى يوْمَيْ ندىً وكِفاحِ
The virtues of forefathers—from them he adopted
The morals of forefathers he emulated from them,
The traits of nobility on days of bounty and combat.
The traits of glory, in his day, and struggle.
Sol 6.1