وَقَالُواand they said: غَدَاbecame لُطْفِيLutfi رَئِيسًاpresident فَحَيِّهِso salute him
وَقَالُوا: غَدَا لُطْفِي رَئِيسًا فَحَيِّهِ
وَهَنِّئْهُand congratulate him وَاهْتِفْand acclaim بِاسْمِهِwith his name فِيin الْمَحَافِلِthe assemblies
وَهَنِّئْهُ وَاهْتِفْ بِاسْمِهِ فِي الْمَحَافِلِ
And they said, “Lutfi has become president, so salute him,
They said: Tomorrow, Luṭfī will be president, so greet him,
and congratulate him, and acclaim his name in assemblies.”
And chant his name in gatherings.
فَقُلْتُso I said: وَهَلْand would يَرْضَىapprove لِيَfor me الْعَقْلُreason أَنَّنِيthat I
فَقُلْتُ: وَهَلْ يَرْضَى لِيَ الْعَقْلُ أَنَّنِي
إِذَاwhen صُغْتُI compose مَدْحًاpraise قِيلَit would be said: تَحْصِيلُattaining حَاصِلِwhat is already attained
إِذَا صُغْتُ مَدْحًا قِيلَ: تَحْصِيلُ حَاصِلِ
So I said, “Would reason deem it fitting that I,
I said: Would reason allow that I,
when I compose praise, be told, ‘Merely stating the obvious’?”
When reciting praise, be told: You're stating the obvious?
فَقَالُواso they said: رَفِيعٌeminent زَادَincreased قَدْرًاin stature وَرِفْعَةًand in eminence!
فَقَالُوا: رَفِيعٌ زَادَ قَدْرًا وَرِفْعَةً!
فَقُلْتُso I said: نَعَمْyes، لَوْif صَحَّwere valid تَكْمِيلُperfecting كَامِلِone already perfect
فَقُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، لَوْ صَحَّ تَكْمِيلُ كَامِلِ
So they said, “An eminent man has gained in stature and eminence!”
They said: A noble man has gained prestige and status!
So I said, “Yes—if perfecting the perfect made sense.”
I said: Yes, if perfection of the perfect were possible.
فَقَالُواso they said: عَلَيْكَyou must take up الشِّعْرَpoetry وَيْحَكَpity on you! إِنَّهُindeed it
فَقَالُوا: عَلَيْكَ الشِّعْرَ وَيْحَكَ إِنَّهُ
فَسِيحُvast الْمَرَامِيthe reaches لَاnot يَضِيقُis too narrow بِقَائِلِfor a speaker
فَسِيحُ الْمَرَامِي لَا يَضِيقُ بِقَائِلِ
So they said, “Take up poetry, poor fellow! It
They said: You and your poetry! His spirit is lofty,
is vast in scope, never too narrow for a speaker.”
It doesn't mind what people say.
فَقُلْتُso I said: وَأَيْنَand where الشِّعْرُpoetry؟ أَيْنَwhere خَيَالُهُits imagination؟
فَقُلْتُ: وَأَيْنَ الشِّعْرُ؟ أَيْنَ خَيَالُهُ؟
وَأَيْنَand where الثُّرَيَّاthe Pleiades مِنْfrom يَدِthe hand الْمُتَنَاوِلِthe one reaching؟
وَأَيْنَ الثُّرَيَّا مِنْ يَدِ الْمُتَنَاوِلِ؟
So I said, “And where is poetry? Where is its imagination?
I said: Where is the poetry? Where is its imagination?
And how far are the Pleiades from the hand that reaches for them?”
Where are words from the grasp of the conveyor?
فَقَالُواso they said: فَمَاذَاthen what أَنْتَyou فِيin الْجَمْعِthe gathering صَانِعٌdoing؟
فَقَالُوا: فَمَاذَا أَنْتَ فِي الْجَمْعِ صَانِعٌ؟
فَقُلْتُso I said لَهُمْto them: صُنْعُthe action الْعَيِيِّthe tongue-tied man الْمُجَامِلِthe courteous one
فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: صُنْعُ الْعَيِيِّ الْمُجَامِلِ
So they said, “Then what will you do at the gathering?”
They said: What will you do in this gathering?
So I said to them, “What a tongue-tied, courteous man does:
I said: The work of the tired conformist.
فَفِيfor in سَكْتَةِthe silence الْمَبْهُورِthe awestruck man أَصْدَقُthe truest مِدْحَةٍpraise
فَفِي سَكْتَةِ الْمَبْهُورِ أَصْدَقُ مِدْحَةٍ
وَكُلُّand every كَلَامٍutterance بَيْنَbetween حَقٍّtruth وَبَاطِلِand falsehood
وَكُلُّ كَلَامٍ بَيْنَ حَقٍّ وَبَاطِلِ
for in the awestruck man's silence lies the truest praise,
So in the silence of the stunned, true praise,
and all speech lies between truth and falsehood.”
And every word between truth and falsehood.
Sol 6.1