وُسِمَتwere marked بِفَضلِby the excellence of زَمانِكَyour age الأَزمانُthe ages
وُسِمَت بِفَضلِ زَمانِكَ الأَزمانُ
وَسَماand rose high بيُمنِthrough the blessing of جَلالِكَyour majesty الإيمانُfaith
وَسَما بيُمنِ جَلالِكَ الإيمانُ
The ages have been marked by the excellence of your age,
and faith has risen through the blessing of your majesty.
وَتَيَقَّظَتand awakened لَكَfor you فيin السِياسَةِstatecraft عَزمَةٌa resolve
وَتَيَقَّظَت لَكَ في السِياسَةِ عَزمَةٌ
تَدَعُleaves الحُسامَthe sword وَجَفنُهwhile its sheath وَسنانُdrowsy
تَدَعُ الحُسامَ وَجَفنُه وَسنانُ
And a resolve has awakened for you in statecraft
that leaves the sword with its sheath asleep.
ياO ساهِراًone keeping vigil لِلَيلِthrough the night فيin عِشقِlove of العلاglory
يا ساهِراً لِلَيلِ في عِشقِ العلا
صَدَقَhas been true to الغَرامُpassion العاشِقُthe lover اليَقظانُwakeful
صَدَقَ الغَرامُ العاشِقُ اليَقظانُ
O you who keep vigil at night for love of glory,
the wakeful lover has been true to his passion.
أَسَدِيُّlion-like in أَفكارٍthoughts إِذاwhen لَيلُthe night of الأَسىsorrow
أَسَدِيُّ أَفكارٍ إِذا لَيلُ الأَسى
أَرخىlet fall دُجاهُits darkness فَرَأيُهُthen his counsel السِرحانُthe wolf
أَرخى دُجاهُ فَرَأيُهُ السِرحانُ
He is lion-like in thought; when the night of sorrow
lets fall its darkness, his counsel is a wolf.
هَذاthis وَكَمand how many لَكَyou have فيin الوَغىbattle مِنof عَزمَةٍa resolve
هَذا وَكَم لَكَ في الوَغى مِن عَزمَةٍ
بِكَّرنَset out early مِنfrom ثِقَةٍtrust بِهاin it العِقبانُthe eagles
بِكَّرنَ مِن ثِقَةٍ بِها العِقبانُ
All this—and how many a resolve is yours in battle,
in which the eagles trust as they set out early!
تَغدوthey go out خِماصاًempty-bellied مِثلَlike ماwhat قَدindeed مَثَّلواthey have portrayed
تَغدو خِماصاً مِثلَ ما قَد مَثَّلوا
فيin حَربِهِhis war وَتَروحُand return وَهيَwhile they are بِطانُfull-bellied
في حَربِهِ وَتَروحُ وَهيَ بِطانُ
They go out hungry, as people have described,
in his war, and return with bellies full.
وَعَلِمتُand I knew أَنَّthat حَديثَthe story of كِسرىKisra بَعدَهُafter him
وَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ حَديثَ كِسرى بَعدَهُ
زورٌfalsehood فَلِمso why يَتَشامَخُtowers proudly الإيوانُthe Iwan
زورٌ فَلِم يَتَشامَخُ الإيوانُ
And I knew that, after him, the story of Kisra
was falsehood—why, then, does the Iwan tower so proudly?
لَوif عاشَhad lived شاهِنشاهُthe King of Kings أَيقَنَknew for certain أَنَّهُthat he
لَو عاشَ شاهِنشاهُ أَيقَنَ أَنَّهُ
مَلِكُking of الدُسوتِthe chessboards وَأَنَّهُand that he الفِرزانُthe vizier piece
مَلِكُ الدُسوتِ وَأَنَّهُ الفِرزانُ
Had the Shahanshah lived, he would have recognized him
as king of the chessboards, and himself as the vizier.
تِلكَthose التَواقيعُdecrees الَّتيwhich هِيَthey are جَنَّةٌa garden
تِلكَ التَواقيعُ الَّتي هِيَ جَنَّةٌ
أَقلامُهُhis pens فيamong دَوحِهاits spreading trees أَغصانُbranches
أَقلامُهُ في دَوحِها أَغصانُ
Those decrees are a garden;
his pens are branches among its spreading trees.
سارَتwent forth بِعَدلِكَwith your justice فَالطُروسُso the pages كَأَنَّهاas though they
سارَت بِعَدلِكَ فَالطُروسُ كَأَنَّها
طُرُقٌroads لَهاfor them وَحُروفُهاand their letters رُكبانُriders
طُرُقٌ لَها وَحُروفُها رُكبانُ
They have traveled bearing your justice; the pages seem
roads for them, and their letters riders.
أَمُنَصِّلَO you who tip الرُمحِthe spear الطَويلِlong بِكَوكَبٍwith a star
أَمُنَصِّلَ الرُمحِ الطَويلِ بِكَوكَبٍ
مَنwho ذاis it that يُطاعِنُjousts وَالسِماكُwhile al-Simak سِنانُthe spearhead
مَن ذا يُطاعِنُ وَالسِماكُ سِنانُ
O you who tip the long spear with a star,
who would joust when al-Simak is the spearhead?
وَالشَمعُand the candles فَوقَabove البَحرِthe sea تَحسَبُyou think أَنَّهُthat it
وَالشَمعُ فَوقَ البَحرِ تَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ
مِنfrom لُجِّهِits depths قَدalready أُطلِعَwas brought up المَرجانُcoral
مِن لُجِّهِ قَد أُطلِعَ المَرجانُ
And the candles above the sea—you would think that
coral had been raised from its depths.
وَالماءُand the water دِرعٌa coat of mail وَالشُموعُand the candles أَسِنَّةٌspearheads
وَالماءُ دِرعٌ وَالشُموعُ أَسِنَّةٌ
وَلَهاand they have إذاwhen خَفَقَstirs النَسيمُthe breeze طِعانُjousting
وَلَها إذا خَفَقَ النَسيمُ طِعانُ
And the water is mail, and the candles spearheads;
when the breeze stirs, they joust.
ياO مالِكيmy master أَنبَتَّyou made grow ريشِيmy feathers بِالنَدىwith bounty
يا مالِكي أَنبَتَّ ريشِي بِالنَدى
لَكِنَّنيbut I ماnot قَصدِيَmy aim الطَيَرانُflight
لَكِنَّني ما قَصدِيَ الطَيَرانُ
O my master, your bounty has made my feathers grow,
but flight is not my aim.
ضاقَتgrew narrow مَعاذِرُهُمtheir apologies إِلىto ضيفانِهِمtheir guests
ضاقَت مَعاذِرُهُم إِلى ضيفانِهِم
لَكِنbut رَحُبنَwere spacious مَنازِلٌhomes وَجِفانُand serving bowls
لَكِن رَحُبنَ مَنازِلٌ وَجِفانُ
Their apologies to their guests found little room,
but their homes and serving bowls were spacious.
يَغدونَthey come in the morning عِندَهُمُwith them بِأَعلىin the highest أَعيُنٍeyes
يَغدونَ عِندَهُمُ بِأَعلى أَعيُنٍ
وَدَّتwished تَكونُto become جِفانَهاtheir serving bowls الأَجفانُthe eyelids
وَدَّت تَكونُ جِفانَها الأَجفانُ
They come each morning, held highest in their hosts' eyes,
which wish the eyelids could become their serving bowls.
Sol 6.1