ياO واحدpeerless one of العَصرthe age وَفَخرand the pride of الوَرىhumankind
يا واحد العَصر وَفَخر الوَرى
وَمُنتَهىand the ultimate limit of القَصدthe aim وَعَينand the very essence of المُرادwhat is desired
وَمُنتَهى القَصد وَعَين المُراد
O peerless one of the age and pride of humankind,
O pride of the age and glory of mankind
And the ultimate aim, and the very thing desired;
Epitome of purpose and vision of desire
وَعالمand the scholar of الأَرضthe earth وَتحريرهاand its master scholar
وَعالم الأَرض وَتحريرها
وَمَركزand the seat of الفَضلexcellence وَعاليand lofty of العِمادthe tent-pole
وَمَركز الفَضل وَعالي العِماد
And the earth's scholar and its master of learning,
Knower of the world and its liberation
And the seat of excellence, with a lofty tent-pole;
Center of merit and pillar of glory
وَابنand the son of الَّذيhim who أفحمsilenced بُرهانهhis proof
وَابن الَّذي أفحم بُرهانه
أَعاظمthe greatest of الأَعجامthe non-Arabs وَالحيفand injustice بادmanifest
أَعاظم الأَعجام وَالحيف باد
And the son of him whose proof silenced
Son of him whose proof prevailed
The greatest of the non-Arabs, while injustice was plain.
Over the greatest non-Arabs and falsehood vanished
قَدindeed جاءَhas come عَنكُمfrom you عقدa necklace of درpearls بَداappeared
قَد جاءَ عَنكُم عقد در بَدا
مُنتَظماًstrung in order كَاللؤلؤlike pearls المُستجادcarefully chosen
مُنتَظماً كَاللؤلؤ المُستجاد
From you has come a pearl necklace that appeared
A necklace of pearls has come from you
Strung together like the choicest pearls.
Well-arranged like selected pearls
يزهرit blooms كَالروضlike a garden إِذاwhen مسهtouched it
يزهر كَالروض إِذا مسه
أَوائلthe first of المُستمطراتthe clouds sought for rain العهادthe returning showers
أَوائل المُستمطرات العهاد
It blooms like a garden when touched by
It blossoms like a garden when
The first returning showers from clouds sought for rain.
First rains of clouds arrive
ضمنتهyou enclosed it فيin ضمنهits folds ملغزاًas a riddle
ضمنته في ضمنه ملغزاً
أخفىmore elusive مِنthan العَنقاءthe Anqa, a mythical bird بَينamong العِبادhumankind
أخفى مِن العَنقاء بَين العِباد
You enclosed it within its folds as a riddle,
You hid within it a riddle
More elusive than the Anqa among humankind.
More concealed than a she-camel among people
فَخُذso take جَوابيmy answer عَنهُto it ياO أَجملfairest of النthe peo- (word fragment)
فَخُذ جَوابي عَنهُ يا أَجمل الن
ناسpeople وَمنand you who أَضحىhave become طَويلlong of النجادthe sword-belt
ناس وَمن أَضحى طَويل النجاد
So take my answer to it, O fairest of the
So take my answer to it, O most beautiful of
people, and you whose sword-belt is long.
People and most generous long-armed one
ذاكَthat رُباعيa four-letter word لَهُit has مصدرa verbal noun
ذاكَ رُباعي لَهُ مصدر
يذكرهmentions it الناعتthe praiser فيin كُلevery نادgathering
يذكره الناعت في كُل ناد
That is a four-letter word with a verbal noun,
It is a quatrain that has a source
Which the praiser mentions in every gathering.
Mentioned by the describer in every club
وَإِنand if تَصحفهyou change its dots غَداit becomes اسماًa name بِهby which
وَإِن تَصحفه غَدا اسماً بِه
يوصفis described فَردone instance مِنof ضُروبthe kinds of الجَمادinanimate matter
يوصف فَرد مِن ضُروب الجَماد
And if you change its dots, it becomes a name by which
If you mispronounce it, it becomes a name
An object of a certain inanimate kind is described.
To describe an individual of inanimate kinds
وَنصفهand its half الأَولthe first يَلهوtakes diversion بِهwith it الthe (article continued next line)
وَنصفه الأَول يَلهو بِه ال
مصدورchest-afflicted person لوif ذوone with علةan ailment فيin الفُؤادthe heart
مصدور لو ذو علة في الفُؤاد
And its first half is a diversion for the
Its first half plays with it the verb
chest-afflicted, if one has an ailment of the heart.
If it has a defect in conscience
وَنصفهand its half الثانيthe second إِذاwhen رمتهyou seek it
وَنصفه الثاني إِذا رمته
مدextends لَكَfor you الباعthe armspan بنيلby attaining المُرادwhat is desired
مد لَكَ الباع بنيل المُراد
And its second half, when you seek it,
And its second half, if you cast it
Extends your arm's reach to attain what you desire.
Extends for you the sale of aspired gain
وَإِنand if تصحفهyou change its dots بَداappears قَلبهits reversal
وَإِن تصحفه بَدا قَلبه
ذماًas a reproach لِمَنto one who أَضحىhas become قَليلscant of الرمادashes
ذماً لِمَن أَضحى قَليل الرماد
And if you change its dots, its reversal appears
And if you mispronounce it, its heart appears
As a reproach to one whose ashes are few.
Blame for one who has become little ashes
أَوor تحذفyou remove الثالثthe third letter أَضحىit becomes سَماa name
أَو تحذف الثالث أَضحى سَما
لِخالقfor the Creator of الأَرضthe earth وَمُنشيand the Originator of البِلادthe lands
لِخالق الأَرض وَمُنشي البِلاد
Or remove the third letter, and it becomes a name
Or if you omit the third, it becomes a mark
Of the earth's Creator and the Originator of the lands.
For creator of earth and founder of countries
ثانيهits second letter وَالثالثand the third مَعناهits meaning منfrom
ثانيه وَالثالث مَعناه من
قَدرdecree أَوor أَمثالهwords like it يستفادis derived
قَدر أَو أَمثاله يستفاد
Its second and third letters have a meaning that, from
Its second and third together mean
'Decree' or words like it, may be inferred.
Destiny or its equivalents to be deduced
مَحاerased إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle حذفواthey remove عَجزهits ending
مَحا إِذا ما حذفوا عَجزه
وَالقَلبand reversal شَرطa condition عِندَamong أَهلpeople of السَدادsound judgment
وَالقَلب شَرط عِندَ أَهل السَداد
It reads 'erased' when they remove its ending,
Delete their last verse
And reversal is required by those of sound judgment.
With alteration required by people of integrity
آخرهits last letter يوجدis found فيin أَولthe beginning of الدارthe house (dār)
آخره يوجد في أَول الدار
وَفيand at آخرthe end of هودHūd وَصادand Ṣād
وَفي آخر هود وَصاد
Its last letter is found at the start of dār ('house'),
Its last is found in the first of the house
And at the end of Hūd and Ṣād.
And last of Hud and Sad
فَخُذso take جَوابthe answer to اللغزthe riddle مِنfrom أَحمَدAhmad
فَخُذ جَواب اللغز مِن أَحمَد
مِنfrom ألمعيkeen-witted الذهنthe mind وَأرىand spark-kindling الزِنادthe fire-sticks
مِن ألمعي الذهن وَأرى الزِناد
So take the riddle's answer from Ahmad,
So take the answer to the riddle from Ahmad
From one keen of mind, whose fire-sticks spark.
The brightest minded and clearest-sighted one
ثُمthen صَلاةthe blessing of اللَهGod تَغشىenvelops الَّذيthe one whom
ثُم صَلاة اللَه تَغشى الَّذي
سَماهhe named him فيin اللغزthe riddle فخلso abandon العِنادobstinacy
سَماه في اللغز فخل العِناد
Then may God's blessing envelop the one
Then the prayer of God covers the one
Whom he named in the riddle; so abandon obstinacy.
He named in the riddle, eminent glory his.
Sol 6.1