ياO مَنyou who أَتىcame upon نَقصdeficiency الزَمانtime فَكملهand perfected it
يا مَن أَتى نَقص الزَمان فَكمله
ماnot تَمreached perfection حَقاًtruly لِلوَرىfor humankind ماwhat تَمreached perfection لهfor him
ما تَم حَقاً لِلوَرى ما تَم له
O you who came upon time's deficiency and made it whole.
What reached perfection in him never truly reached perfection in humankind.
جَمعhe gathered السِيادةpreeminence وَالمَعارفand learning كُلهاall of it
جَمع السِيادة وَالمَعارف كُلها
فَفروعهاso their branches فيin ذاتهhis being مُتَأصلهdeeply rooted
فَفروعها في ذاته مُتَأصله
He united preeminence and all learning.
Thus their branches are rooted in his very being.
أَمسىhe became بِكُلthrough every المكرماتnoble virtue مسوداmade a leader
أَمسى بِكُل المكرمات مسودا
وَسواهand others besides him أَضحىbecame كَالقَضاياlike propositions المهملهneglected
وَسواه أَضحى كَالقَضايا المهمله
He became a leader through every noble virtue.
While others became like neglected propositions.
ذاكَthat one الَّذيwho عادَreturned الكمالperfection لأَصلهto its source
ذاكَ الَّذي عادَ الكمال لأَصله
فَقُلوبso the hearts أَربابmasters الكَمالperfection لَهُto him صلهa bond
فَقُلوب أَرباب الكَمال لَهُ صله
That is the one in whom perfection returned to its source.
Thus the hearts of the masters of perfection are bound to him.
مَنwho ذاthis one يُباريcan rival منone who أَبوهhis father محمدMuhammad
مَن ذا يُباري من أَبوه محمد
وَعَلىand above جَميعall الخَلقcreation رَبيmy Lord فَضلهfavored him
وَعَلى جَميع الخَلق رَبي فَضله
Who can rival one whose father is Muhammad,
whom my Lord favored above all creation?
نَسبa lineage تَصعدascended نورهits light وَضِياؤهand its radiance
نَسب تَصعد نوره وَضِياؤه
حَتّىuntil أَنافtowered عَلىabove أُنوفthe tips السنبلهVirgo
حَتّى أَناف عَلى أُنوف السنبله
A lineage whose light and radiance ascended,
Until it towered above the tips of Virgo.
مِنfrom هاشمHashim مِنfrom خندفKhindif مِنfrom غالبGhalib
مِن هاشم مِن خندف مِن غالب
أَفهلhave you, then سَمعتheard بمثلof the like of تلكَthat السلسلهthe chain
أَفهل سَمعت بمثل تلكَ السلسله
From Hashim, from Khindif, from Ghalib—
Have you, then, heard of a chain like that?
هِيَit دَوحةa spreading tree قرشيةof Quraysh مضريةof Mudar
هِيَ دَوحة قرشية مضرية
أَضحتit became بِأَنواعwith kinds of الفَخارglory مكللهcrowned
أَضحت بِأَنواع الفَخار مكلله
It is a spreading tree of Quraysh and Mudar.
It has become crowned with every kind of glory.
بِكَمالهمconcerning their perfection وَفَخارهمand their glory وَوَقارهمand their dignity
بِكَمالهم وَفَخارهم وَوَقارهم
آياتverses حَقtruth مِنfrom حَكيمOne All-Wise منزلهrevealed
آيات حَق مِن حَكيم منزله
Concerning their perfection, their glory, and their dignity,
Verses of truth have been revealed by One All-Wise.
أَوor مَنwho يُضاهيcan match فَضلهhis excellence وَعُلومهand his learning
أَو مَن يُضاهي فَضله وَعُلومه
وَكفتpoured forth كَأَجفانlike the eyelids of الغَواديmorning rain-clouds المُرسَلهsent forth
وَكفت كَأَجفان الغَوادي المُرسَله
Or who can match his excellence and his learning,
Pouring like the eyelids of morning rain-clouds sent forth?
كشافan unveiler أَسرارsecrets وَدرand pearls خزانةa treasury
كشاف أَسرار وَدر خزانة
وَزلالand pure water بَحرa sea مدهits tide ماhow أَطولهlong it is
وَزلال بَحر مده ما أَطوله
An unveiler of secrets, and a treasury's pearls,
And a sea's pure water—how far its tide reaches!
مفتاحa key أَسرارsecrets البَلاغةeloquence إِنif بَداappeared
مفتاح أَسرار البَلاغة إِن بَدا
تَلخيصهاits summary كانَتit was لَدَيهِwith him مفصلهfully expounded
تَلخيصها كانَت لَدَيهِ مفصله
A key to the secrets of eloquence: should there appear
A summary of it, it would be fully expounded before him.
كنزa treasure جَواهرهits jewels إِذاif أَبصَرتَهاyou beheld them
كنز جَواهره إِذا أَبصَرتَها
فيin ظُلمةdarkness أَبصَرتyou saw ناراًa fire مشعلهblazing
في ظُلمة أَبصَرت ناراً مشعله
A treasure whose jewels, if you beheld them
In darkness, would appear to you as a blazing fire.
عينthe eye الوَرىhumankind قاموسa vast ocean منwhoever قَصدsought الهُدىguidance
عين الوَرى قاموس من قَصد الهُدى
فيin صَدرهhis breast غررthe choicest parts المَعارفknowledge مجملهsummed up
في صَدره غرر المَعارف مجمله
The eye of humankind, an ocean for whoever seeks guidance;
In his breast the finest points of knowledge are summed up.
أنَموذجan exemplar العلماءscholars مغنيone who meets needs منwhoever أَتىcame
أنَموذج العلماء مغني من أَتى
يَبغيseeks الشفاءhealing البَحتpure مِنfrom وَصبlingering sickness الولهpassionate longing
يَبغي الشفاء البَحت مِن وَصب الوله
An exemplar of scholars, meeting the needs of whoever comes
Seeking pure healing from the sickness of longing.
مَولايmy lord إِنيindeed I قَدhave جَعَلتكI made you عدةa safeguard
مَولاي إِني قَد جَعَلتك عدة
لِجماحagainst the unruliness of دَهرtime بِالعناwith hardship ماhow أَعجلهswift it is
لِجماح دَهر بِالعنا ما أَعجله
My lord, indeed I have made you my safeguard
Against time's unruliness—how swift it is to bring hardship!
وَمُساعديand my helper إِنif كُلgrew weary يَوماًone day ساعِديmy forearm
وَمُساعدي إِن كُل يَوماً ساعِدي
وَمَلاذand a refuge نَفسيmy soul فيin الأُمورaffairs المعضلهintractable
وَمَلاذ نَفسي في الأُمور المعضله
And my helper if one day my arm grows weary,
And my soul's refuge in intractable affairs.
فَانهضso rise وَساعدنيand help me بِأَمرwith a matter لَمnot أطقI could bear
فَانهض وَساعدني بِأَمر لَم أطق
حملاًbearing لَهُof it ياO وَيحهwoe to it ماwhat ليfor me وَلهand for it
حملاً لَهُ يا وَيحه ما لي وَله
So rise and help me with a matter I could not
Bear—oh, woe to it! What have I to do with it?
تاللَهby God لَمnot يصبbefell امرءاًa man ماwhat فاتهpassed him by
تاللَه لَم يصب امرءاً ما فاته
جَزماًcertainly وَلَمnor did يفتmiss امرءاًa man ماwhat حمwas decreed لهfor him
جَزماً وَلَم يفت امرءاً ما حم له
By God, what passed a man by never befell him—
Assuredly; nor did what was decreed for a man pass him by.
فَلَرُبماso indeed, perhaps نالَattained الفَتىthe young man ماwhat أمwas intended لهfor him
فَلَرُبما نالَ الفَتى ما أم له
وَلربماand indeed, perhaps فاتَeluded الفَتىthe young man ماwhat أَملهhe hoped for it
وَلربما فاتَ الفَتى ما أَمله
So a young man may attain what was intended for him,
And a young man may miss what he hoped for.
Sol 6.1