وَكانَand he was سِدَادَa barrier البَابِthe door عَنagainst مَسْلكِthe path of الهَوَىdesire
وَكانَ سِدَادَ البَابِ عَن مَسْلكِ الهَوَى
وَصَاحِبَand a man of رَأْيٍjudgment كَمْhow many هَدَىhe guided بِسَدادهِby his sound judgment
وَصَاحِبَ رَأْيٍ كَمْ هَدَى بِسَدادهِ
And he was a barrier at the door against the path of desire,
The bolt on the door barred the path of desire,
And a man of judgment—how many he guided by his sound counsel!
And the wise man - how many were guided by his wisdom!
وَسِتْراًand a veil علَىover السِّتْرِthe curtain الرَّفِيعِlofty بَهاؤهُits splendor
وَسِتْراً علَى السِّتْرِ الرَّفِيعِ بَهاؤهُ
بهِthrough him وَيَزينُand adorns السيفَthe sword حُسْنُthe beauty of نِجادِهِits baldric
بهِ وَيَزينُ السيفَ حُسْنُ نِجادِهِ
And a veil over the lofty curtain, whose splendor
It was a veil over the sublime veil - his brilliance;
Was due to him; and the sword is adorned by the beauty of its baldric.
By it the sword is adorned - the beauty of its making.
وَقَالواand they said المَقَاصِيريُّal-Maqasiri فيin وَصْفِdescribing صَنْدَلٍSandal (sandalwood)
وَقَالوا المَقَاصِيريُّ في وَصْفِ صَنْدَلٍ
لِفَأْلٍfor an omen جَرَىarose بالسَّعْدِwith good fortune قَبْلَbefore وِلادهِhis birth
لِفَأْلٍ جَرَى بالسَّعْدِ قَبْلَ وِلادهِ
And they said 'al-Maqasiri' in describing Sandal,
They said of al-Maqasiri in describing a sandal,
For an omen of good fortune that arose before his birth.
"Success flowed with it before its birth."
وَكانتْand were مَقَاصِيرُthe chambers of الجِنَانِthe gardens of Paradise مَحَلّهُhis abode
وَكانتْ مَقَاصِيرُ الجِنَانِ مَحَلّهُ
وَسَادَand he attained eminence وَقَدْand already أَمسَتُbecame مَقَرَّthe resting place of وِسَادِهِhis pillow
وَسَادَ وَقَدْ أَمسَتُ مَقَرَّ وِسَادِهِ
And the chambers of Paradise were his abode,
The gardens of paradise were its home,
And he attained eminence, while they had become his pillow’s resting place.
And it ruled though the place of its throne was but a sandal.
وَلَمَّاand when غَداhe became إنسانَthe pupil of عَيْنِthe eye of زَمَانِهhis age
وَلَمَّا غَدا إنسانَ عَيْنِ زَمَانِه
بَداappeared النُّورthe light شَفَّافاًtranslucent لَناto us فيin سَوادهِhis blackness
بَدا النُّور شَفَّافاً لَنا في سَوادهِ
And when he became the pupil of his age’s eye,
When as a human he was the eye of his time,
Light appeared to us, translucent within his blackness.
The light dawned on us sheer in its darkness.
وَبيّضand whitened إسلامُembrace of Islam النَّجاشيِّal-Najashi وَجهَهُhis face
وَبيّض إسلامُ النَّجاشيِّ وَجهَهُ
وَقَيْصَرُand Caesar دَاجٍdark وَجْهُهُhis face بِعِنادهِthrough his obstinacy
وَقَيْصَرُ دَاجٍ وَجْهُهُ بِعِنادهِ
And al-Najashi’s embrace of Islam whitened his face,
Islam whitened the face of the Negus,
While Caesar’s face is dark through his obstinacy.
While Caesar's face was darkened by his obstinacy.
Sol 6.1