شَهِدَتْbore witness دَواةُthe inkwell of الفَتْحِal-Fath ساعةَat the moment of فَتحِهاits opening
شَهِدَتْ دَواةُ الفَتْحِ ساعةَ فَتحِها
أَنَّthat الحَديدَiron مَنَافِعٌbenefits لِلنَّاسِfor humankind
أَنَّ الحَديدَ مَنَافِعٌ لِلنَّاسِ
Al-Fath’s inkwell bore witness, the moment it was opened,
that iron brings benefits to humankind.
وَلجنْسِهاand its kind has البَأْسُmight الشَّدِيدُfierce وَهذهِand this one
وَلجنْسِها البَأْسُ الشَّدِيدُ وَهذهِ
فَضَلَتْexcelled عليهِover it بالنَّدَىin generosity والبَاسِand might
فَضَلَتْ عليهِ بالنَّدَى والبَاسِ
Its kind possesses fierce might, yet this one
surpassed it in generosity and might.
تَقِفُstand الصَّوارِمُthe keen swords وَهْيwhile it is جَالِسَةٌseated لهاit possesses
تَقِفُ الصَّوارِمُ وَهْي جَالِسَةٌ لها
شَرَفُthe honor of القِيامِthose standing وَسؤْدَدُand the eminence of الجُلاسِthose seated
شَرَفُ القِيامِ وَسؤْدَدُ الجُلاسِ
The keen swords stand while it sits; it possesses
the honor of those standing and the eminence of those seated.
تُلْهِيdistracts بِجَوْهرِهَاwith its precious substance وَجَوْهَرِand the gems of لفْظهِhis speech
تُلْهِي بِجَوْهرِهَا وَجَوْهَرِ لفْظهِ
ثَغْرَthe mouth of المَلِيحَةِthe beautiful woman عَنfrom حَبَابِthe bubbles of الكاسِthe winecup
ثَغْرَ المَلِيحَةِ عَن حَبَابِ الكاسِ
With its precious substance and the gems of his speech, it distracts
the beauty’s mouth from the winecup’s bubbles.
وَبِهاand with it تَحلَّتْadorned itself حِلَّةًa robe شَرُفَتْwas ennobled بِهاby it
وَبِها تَحلَّتْ حِلَّةً شَرُفَتْ بِها
كَمْmany a لابِسٍwearer أَضحَىhas become جَمَالَthe beauty of لِبَاسِa garment
كَمْ لابِسٍ أَضحَى جَمَالَ لِبَاسِ
And a robe adorned itself with it, ennobled by it—
many a wearer has become the beauty of the garment!
عَلِقَclung النُّضَارُpure gold بِهاto it وَقَدْand indeed رَقَّتْgrew tender لهُtoward it
عَلِقَ النُّضَارُ بِها وَقَدْ رَقَّتْ لهُ
فَاعجَبْso marvel لِقَاسِيَةٍat a hard one تَرِقُّgrows tender لِقاسٍtoward a hard one
فَاعجَبْ لِقَاسِيَةٍ تَرِقُّ لِقاسٍ
Pure gold clung to it, and it grew tender toward gold;
so marvel at one hard thing growing tender toward another!
هِنْدِيَّةٌIndian عَبِقَتْgave off fragrance لناfor us أَنفاسُهاits breaths
هِنْدِيَّةٌ عَبِقَتْ لنا أَنفاسُها
وَجَرَىand flowed لهاthrough it ذِكْرهُhis name مَعَwith الأَنفاسِthe breaths
وَجَرَى لها ذِكْرهُ مَعَ الأَنفاسِ
It is Indian; its breaths have wafted fragrance to us,
and through it his name has flowed with every breath.
وأَثابَهاand repaid it المنصورُal-Mansur لِلمهدِىto the giver إذاًthen
وأَثابَها المنصورُ لِلمهدِى إذاً
هَمَلتْit shed سَواداًblackness مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of العَبَّاسِal-Abbas
هَمَلتْ سَواداً مِن بَني العَبَّاسِ
And al-Mansur repaid the giver for it; then
it shed blackness from the sons of al-Abbas.
والنُّورُand the light فيin ذاكَthat السَّوادِblackness كَأنَّماas though
والنُّورُ في ذاكَ السَّوادِ كَأنَّما
نَظَرَتْit gazed إليكَat you بَعَيْنِwith the eye of ذاتِone possessing كِناسِa covert
نَظَرَتْ إليكَ بَعَيْنِ ذاتِ كِناسِ
And with the light in that blackness, it is as though
it gazed at you with the eye of a gazelle in its covert.
Sol 6.1