أرَىI see الثَّغْرthe port بَسَّاماًsmiling بِذِكْرِكَwith mention of you عَاطِراًfragrant
أرَى الثَّغْر بَسَّاماً بِذِكْرِكَ عَاطِراً
تَبضَّعَprocured merchandise مِنهُfrom it الدُّرُّpearls والمِسْكُand musk جَالِبُan importer
تَبضَّعَ مِنهُ الدُّرُّ والمِسْكُ جَالِبُ
I see the port smiling, fragrant with the mention of you.
I see your smile light up mouths like fragrant pearls
An importer has procured pearls and musk from it.
From which ambergris and musk are extracted
أقَمْتَyou raised مَنَارَthe beacon of العَدْلِjustice فَوْقَabove مَنارِهِits lighthouse
أقَمْتَ مَنَارَ العَدْلِ فَوْقَ مَنارِهِ
فَلاذَتْso sought refuge بِحَقْويهِat its two flanks النُّجومُthe stars الثَّواقِبُthe piercing ones
فَلاذَتْ بِحَقْويهِ النُّجومُ الثَّواقِبُ
You raised the beacon of justice above its lighthouse,
You erected the minaret of justice above its minarets
so the piercing stars sought refuge at its flanks.
So the fixed stars took shelter in its pillars
وَيَّمهُand made for it مَنwhoever فيin البَسطِيْنِthe two expanses سَالِكٌa traveler
وَيَّمهُ مَن في البَسطِيْنِ سَالِكٌ
فَحَادٍthus a camel-driver وَمَلاَّحٌand a sailor وَماشٍand a walker وَرَاكِبُand a rider
فَحَادٍ وَمَلاَّحٌ وَماشٍ وَرَاكِبُ
And every traveler across the two expanses made for it—
It is frequented by all who tread the two continents
camel-driver and sailor, walker and rider.
Traveler, sailor, walker or rider
وَأَوْرَدْتَand you led to water لَيْثَthe lion of الغَابِthe forest والأُسْدِand the lions مَشْرَعاًa watering place
وَأَوْرَدْتَ لَيْثَ الغَابِ والأُسْدِ مَشْرَعاً
غَداbecame جَانِحاًinclining فيin السِّلْمpeace فِيهِin it المُحَارِبُthe warrior
غَدا جَانِحاً في السِّلْم فِيهِ المُحَارِبُ
You brought the forest lion and the lions to a watering place
You brought the lion of the jungle and the lion to pasture
where the warrior came to incline toward peace.
Tomorrow it turns docile, warring no more
فَمَاso not رَعَدَتْtrembled فيهِin it لِظَبْيٍa gazelle's فَرائِصٌflank muscles
فَمَا رَعَدَتْ فيهِ لِظَبْيٍ فَرائِصٌ
وَلاnor نَشَبَتْsank in فيهِin it لِلَيْثَa lion's مَخَالِبُclaws
وَلا نَشَبَتْ فيهِ لِلَيْثَ مَخَالِبُ
So no gazelle's flank muscles trembled there,
No claws or talons are bared there by beasts
nor did a lion's claws sink in there.
No weapons are drawn by warriors
إذاwhen نَاطِقٌa speaker سَمَّاكَnames you فَالماءُthen the water جَامِدٌfrozen
إذا نَاطِقٌ سَمَّاكَ فَالماءُ جَامِدٌ
لِمَوْقِعهِbecause of its impact فيin القَلْبِthe heart والصَّخْرُand rock ذَائِبُmelting
لِمَوْقِعهِ في القَلْبِ والصَّخْرُ ذَائِبُ
When a speaker names you, water freezes
When you are praised, the water stands still
from its impact on the heart, while rock melts.
As your name settles into hearts like melting rock
وَمَاand not ذاكَthat إلاَّexcept أَنَّهُthat he خَافَfeared رَبَّهُhis Lord
وَمَا ذاكَ إلاَّ أَنَّهُ خَافَ رَبَّهُ
وَهَابُand revered فَكُلٌّso everyone خَائِفٌafraid مِنهُof him هائِبُin awe
وَهَابُ فَكُلٌّ خَائِفٌ مِنهُ هائِبُ
And that is only because he feared his Lord
That is only because they fear their Lord
and revered Him; so everyone fears him and stands in awe.
And all in awe of you stand trembling
تَدرَّعَdonned as armor ثَوْبَthe garment of الهَوْلِterror واللَّيْلُwhile the night يَافِعٌyoung
تَدرَّعَ ثَوْبَ الهَوْلِ واللَّيْلُ يَافِعٌ
وَشَابَتْand grew gray بهِthrough it فَوْداهُhis two temple-locks واللَّيْلُwhile the night شَائِبُgray-haired
وَشَابَتْ بهِ فَوْداهُ واللَّيْلُ شَائِبُ
He donned terror's garment as armor while the night was young;
You don the robe of awe and the night grows dark
and his temple-locks grew gray through it, while the night was gray.
Its furrows creased, the night grows grey
وَأَصبحَand became مَطلوباًpursued مِنby الدَّهرِTime خَائِفاًafraid
وَأَصبحَ مَطلوباً مِن الدَّهرِ خَائِفاً
وَكَيْفَand how لهُfor him بِالأَمْنِwith safety والدَّهْرُwhile Time طَالِبُa pursuer
وَكَيْفَ لهُ بِالأَمْنِ والدَّهْرُ طَالِبُ
And he became Time's hunted quarry, afraid;
And dawn breaks to find you sought yet afraid
and how could he be safe when Time is the pursuer?
How can you feel safe when time is hunting you?
إذاif أَنتَyou جَارٌa neighbor لابنto Ibn (son of) بِاخِلَBakhil فاعتَصِمْthen seek refuge
إذا أَنتَ جَارٌ لابن بِاخِلَ فاعتَصِمْ
بِأَرْوَعَin a noble man لَمْnot تَطْرُقْassail حِمَاهُhis sanctuary النوائِبُcalamities
بِأَرْوَعَ لَمْ تَطْرُقْ حِمَاهُ النوائِبُ
If you are a neighbor of Ibn Bakhil, seek refuge
Neighbor of the heir of Bakheel, seek protection
in a noble man whose sanctuary calamities have never assailed.
In the most wondrous shelter, safe from afflictions
وَنَادٍand call out بِنَادٍin a gathering لِلأميرِof the prince مُحمَّدٍMuhammad
وَنَادٍ بِنَادٍ لِلأميرِ مُحمَّدٍ
أَلاlisten! مَنwho يُغاليvies for the utmost فيin العُلاthe heights وَيُغَالِبُand strives to prevail
أَلا مَن يُغالي في العُلا وَيُغَالِبُ
And call out in Prince Muhammad's gathering:
Call upon call for Prince Muhammed
Listen: who will vie for the heights and strive to prevail?
Can anyone vie in glory and prevail?
وَصِفْand describe أُمَوِيّاًan Umayyad ماnever لَوَىtwisted المَطْلُprocrastination وَعْدَهُhis promise
وَصِفْ أُمَوِيّاً ما لَوَى المَطْلُ وَعْدَهُ
وَأَنَّىand how could it وَجَدَّاهُwhen his two forefathers لُؤَيٌLu'ayy وَغالبُand Ghalib
وَأَنَّى وَجَدَّاهُ لُؤَيٌ وَغالبُ
And describe an Umayyad whose promise was never warped by delay;
Describe the Umayyad, how oaths twisted him
and how could it be, when his forefathers are Lu'ayy and Ghalib?
Where did they find him, weak and defeated?
وَدَلَّand bore witness علىto آبائهِhis forefathers بإِبائهِthrough his proud refusal
وَدَلَّ على آبائهِ بإِبائهِ
وبالفَرْعand through the branch تَسْتَفْرِىyou trace الأُصُولُthe roots الأَطَايِبُthe finest
وبالفَرْع تَسْتَفْرِى الأُصُولُ الأَطَايِبُ
And his proud spirit bore witness to his forefathers;
His fathers are revealed by his disgrace
and through the branch you trace the finest roots.
The branches lay bare the noble roots
وَقَدْand indeed سَادَsurpassed حَتَّىeven أَوَّلِيهhis forebears بِمَجْدِهِthrough his glory
وَقَدْ سَادَ حَتَّى أَوَّلِيه بِمَجْدِهِ
فَهَاso behold عَبْدُ'Abd (servant of) شَمْسٍShams (the sun) مِنهمُamong them اسْمٌa name مُنَاسِبُfitting
فَهَا عَبْدُ شَمْسٍ مِنهمُ اسْمٌ مُنَاسِبُ
And by his glory he surpassed even his forebears;
He ruled to the extent of overpowering his peers
so behold 'Abd Shams among them—a fitting name.
How many difficulties has he resolved? How can
وَكْمٌand how many مُشْكلاتٍdifficulties قَدindeed جَلاهاhe cleared them وكَيفَand how لاnot
وَكْمٌ مُشْكلاتٍ قَد جَلاها وكَيفَ لا
يُخَلَّىbe cleared away بِضَوْءِby the light of الشَّمسِthe sun وَهْيَwhile they are غَيَاهِبُdeep darkness
يُخَلَّى بِضَوْءِ الشَّمسِ وَهْيَ غَيَاهِبُ
And how many difficulties he has cleared—and why should they not
The sun's rays not dispel even the deepest darkness?
be dispelled by the sun's light, when they are deep darkness?
The Ukaz market his quadrangle and its measure
وسُوقُand the market of عكاظٍ'Ukaz رَبْعُهُhis abode وَهْوَand he قُسُّهُits Quss
وسُوقُ عكاظٍ رَبْعُهُ وَهْوَ قُسُّهُ
وَهَاand behold نَحنُwe أَلقَتْناhave cast us إليهِto him السَّبَاسِبُthe vast plains
وَهَا نَحنُ أَلقَتْنا إليهِ السَّبَاسِبُ
And the market of 'Ukaz is his abode, and he is its Quss;
To him we have relinquished the reins
and here we are—the vast plains have cast us to him.
The disciplines of study and self he has mastered
وَآدابُand the refinements of دَرْسٍstudy ثُمَّthen نَفْسٍcharacter حَواهُماhe possessed them both
وَآدابُ دَرْسٍ ثُمَّ نَفْسٍ حَواهُما
فَقَدْso indeed نَاسَبَتْhave matched تِلكَthose المَُاليlofty merits المَناسِبُancestry
فَقَدْ نَاسَبَتْ تِلكَ المَُالي المَناسِبُ
And the refinements of study, then of character—he possessed both;
Befitting his exalted qualities
so those lofty merits have indeed matched his ancestry.
What wisdom you bring, what marvels
وَكَمْand how many حِكَمٍmaxims تَأْتيyou come بِهاwith them وَعَجَائِبٍand marvels
وَكَمْ حِكَمٍ تَأْتي بِها وَعَجَائِبٍ
بِهاwith them تَأْنَسُfeel at home الأَفْهامُminds وَهْيَthough they are غَرائِبُstrange things
بِها تَأْنَسُ الأَفْهامُ وَهْيَ غَرائِبُ
And how many maxims and marvels you bring,
With which minds are delighted, however novel
with which minds feel at home, though they are strange!
It is as if we see Alexander still living
كَأنَّاas though we نَرَىsee الإسكندرَAlexander الآنَnow قاطِناًresiding
كَأنَّا نَرَى الإسكندرَ الآنَ قاطِناً
بِبلدتهِin his city أوأرسطاor Aristotle (first part) ليسَAristotle (name ending) نَائِبُa deputy
بِبلدتهِ أوأرسطا ليسَ نَائِبُ
As though we see Alexander now residing
In his town or Aristotle, no deputy
in his city, or Aristotle acting as deputy.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1