بَلَّغَتْنيit brought me أَضْعَافَmany times مَاwhat أَنَاI راجيhoping for
بَلَّغَتْني أَضْعَافَ مَا أَنَا راجي
وأَتَاحَتْand it afforded مَسرَّتيmy delight وابْتِهاجيand my joy
وأَتَاحَتْ مَسرَّتي وابْتِهاجي
It brought me many times what I hoped for,
You have conveyed to me much more than I hoped for,
And granted me delight and joy.
And provided me joy and elation.
يَاO فَتىًyoung man يُنشِئُcreates الرِّياَضthe gardens علَىupon الطِّرْthe page (continued)
يَا فَتىً يُنشِئُ الرِّياَض علَى الطِّرْ
سِcompletion of 'page' بِكَفٍّwith a hand كالعَارِضِlike a rain cloud الثَّجَّاجِpouring abundantly
سِ بِكَفٍّ كالعَارِضِ الثَّجَّاجِ
O young man who creates gardens upon the page,
O youth who raises gardens with palms like the fluttering eyelids,
With a hand like a rain cloud pouring down!
You have done to minds what the letters ṣād and ḍād do to gentle dispositions,
فَعلَتْit worked بالعُقُولِupon minds مَاwhat تَفعَلُdoes الصَّهْtawny wine (continued)
فَعلَتْ بالعُقُولِ مَا تَفعَلُ الصَّهْ
باءُcompletion of 'tawny wine' صِرْفاًunmixed مَاnot لُيِنّتْit was softened بِمِزاجِwith an admixture
باءُ صِرْفاً مَا لُيِنّتْ بِمِزاجِ
It worked upon minds as tawny wine does,
And meanings that illuminate the blackest souls, like meteors blazing through the gloom.
Pure, undiluted by any admixture.
Your illumination has outshone the sun’s light, so what use is the lamp’s glow?
وَمَعَانٍand meanings تُضِيءُshine فيin أَسْوَدthe darkness of النَّفthe soul (continued)
وَمَعَانٍ تُضِيءُ في أَسْوَد النَّف
سِcompletion of 'soul' كَشُهْبٍlike meteors قَدْindeed أَشرَقَتْhave shone فيin الدَّياجِيthe night's gloom
سِ كَشُهْبٍ قَدْ أَشرَقَتْ في الدَّياجِي
And meanings shine in the darkness of the soul,
We have come to draw its pure, wondrous water, and we have come to it with vessels.
Like meteors that have shone in the night's gloom.
With its strings of pearls it has outshone the necklaces of the jeweler and peddler.
قَدْindeed أَعَارَتْthey have lent ضِياءَهاtheir radiance أَلَقَthe brilliance of الشَّمthe sun (continued)
قَدْ أَعَارَتْ ضِياءَها أَلَقَ الشَّم
سِcompletion of 'sun' فَمَاذاso what يُجْدِيavails ضِياءُthe light of السِّراجِal-Siraj ('the lamp')
سِ فَمَاذا يُجْدِي ضِياءُ السِّراجِ
They have lent their radiance to the sun's brilliance;
So what use is the lamp's light—al-Siraj's?
وَوَرَدْنَاand we came to the water نَمِيَرهاits fresh water الصَّافيَthe clear العَذْsweet (continued)
وَوَرَدْنَا نَمِيَرها الصَّافيَ العَذْ
بَcompletion of 'sweet' وَجِئْنَاand we came لَهُto it بِمَدٍّwith a tide أُجَاجِbriny
بَ وَجِئْنَا لَهُ بِمَدٍّ أُجَاجِ
And we came to its clear, sweet waters,
And came to it with a briny tide.
وَبِإدْراجِهاand through its enclosing جَوَاهِرَjewels جَلَّتْit grew exalted
وَبِإدْراجِها جَوَاهِرَ جَلَّتْ
عَنْbeyond دُسُوتِthe quires of الوَرَّاقal-Warraq ('the stationer') والأَدْراجِand the scrolls
عَنْ دُسُوتِ الوَرَّاق والأَدْراجِ
And, by enclosing jewels, it grew too exalted
For al-Warraq's quires and scrolls.
Partial English translation: 8 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1