ضُرِبَتwere struck إِلىtoward قَصدِseeking الشِهابِal-Shihab القوصيal-Qusi
ضُرِبَت إِلى قَصدِ الشِهابِ القوصي
آباطُarmpits of إِبِلٍcamels كَالحَناياlike bows خوصِsunken-eyed
آباطُ إِبِلٍ كَالحَنايا خوصِ
To reach al-Shihab al-Qusi, blows were dealt
to the armpits of sunken-eyed camels bent like bows:
مِنof كُلِّevery قَنعاسٍhuge, sturdy camel نَماهُbegot him شَدقَمٌShadqam
مِن كُلِّ قَنعاسٍ نَماهُ شَدقَمٌ
وشِمِلَّةٍand a swift she-camel تَحتَbeneath السَرابِthe mirage رقوصِdancing
وشِمِلَّةٍ تَحتَ السَرابِ رقوصِ
each huge, sturdy camel sprung from Shadqam,
and each swift she-camel dancing beneath the mirage.
كَمhow many نازِلٍone dismounting مِنamong وَفدِهِhis visitors فَمُقَبِّلٍthen one kissing
كَم نازِلٍ مِن وَفدِهِ فَمُقَبِّلٍ
أَخفافَthe padded feet of عودٍan old camel بازِلٍfully mature وَقُلوصِand a young she-camel
أَخفافَ عودٍ بازِلٍ وَقُلوصِ
How many of his visitors dismount, then kiss
the padded feet of an old, mature camel and a young she-camel!
داسَتthey trampled أَداحِيَّnesting hollows of النَعامِostriches سُرىًduring night travel وَكَمand how many
داسَت أَداحِيَّ النَعامِ سُرىً وَكَم
نَبَثَتdug up مَناسِمُهُنَّtheir hoof-tips منof أُفحوصِa scratched-out nest
نَبَثَت مَناسِمُهُنَّ من أُفحوصِ
They trampled ostrich nests during night travel; and how many
nesting hollows their hoof-tips dug up!
يَمَّمنَthey headed for بَحرَa sea of نَدىًgenerosity وَحَبراًand a scholar عالِماًlearned
يَمَّمنَ بَحرَ نَدىً وَحَبراً عالِماً
بِعُلومِin the disciplines of أَهلِthe scholars of الرَأيِreasoned judgment وَالمَنصوصِand authoritative texts
بِعُلومِ أَهلِ الرَأيِ وَالمَنصوصِ
They headed for a sea of generosity and a learned scholar,
versed in the learning of scholars of reasoned judgment and authoritative texts.
حازَacquired العُلومَthe sciences بِجِدِّهِthrough his diligence وَبِكَدِّهِand through his toil
حازَ العُلومَ بِجِدِّهِ وَبِكَدِّهِ
تَاللَهِby God ماnot دَركُattainment of العُلىeminence بِرَخيصِat little cost
تَاللَهِ ما دَركُ العُلى بِرَخيصِ
He acquired the sciences through his diligence and toil;
by God, attaining eminence comes at no small price.
فَبِنَظمِهِso through his verse وَبِنَثرِهِand through his prose الشُعَراءُthe poets وَالand the
فَبِنَظمِهِ وَبِنَثرِهِ الشُعَراءُ وَال
كُتّابُwriters تَبرُزُappear فيin ثِيابِclothes of لُصوصِthieves
كُتّابُ تَبرُزُ في ثِيابِ لُصوصِ
So through his verse and prose, poets and
writers appear in thieves' clothing.
كَلّاnot at all وَلاnor نُجلُwide العُيونِthe eyes رَوانِياًgazing
كَلّا وَلا نُجلُ العُيونِ رَوانِياً
بِجُفونِهِنَّwith their eyelids الكَحلُkohl-dark مِثلُlike الحوصِthe squint-eyed
بِجُفونِهِنَّ الكَحلُ مِثلُ الحوصِ
No indeed: nor are wide-eyed maidens, gazing
through their kohl-dark lids, like the squint-eyed.
وَلَهُand he has فُضولٌexcellences مِنfrom مَواعِظَexhortations جَمَّةٍplentiful
وَلَهُ فُضولٌ مِن مَواعِظَ جَمَّةٍ
كَخَواتِمٍlike rings زينَتwere adorned بِخَيرِwith the finest فُصوصِgemstones
كَخَواتِمٍ زينَت بِخَيرِ فُصوصِ
And he has excellent, plentiful exhortations,
like rings adorned with the finest gems.
مُتَخَلِّصٌextricating himself مِنfrom كُلِّevery مُعيٍtaxing مُشكِلٍtangled problem
مُتَخَلِّصٌ مِن كُلِّ مُعيٍ مُشكِلٍ
أَعياdefeated سِواهُothers besides him بِأَحسَنِwith the finest التَخليصِdisentanglement
أَعيا سِواهُ بِأَحسَنِ التَخليصِ
He extricates himself from every taxing, tangled problem
that defeats others, with the finest resolution.
وَيَصولُand he charges فيin ناديthe assembly of الجِدالِdebate كَأَجدَلٍlike a falcon
وَيَصولُ في نادي الجِدالِ كَأَجدَلٍ
كُلٌّeveryone لَدَيهِbefore him كَالقَطاlike sandgrouse المَقصوصِwith clipped wings
كُلٌّ لَدَيهِ كَالقَطا المَقصوصِ
And in the assembly of debate he charges like a falcon;
everyone before him is like a wing-clipped sandgrouse.
مُستَحسَنُadmired الإِعرابِgrammatical analysis وَالإِغرابِand striking originality وَالand the
مُستَحسَنُ الإِعرابِ وَالإِغرابِ وَال
إِطنابِamplification وَالإِسهابِand elaboration وَالتَلخيصِand concision
إِطنابِ وَالإِسهابِ وَالتَلخيصِ
Admired for his grammatical analysis, originality, and
amplification, elaboration, and concision.
حَسَنُexcellent الجَوابِthe answer عَنِconcerning الصَحيحِthe sound form لِسائِلٍfor a questioner
حَسَنُ الجَوابِ عَنِ الصَحيحِ لِسائِلٍ
وَالناقِصِand the defective verb المَوصولِthe relative pronoun وَالمَنقوصِand the defective noun
وَالناقِصِ المَوصولِ وَالمَنقوصِ
He answers a questioner well on sound forms,
defective verbs, relative pronouns, and defective nouns.
لاno عَيبَfault يوجَدُis found فيهِin him إِلّاexcept أَنَّهُthat he
لا عَيبَ يوجَدُ فيهِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ
فيin كَسبِgaining غَيرِother than الحَمدِpraise غَيرُnot حَريصِeager
في كَسبِ غَيرِ الحَمدِ غَيرُ حَريصِ
No fault is found in him, except that
he is not eager to gain anything other than praise.
وَصّاهُenjoined him بِالمَجدِconcerning glory المُؤَثَّلِfirmly established قَومُهُhis people
وَصّاهُ بِالمَجدِ المُؤَثَّلِ قَومُهُ
فَبَنىso he built العُلىeminence وَأَقَرَّand gladdened عَينَthe eye of الموصيthe one who enjoined him
فَبَنى العُلى وَأَقَرَّ عَينَ الموصي
His people enjoined him to uphold deep-rooted glory;
so he built eminence and gladdened his counselor's eye.
أَلقىcast off رِداءَthe cloak of الكِبرِpride عَنهُfrom himself وَإِنَّهُand indeed he
أَلقى رِداءَ الكِبرِ عَنهُ وَإِنَّهُ
فيin طَيلَسانِa mantle of مَهابَةٍawe-inspiring dignity وَقَميصِand a shirt
في طَيلَسانِ مَهابَةٍ وَقَميصِ
He cast the cloak of pride off himself, yet he
is clad in a mantle and shirt of awe-inspiring dignity.
ياO باAbu (father of) المَحامِدِpraiseworthy deeds أَنتَyou أَوفىmost faithful القَومِof the people ياO
يا با المَحامِدِ أَنتَ أَوفى القَومِ يا
مَنone whose عيصُهُhis stock الأَنصارُthe Ansar أَكرَمُthe noblest عِيصِstock
مَن عيصُهُ الأَنصارُ أَكرَمُ عِيصِ
O Abu al-Mahamid, you are the most faithful of men, O
you whose stock is the Ansar, the noblest stock!
أَبناءُsons of قيلَةٍQayla لاno مَحيصَescape لِذَنبِfor the sin of مَنwhoever
أَبناءُ قيلَةٍ لا مَحيصَ لِذَنبِ مَن
والاهُمُbefriended them يَوماًone day عَنِfrom التَمحيصِpurification
والاهُمُ يَوماً عَنِ التَمحيصِ
The sons of Qayla—no sin of anyone who
ever befriended them escapes purification.
يَزدادُhe grows مِنthrough نَقصِlowering التَواضُعِhumility رِفعَةًin stature
يَزدادُ مِن نَقصِ التَواضُعِ رِفعَةً
عَجَباًhow wondrous لِمَنat one who يَزدادُgrows بِالتَنقيصِthrough diminution
عَجَباً لِمَن يَزدادُ بِالتَنقيصِ
He rises higher through humility's self-lowering;
how wondrous is one who grows through diminution!
لَوif نالَreceived ماwhat هُوَhe أَهلُهُis worthy of it ماnot كانَwould be بِالwith the
لَو نالَ ما هُوَ أَهلُهُ ما كانَ بِال
أَيديfavors الجِسامِgreat سِواهُother than him بِالمَخصوصِsingled out
أَيدي الجِسامِ سِواهُ بِالمَخصوصِ
Had he received what he deserves, no one would be
singled out for great favors except him.
ذوpossessor of الفَضلِmerit مَحرومٌdeprived وَذوand possessor of النُقصانِdeficiency مَرprovided for (first fragment)
ذو الفَضلِ مَحرومٌ وَذو النُقصانِ مَر
زوقٌprovided for (final fragment) يخصُّis singled out بِزينَةِwith the adornment of التَخصيصِspecial favor
زوقٌ يخصُّ بِزينَةِ التَخصيصِ
The man of merit is deprived, while the deficient man is
provided for, singled out with the adornment of special favor.
وَنَدىand the bounty of المُلوكِkings نَظيرُlike أَحراحٍvulvas لِأَبfor virgins (first fragment)
وَنَدى المُلوكِ نَظيرُ أَحراحٍ لِأَب
كارٍvirgins (final fragment) حِمىًa guarded preserve إِلّاexcept عَنِfrom الحُرقوصِthe tiny biting insect
كارٍ حِمىً إِلّا عَنِ الحُرقوصِ
And kings' bounty is like the vulvas of
virgins: guarded against all but the tiny biting insect.
لَوif أَنصَفواthey treated fairly يَوماًone day شِهابَShihab الدينِal-Din أُعwas given (first fragment)
لَو أَنصَفوا يَوماً شِهابَ الدينِ أُع
طِيَwas given (final fragment) مِنof مَناصِبِهِمtheir offices أَجَلَّthe greatest شُقوصِshares
طِيَ مِن مَناصِبِهِم أَجَلَّ شُقوصِ
Had they ever been fair to Shihab al-Din, he would have been
given the greatest shares of their offices.
لَمdid not يَرنُgaze طَرفٌan eye نَحوَهُtoward him بِعَداوَةٍwith enmity
لَم يَرنُ طَرفٌ نَحوَهُ بِعَداوَةٍ
إِلّاexcept وَعادَand returned بِناظِرٍwith an eyeball مَبخوصِgouged out
إِلّا وَعادَ بِناظِرٍ مَبخوصِ
No eye ever gazed toward him in enmity
without returning with its eyeball gouged out.
لاmay not زالَcease منwhoever عادىopposed شِهابَShihab الدينِal-Din ذاpossessing
لا زالَ من عادى شِهابَ الدينِ ذا
جيدٍa neck بِسَطوَةِby the onslaught of بَأسِهِhis might مَوقوصِbroken
جيدٍ بِسَطوَةِ بَأسِهِ مَوقوصِ
May whoever opposes Shihab al-Din always have
a neck broken by the onslaught of his might.
ماnot كُلُّeveryone مَنwho أَدّىdelivered الرِسالَةَthe message مِثلَهُlike him
ما كُلُّ مَن أَدّى الرِسالَةَ مِثلَهُ
قَنصٌhunting لِسِربِfor the flock of الحَمدِpraise خَيرthe finest قَنيصِquarry
قَنصٌ لِسِربِ الحَمدِ خَير قَنيصِ
Not everyone who delivers the message is his equal
in hunting the flock of praise, the finest quarry.
Sol 6.1