هلُمّواcome, all of you اِسمَعواlisten, all of you أُحجِيَّةًa riddle أَبَتِrefused النَّقصاimperfection
هلُمّوا اِسمَعوا أُحجِيَّةً أَبَتِ النَّقصا
فَقَدfor indeed لَطُفَتit was subtle مَعنىًin meaning كَماjust as حَسُنَتit was beautiful شَخصاin form
فَقَد لَطُفَت مَعنىً كَما حَسُنَت شَخصا
Come, hear a riddle that admits no imperfection:
Come and listen to a riddle that spurned all defect
subtle in meaning, as it is beautiful in form.
For it refined meaning as it perfected form
وَهَيفاءَand a slender one شَمطاءَgray-haired الفُروعِin the branches رُضابُهاher saliva
وَهَيفاءَ شَمطاءَ الفُروعِ رُضابُها
شفاءًhealing كَنَصلِlike the blade of السَيفِthe sword لاnot يَسأَمُtires of الرَّقصاdancing
شفاءً كَنَصلِ السَيفِ لا يَسأَمُ الرَّقصا
And a slender one, gray-haired in her branches, whose saliva
The airy, proud-branched palm, its flourishing is healing
is healing, like a sword blade that never tires of dancing.
Like the blade of a sword, tireless in its dance
كَأَنَّas though لَهاshe has عِندَwith الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades وَديعَةًan entrusted deposit
كَأَنَّ لَها عِندَ الثُرَيّا وَديعَةً
فَقَدfor indeed حَرَصَتshe strove eagerly فيin أَنto تَناوَلَهاreach it حِرصَاeagerly
فَقَد حَرَصَت في أَن تَناوَلَها حِرصَا
As though she had something entrusted to the Pleiades,
As though it has, by the Pleiades, a darling
so eagerly has she striven to reach it.
It strove to take her into its embrace
إِلىtoward قُرصِهاher disk جَرَّتdrew يَدُthe hand of الشَمسِthe sun نارَهاits fire
إِلى قُرصِها جَرَّت يَدُ الشَمسِ نارَها
لِتَحميto protect بِهِwith it مِنfrom بَردِthe chill of أَمواهِهاher waters القُرصاthe disk
لِتَحمي بِهِ مِن بَردِ أَمواهِها القُرصا
The sun's hand drew its fire toward her disk,
The sun stretched out its fiery hand to its orb
to shield the disk with it from the chill of her waters.
To warm it from the coldness of its water pure
وَتَحسَبُand you suppose ماwhatever فيon الأَرضِthe earth مِنof شِيَةٍa mark بَدَتappeared
وَتَحسَبُ ما في الأَرضِ مِن شِيَةٍ بَدَت
عَلىon الخَدِّthe cheek مِنهُof it عَضَّهاher biting فيهِin it وَالقَرصاand pinching
عَلى الخَدِّ مِنهُ عَضَّها فيهِ وَالقَرصا
And you take any mark upon the earth that appears
It reckons what fear shows on earth’s cheek
on its cheek to be her biting and pinching it.
Is from its bite, imprinted there obscure
إِلىto الأُفقِthe horizon الأَعلىthe highest تَعالَتshe rose مُنيفَةًtowering
إِلى الأُفقِ الأَعلى تَعالَت مُنيفَةً
فَنَحنُso we نَرىsee الجَوزاءَal-Jawza, a constellation فيin أُذنِهاher ear خُرصاan earring
فَنَحنُ نَرى الجَوزاءَ في أُذنِها خُرصا
To the highest horizon she has risen, towering,
To the highest horizon it climbs, lofty
so we see al-Jawza as an earring in her ear.
And we see the ear of corn in its ear mature
وَقَدand indeed ضَجَّgroaned بَطنُthe belly of الأَرضِthe earth مِنfrom ثِقلِthe weight of وَطئِهاher tread
وَقَد ضَجَّ بَطنُ الأَرضِ مِن ثِقلِ وَطئِها
كَماjust as أَنَّindeed أَعلاهاher upper part بِهِon it الجَوُّthe air قَدhas غَصّاchoked
كَما أَنَّ أَعلاها بِهِ الجَوُّ قَد غَصّا
And the belly of the earth has groaned beneath the weight of her tread,
The belly of the earth groans from its heavy tread
just as the air has choked upon her upper part.
As the sky above it chokes, no longer demure
وَتَنثُرُand she scatters دُرّاًpearls مِنof لُجَينٍsilver عَلىover صَفاًsmooth rock
وَتَنثُرُ دُرّاً مِن لُجَينٍ عَلى صَفاً
لِكَثرَتِهِbecause of its abundance ماnot إِنat all (emphasis) يُعَدُّis counted وَلاnor يُحصىis tallied
لِكَثرَتِهِ ما إِن يُعَدُّ وَلا يُحصى
And she scatters pearls of silver over smooth rock,
It scatters pearls of dew on the plain’s sheen
so plentiful they can neither be counted nor tallied.
Too many to count, no mind can endure
وَمِنand from حَولِهاaround her تَنميgrow فُروعٌbranches مُنيفَةٌtowering
وَمِن حَولِها تَنمي فُروعٌ مُنيفَةٌ
بِجُرثومَةٍon a rootstock أَضحَتhas become لِخاتَمِهاfor her ring فَصّاa gem
بِجُرثومَةٍ أَضحَت لِخاتَمِها فَصّا
And around her grow towering branches,
Around it tender branches bloom anew
on a rootstock that has become the gem of her ring.
With a tuft become its ring, a perfect cure
وَقَدand indeed سَجَدَتprostrated themselves فيon الأَرضِthe ground خاضِعَةًsubmissively لَهاbefore her
وَقَد سَجَدَت في الأَرضِ خاضِعَةً لَها
ثَلاثُthree المَيازيبِthe waterspouts الَّتيthat نَفَتِbanished النَقصاimperfection
ثَلاثُ المَيازيبِ الَّتي نَفَتِ النَقصا
And prostrate on the ground, bowing before her, lie
Bowing down before it, humbled, are the three date palms
the three waterspouts that have banished imperfection.
That spurned all defect, this I ensure
بِهاwith her جادَgave generously مَنHe who أَسرىtook by night بِلَيلٍat night بِعَبدِهِHis servant
بِها جادَ مَن أَسرى بِلَيلٍ بِعَبدِهِ
مِنَfrom المَسجِدِthe mosque الأَعلىthe highest إِلىto المَسجِدِthe mosque الأَقصىthe farthest (al-Aqsa)
مِنَ المَسجِدِ الأَعلى إِلى المَسجِدِ الأَقصى
She was freely bestowed by Him who took His servant by night
With it travelled He by night with His servant
from the Highest Mosque to al-Aqsa Mosque,
From the Far Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, so pure
عَلىthrough يَدِthe hand of عَبدِservant of اللَهِGod وَالصاحِبِand the vizier الَّذيwho
عَلى يَدِ عَبدِ اللَهِ وَالصاحِبِ الَّذي
بِإِحسانِهِthrough his kindness كَمhow often عَمَّbenefited broadly قَوماًpeople وَكَمand how often خَصّاfavored particularly
بِإِحسانِهِ كَم عَمَّ قَوماً وَكَم خَصّا
through the hand of Abd Allah and the vizier who
By the hand of Abdullah and his noble friend
has so often, through his kindness, favored people broadly and singled others out.
Who blessed his people, shunning the obscure
عَلىabove ماءِthe water of فَوّاراتِthe fountains of جَيرونَJayrun جودُهُhis generosity
عَلى ماءِ فَوّاراتِ جَيرونَ جودُهُ
فَعافيهِso his petitioner قَبضاًby the handful يَأخُذُtakes المالَmoney لاnot قَبصاby the pinch
فَعافيهِ قَبضاً يَأخُذُ المالَ لا قَبصا
His generosity surpasses the waters of Jayrun's fountains,
With the flowing waters of Jiran, his generosity
so his petitioner takes money by the handful, not by the pinch.
Gives freely, seizing wealth not to immure
بِهِthrough him الجامِعُthe congregational mosque المَعمورُflourishing رَفرَفَfluttered نَسرُهُits eagle
بِهِ الجامِعُ المَعمورُ رَفرَفَ نَسرُهُ
بِريشٍwith feathers أَثيثِthick النَبتِin growth مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat حَصّاhad grown bald
بِريشٍ أَثيثِ النَبتِ مِن بَعدِ ما حَصّا
Through him, the flourishing congregational mosque's eagle fluttered,
The full mosque fluttered its eagle there
with thick-growing feathers, after it had gone bald.
In fresh plumage, after barrenness mature
وَأَفعَمَand he filled بِالتَرخيمِwith marble paving فيon الأَرضِthe ground صَحنَهُits courtyard
وَأَفعَمَ بِالتَرخيمِ في الأَرضِ صَحنَهُ
وَكانَand had been بِهِtherein الآجرthe brick قَدalready عانَقَembraced الجَصّاthe plaster
وَكانَ بِهِ الآجر قَد عانَقَ الجَصّا
And he filled its courtyard floor with marble paving,
And he bellowed as he paved its ground
where brick had once embraced plaster.
The brick embracing plaster, charm secure
وَلَمّاand when عَرىbefell جُدرانَهُits walls العُريُnakedness فَاِكتَسَتso they donned
وَلَمّا عَرى جُدرانَهُ العُريُ فَاِكتَسَت
قُشَعريرَةًa shiver أَوصىhe ordered بِأَنthat يُلبَسَit be clothed in الفَصّاmosaic tesserae
قُشَعريرَةً أَوصى بِأَن يُلبَسَ الفَصّا
And when nakedness befell its walls and they donned
When its walls were bare, it was clad
a shiver, he ordered it clad in mosaic.
At his decree, in marble bright and demure
فَدامَتso may it endure لِأَيّامِfor the days of الوَزيرِthe vizier سُعودُهاtheir good fortune
فَدامَت لِأَيّامِ الوَزيرِ سُعودُها
فَفيهاfor in them رَأَيناwe have seen العَدلَjustice وَالأَمنَand security وَالرُخصاand low prices
فَفيها رَأَينا العَدلَ وَالأَمنَ وَالرُخصا
So may the good fortune of the vizier's days endure;
His prosperity endured for the minister’s days
for in them we have seen justice, security, and low prices.
Justice, safety and ease here endure
وَلاand may he not زالَcease to be فيin كُلِّall الأُمورِaffairs مُوَفَّقاًgranted success
وَلا زالَ في كُلِّ الأُمورِ مُوَفَّقاً
فَلاso not رَأيُهُhis judgment يُقصىis set aside وَلاnor أَمرُهُhis command يُعصىis disobeyed
فَلا رَأيُهُ يُقصى وَلا أَمرُهُ يُعصى
And may he always be granted success in every affair,
In all matters successful, divinely blessed
so that his judgment is never set aside, nor his command disobeyed.
His counsel unfailing, his rule we endure
Sol 6.1