تَخَيَّرتُهُI chose him أَطوَلَlongest القَومِof the people باعاin armspan
تَخَيَّرتُهُ أَطوَلَ القَومِ باعا
وَأَرحَبَهُمand the broadest of them فيin المَعاليlofty honors ذِراعاin arm's reach
وَأَرحَبَهُم في المَعالي ذِراعا
I chose him, the farthest-reaching among his people,
And whose arm reaches widest toward lofty honors,
وَآخَذَهُمand their firmest grasper بِعِنانِby the reins of الخُطوبِcalamities
وَآخَذَهُم بِعِنانِ الخُطوبِ
يُجيرُhe grants protection عَلىagainst الدَهرِtime أَمراًa command مُطاعاobeyed
يُجيرُ عَلى الدَهرِ أَمراً مُطاعا
And the firmest to grasp calamities by the reins.
He grants refuge against time with a command obeyed,
بِعَزمٍwith resolve كَبارِقَةِlike the flash of المَشرَفِيِّthe Mashrafi sword
بِعَزمٍ كَبارِقَةِ المَشرَفِيِّ
يَأبىit refuses عَلىupon الهَزِّbrandishing إِلّاanything but قِراعاclashing blows
يَأبى عَلى الهَزِّ إِلّا قِراعا
With resolve like the flash of a Mashrafi sword,
Which, when brandished, accepts nothing but clashing blows.
يُهابُhe is feared وَيُرجىand is looked to لِرَيبِagainst the misfortunes of الزَمانِtime
يُهابُ وَيُرجى لِرَيبِ الزَمانِ
كَالنَصلِlike the blade راقَdelighted عُيوناًeyes وَراعاand frightened
كَالنَصلِ راقَ عُيوناً وَراعا
He is feared and looked to in time's misfortunes,
Like a blade that delighted eyes and frightened them.
وَصَدرٍand a breast وَسيعٍspacious عَلىin facing النائِباتِcalamities
وَصَدرٍ وَسيعٍ عَلى النائِباتِ
يُجيلُhe turns over إِذاwhen غَبَّhe pauses رَأياًa judgment وُساعاfar-reaching
يُجيلُ إِذا غَبَّ رَأياً وُساعا
And with a breast broad enough to bear calamities,
He turns over far-reaching counsel when he pauses.
تَرىyou see كُلَّevery يَومٍday مَعَamid الحادِثاتِcalamities
تَرى كُلَّ يَومٍ مَعَ الحادِثاتِ
عِراكاًa struggle لَهُby him دونَناin our defense أَوor قِراعاclashing blows
عِراكاً لَهُ دونَنا أَو قِراعا
Each day, amid calamities, you see
Him wrestling or clashing in our defense.
لَهُhe has قَلَمٌa pen إِنif جَرىruns غَربُهُits point
لَهُ قَلَمٌ إِن جَرى غَربُهُ
أَمِنّاwe feel safe from القَناthe spears وَخَشيناand we fear اليَراعاthe reed pen
أَمِنّا القَنا وَخَشينا اليَراعا
He has a pen: when its point runs,
We feel safe from spears and fear the reed pen.
وَمِدرَهُand a champion قَولٍof speech يَبُذُّhe outstrips الخُصومَthe opponents
وَمِدرَهُ قَولٍ يَبُذُّ الخُصومَ
إِذاwhen بَلَغواthey reach بِالخِصامِthrough disputing القِذاعاvile abuse
إِذا بَلَغوا بِالخِصامِ القِذاعا
And a champion in speech who outstrips his opponents,
When their disputing reaches vile abuse.
كَعالِيَةِlike the upper shaft of الرُمحِthe spear إِنif طاوَلوهُthey vie with him in height
كَعالِيَةِ الرُمحِ إِن طاوَلوهُ
طالَhe rises high إِلىtoward المَجدِglory نَفساًin spirit وَباعاand in reach
طالَ إِلى المَجدِ نَفساً وَباعا
Like a spear's upper shaft—if they vie with him in height,
He towers toward glory in spirit and reach.
إِذاwhen نَزَعواthey turn away عَنfrom هَوىlove of المُكرُماتِnoble deeds
إِذا نَزَعوا عَن هَوى المُكرُماتِ
مِنَbecause of اللَومِreproach زادَhe increases إِلَيهاtoward them نِزاعاin yearning
مِنَ اللَومِ زادَ إِلَيها نِزاعا
When they turn away from their love of noble deeds
On account of reproach, he yearns for them still more.
بِحَمزَةَthrough Hamza أَمسَيتُI have come to أَلقىface الخُطوبَcalamities
بِحَمزَةَ أَمسَيتُ أَلقى الخُطوبَ
وَأَرميand I shoot at العَدُوَّthe enemy وَأَرقىand I climb اليَفاعاthe heights
وَأَرمي العَدُوَّ وَأَرقى اليَفاعا
Through Hamza, I have come to face calamities,
And shoot at the enemy and climb the heights.
يُدافِعُhe buttresses رُكنِيَmy pillar حَتّىuntil أَنالَI attain
يُدافِعُ رُكنِيَ حَتّى أَنالَ
وَيَدفَعُand he repels عَنّيfrom me الأَعاديthe enemies دِفاعاwith firm repulsion
وَيَدفَعُ عَنّي الأَعادي دِفاعا
He buttresses my pillar until I attain my aim,
And firmly repels my enemies from me.
أَطالَhe lengthened يَديmy hand فَفَرَعتُso I surmounted الهِضابَthe hills
أَطالَ يَدي فَفَرَعتُ الهِضابَ
وَأَطلَعَنيand he raised me بِالنَدىthrough bounty ماas much as اِستَطاعاhe could
وَأَطلَعَني بِالنَدى ما اِستَطاعا
He lengthened my hand's reach, so I surmounted the hills,
And lifted me through bounty as high as he could.
حُقوقٌobligations عَلَيَّupon me رَأىhe considered أَنَّهاthat they were
حُقوقٌ عَلَيَّ رَأى أَنَّها
حُقوّقٌobligations عَليهِupon him فَوالىso he continued وَراعىand attended to them
حُقوّقٌ عَليهِ فَوالى وَراعى
Duties upon me—he considered them
Duties upon himself, so he kept them up and honored them.
فَلاso neither الوَعدُthe promise كانَwas مِطالاًprocrastination ضِماراًbeyond hope of fulfillment
فَلا الوَعدُ كانَ مِطالاً ضِماراً
يَفُرُّthat flees وَلاnor القَولُthe speech زُوراًfalsehood خِداعاdeceit
يَفُرُّ وَلا القَولُ زُوراً خِداعا
So his promise was no deferred, hopeless pledge
That slips away; nor were his words lies and deceit.
صَنَعتَyou bestowed kindness فَتَمَّمتَthen you perfected حُسنَthe beauty of الصَنيعِthe benefaction
صَنَعتَ فَتَمَّمتَ حُسنَ الصَنيعِ
وَكَمand how many صانِعٍa benefactor لاdoes not يَرُبُّnurture اِصطِناعاa benefaction
وَكَم صانِعٍ لا يَرُبُّ اِصطِناعا
You bestowed kindness and perfected its beauty;
And how many a benefactor fails to nurture his kindness!
تَعاطواthey attempted صَنيعَكَyour kindness فَاِستَثقَلوهُso they found it burdensome
تَعاطوا صَنيعَكَ فَاِستَثقَلوهُ
إِنَّindeed التَطَبُّعَaffectation يُعييwearies الطِباعاnatural dispositions
إِنَّ التَطَبُّعَ يُعيي الطِباعا
They tried to imitate your kindness and found it burdensome;
Indeed, affectation wearies one's natural disposition.
وَغَيرُكَand others besides you يَمطُلُdelay فِعلَdoing الجَميلِgood
وَغَيرُكَ يَمطُلُ فِعلَ الجَميلِ
فَإِنand if فَعَلَhe does الفِعلَthe deed يَوماًone day أَضاعاhe squanders it
فَإِن فَعَلَ الفِعلَ يَوماً أَضاعا
And others put off doing good;
If they do the deed one day, they squander it.
تَلَقّاكَgreets you نَيروزُكَyour Nowruz المُستَجِدُّnewly arrived
تَلَقّاكَ نَيروزُكَ المُستَجِدُّ
يَسُرُّit delights عِياناًwhen seen وَيُرضيand pleases سَماعاwhen heard
يَسُرُّ عِياناً وَيُرضي سَماعا
Your newly arrived Nowruz greets you,
Delighting the eye and pleasing the ear.
وَلاand may never زالَcease to be دَهرُكَyour time طَوعَas obedient as الجَنيبِthe led horse
وَلا زالَ دَهرُكَ طَوعَ الجَنيبِ
إِذاwhenever ماan emphatic particle أَمَرتَyou command بِأَمرٍwith a command أَطاعاit obeys
إِذا ما أَمَرتَ بِأَمرٍ أَطاعا
And may your time remain as docile as a led horse,
Obeying whenever you give a command.
تُلاقيyou meet الخُطوبَcalamities ثِقالاًheavy بِطاءًslow
تُلاقي الخُطوبَ ثِقالاً بِطاءً
وَغُرَّand bright-faced الأَمانيhopes عِجالاًhastening سِراعاswift
وَغُرَّ الأَماني عِجالاً سِراعا
May you meet calamities, ponderous and slow,
And bright-faced hopes, hastening and swift.
هُمامٌa noble hero رَمَيتُI cast قِياديmy reins إِلَيهِto him
هُمامٌ رَمَيتُ قِيادي إِلَيهِ
مَآلاًseeking refuge إِلىin شِعبِهِhis mountain pass وَاِنقِطاعاand exclusive devotion
مَآلاً إِلى شِعبِهِ وَاِنقِطاعا
A noble hero—I cast my reins to him,
Seeking refuge in his mountain pass and devoting myself to him alone.
مَدَدتُI extended يَمينيmy right hand فَأَعلَقتُهاso I fastened it
مَدَدتُ يَميني فَأَعلَقتُها
يَداًto a hand بِاِصطِناعِin bestowing الأَياديfavors صَناعاskillful
يَداً بِاِصطِناعِ الأَيادي صَناعا
I stretched out my right hand and fastened it
To a hand skilled in fashioning favors.
إِذاwhen قَرِحَتgrows mature like a horse عِندَناamong us نِعمَةٌa favor
إِذا قَرِحَت عِندَنا نِعمَةٌ
أَعادَhe makes anew أَياديهِhis favors فيناamong us جِذاعاas young steeds
أَعادَ أَياديهِ فينا جِذاعا
When a favor among us grows long in the tooth,
He makes his favors young steeds among us again.
فَلَوso if رامَhe sought قِسمَةَa share of عُمريmy lifetime لَهُfor himself
فَلَو رامَ قِسمَةَ عُمري لَهُ
لَمَwould not أَرضَI consent لَهُfor him العُمرَthe lifetime إِلّاexcept مَشاعاjointly shared
لَمَ أَرضَ لَهُ العُمرَ إِلّا مَشاعا
If he sought a share of my lifetime for himself,
I would consent only to sharing all of it with him.
وَإِنand if هُوَhe ساوَمَنيbargained with me for مُهجَتيmy lifeblood
وَإِن هُوَ ساوَمَني مُهجَتي
صَفَقتُI would strike عَلىupon راحَتَيهِhis two palms بِياعاin a sale
صَفَقتُ عَلى راحَتَيهِ بِياعا
And if he bargained with me for my lifeblood,
I would strike his two palms, sealing the sale.
Sol 6.1