فَياso, oh عَجَباwhat a wonder مِمّاat what يَظُنُّsupposes مُحَمَّدٌMuhammad
فَيا عَجَبا مِمّا يَظُنُّ مُحَمَّدٌ
وَلَلظَنُّand surely supposition فيin بَعضِsome المَواطِنِcircumstances غَرّارُdeceptive
وَلَلظَنُّ في بَعضِ المَواطِنِ غَرّارُ
So, how astonishing is what Muhammad supposes!
Oh, the wonder of what Muhammad supposes!
And surely supposition is deceptive in some circumstances.
For supposition, in some respects, is misleading.
يُقَدِّرُhe reckons أَنَّthat المُلكَkingship طوعُobedient to يَمينِهِhis right hand
يُقَدِّرُ أَنَّ المُلكَ طوعُ يَمينِهِ
وَمِنand from دونِthis side of ماwhat يَرجوhopes for المُقَدِّرُthe reckoner أَقدارُdecrees of fate
وَمِن دونِ ما يَرجو المُقَدِّرُ أَقدارُ
He reckons that kingship is at his right hand’s command,
He reckons that kingship is under his control,
Yet decrees of fate stand between the reckoner and what he hopes for.
Yet beyond what he hopes, Destiny has its ways.
لَهُhe has كُلَّevery يَومٍday مُنيَةٌa wish وَطَماعَةٌand a craving
لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ مُنيَةٌ وَطَماعَةٌ
وَنَبذُand snatches قَريضٍof verse بِالأَمانيِّwith wishes سَيّارُwidely circulating
وَنَبذُ قَريضٍ بِالأَمانيِّ سَيّارُ
Each day he has a wish and a craving,
Each day he has a demise and greediness,
And snatches of verse circulate, laden with wishes.
And casting hopes with wishes ever-flowing.
لَئِنeven if هُوَhe أَعفىlet grow freely لِلذِلافَةِfor the caliphate (conjectural reading; unclear as written) لِمَّةًshoulder-length locks
لَئِن هُوَ أَعفى لِلذِلافَةِ لِمَّةً
لَهاit has طُرَّرٌforelocks فَوقَabove الجَبينِthe brow وَأَطرارُand fringes
لَها طُرَّرٌ فَوقَ الجَبينِ وَأَطرارُ
Even if he has let his locks grow for the caliphate [conjectural reading],
If he spares the lowly for a brief moment,
With forelocks above the brow and fringes,
Over his forehead are locks and braids flowing.
وَأَبدىand displayed لَهاto it وَجهاًa face نَقيّاًunblemished كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَأَبدى لَها وَجهاً نَقيّاً كَأَنَّهُ
وَقَدand already نُقِشَتwere engraved فيهِupon it العَوارِضُthe cheek-whiskers دينارُa dinar
وَقَد نُقِشَت فيهِ العَوارِضُ دينارُ
And shown it an unblemished face, as though that face,
He shows them a face pure as if engraved on it
With cheek-whiskers engraved upon it, were a dinar,
Are features minted on dinars gold glowing.
وَرامَand sought العُلىeminence بِالشِعرِthrough hair (contextual reading of the wordplay) وَالشِعرِand poetry دائِباًunceasingly
وَرامَ العُلى بِالشِعرِ وَالشِعرِ دائِباً
فَفيso among الناسِpeople شُعرٌhairy men خامِلونَobscure وَشُعّارُand poets
فَفي الناسِ شُعرٌ خامِلونَ وَشُعّارُ
And tirelessly sought eminence through hair and poetry,
He aspires to supremacy through poetry ever,
Still, among men are hairy men and poets of no renown.
While among people are poets dormant and fervent.
وَإِنّيand I أَرىsee زَنداًa firestick تَواتَرَhas recurred قَدحُهُits striking
وَإِنّي أَرى زَنداً تَواتَرَ قَدحُهُ
وَيوشِكُand soon يَوماًone day أَنto تَشُبَّblaze up لَناfor us النارُthe fire
وَيوشِكُ يَوماً أَن تَشُبَّ لَنا النارُ
And I see a firestick struck again and again,
I see a kindling brand whose cup is passed around,
And one day soon the fire will blaze for us.
Soon a day comes when for us the fire is glowing.
Sol 6.1