أيهاO السيدthe master الذيwho أناI عبدهhis servant
أيها السيد الذي أنا عبده
والذيand who أنطقmade speak المدائحthe praises مجدهhis glory
والذي أنطق المدائح مجده
O master, whose servant I am,
O Lord to whom I am a servant,
and whose glory has made praises speak,
Whose glory my praises voice,
بيin me إلىtoward وجهكyour face الكريمnoble غرامpassion
بي إلى وجهك الكريم غرام
فيin يديهits two hands عفوease اشتياقيmy longing وكدهand its toil
في يديه عفو اشتياقي وكده
I have a passion for your noble face;
Passion for your noble face fills me,
in its hands lie my longing's ease and toil.
In your hands lies cure for my longing and agony.
أناI إنif زرتI visit أوor تخلفتI stay away عبدa servant
أنا إن زرت أو تخلفت عبد
بلrather وليa loyal friend صفاis pure وحقكand by your honor ودهhis affection
بل ولي صفا وحقك وده
Whether I visit or stay away, I am a servant,
Whether I visit or stay away, I'm your servant,
nay, a loyal friend whose love is pure, by your honor.
Faithful to you, your rights and affection.
يستويare equal فيin الوفاءfidelity قربيmy nearness وبعديand my distance
يستوي في الوفاء قربي وبعدي
وسواءand alike قربthe nearness الوفيthe faithful one وبعدهand his distance
وسواء قرب الوفي وبعده
My nearness and distance are equal in fidelity;
In loyalty, my nearness and distance are equal,
alike are the faithful one's nearness and distance.
As are the true loyalist's closeness and remoteness.
سوفshall أثنيI praise علىon مودةthe affection مولىa patron
سوف أثني على مودة مولى
ضاقfell short عنهاof it شكرthanks الكلامspeech وحمدهand its praise
ضاق عنها شكر الكلام وحمده
I shall praise a patron's affection,
I will praise my Master's kindness,
which speech's thanks and praise cannot encompass.
Too vast for words and thanks to encompass.
نجمa star دينfaith فلاso may no اعتراهovertake him أفولsetting
نجم دين فلا اعتراه أفول
صارمa keen sword للهدىfor guidance فلاso may not فلbe blunted حدهhis edge
صارم للهدى فلا فل حده
A star of faith—may no setting ever overtake him;
A star of faith whose setting I'll not witness,
a keen sword for guidance—may his edge never be blunted.
A sharp sword for guidance, its edge never blunt.
قدرهhis rank كاسمهlike his name رفيعlofty فماذاso what
قدره كاسمه رفيع فماذا
منof علوthe loftiness المقدارof rank ينكرdenies ضدهhis rival
من علو المقدار ينكر ضده
His rank, like his name, is lofty; what, then,
His worth matches his name, lofty, so what
of his high station can his rival deny?
Of his exalted status would one deny?
إنif يسدhe holds sway يافعاًwhile young فذلكthen that عمرan age
إن يسد يافعاً فذلك عمر
سادheld sway فيat مثلهits like أبوهhis father وجدهand his grandfather
ساد في مثله أبوه وجده
If he holds sway while young, that is an age
Should he help as a youth, that is his life
at which his father and grandfather held sway.
Excelling as his father and grandfather did.
هوhe فيamong الناسthe people مثلlike ذاthis اليومday فيهمamong them
هو في الناس مثل ذا اليوم فيهم
ندstood apart فيin فضلهhis excellence فأعوزso could not be found ندهhis equal
ند في فضله فأعوز نده
Among men he is like this day among them:
Among people he's like that day to them,
he stands apart in excellence, so his equal cannot be found.
Rivaling in merit, outshining any equal.
يومa day عيدa festival هنئتهmay you enjoy it ألفa thousand عامyear
يوم عيد هنئته ألف عام
وافدarriving بالمنىwith hopes رحابكyour courtyards وفدهits delegation
وافد بالمنى رحابك وفده
A feast day—may you enjoy it for a thousand years—
A feast day I wished him a thousand happy returns,
its delegation comes to your courtyards with hopes.
My hopes at your grounds finding welcome.
عادdeparted عنfrom سنةthe custom العوائدcustomary gifts فيهon it
عاد عن سنة العوائد فيه
صاحبa friend ليof mine منfrom بعدهاafter it لاnot أعدهI count him
صاحب لي من بعدها لا أعده
On that day the custom of gifts was forsaken
He turned from the wont of returning visits,
by a friend of mine, whom thereafter I count as a friend no more.
After which I have no one left expecting return.
سحبتdragged بردهhis cloak قوارضgnawing creatures عتبيmy reproach
سحبت برده قوارض عتبي
بعدماafter شفنيwasted me وحقكand by your honor بردهhis coldness
بعدما شفني وحقك برده
The gnawing creatures of my reproach dragged his cloak,
His coldness drew away my rebukes’ claws,
after his coldness, by your honor, had wasted me.
After healing me, and your right to coolness.
ماnot درىhe knew لاmay he not درىknow بأنيthat I am ممنamong those who
ما درى لا درى بأني ممن
لاnot يرجىis expected فيon مثلthe like of ذاthis اليومday رفدهhis bounty
لا يرجى في مثل ذا اليوم رفده
He did not know—may he never know—that I am one
He knows not, knows not that I am one
whose bounty is not expected on a day like this,
Who hopes not on such a day for gifts.
وبأنيand that I am وإنand even if تطفلتI have come uninvited ممنamong those who
وبأني وإن تطفلت ممن
يرتجىis hoped for وصلهhis friendship ويرهبand is feared صدهhis rejection
يرتجى وصله ويرهب صده
and that, though I have come uninvited, I am one
That though bold, I'm one who hopes
whose friendship is sought and whose rejection is feared;
For his company and dreads his aloofness.
وإذاand if شفهwastes him الظماthirst بعدafter خمسa five-day watering interval
وإذا شفه الظما بعد خمس
لمdid not يردapproach to drink منهلاًa watering place تكدرbecame murky وردهhis draught
لم يرد منهلاً تكدر ورده
and who, if thirst wastes him after a five-day interval,
And if after five days he ignores my thirst,
will not seek a watering place where his draught turns murky.
He offers no stream whose flowing is disturbed.
وإذاand if ماever استجدacquires anew غيريsomeone other than me صديقاًa friend
وإذا ما استجد غيري صديقاً
فأبوthen Abu (father of) العزal-Izz (glory) خيرthe best منone whom أستجدهI befriend him anew
فأبو العز خير من أستجده
And if ever someone else acquires a new friend,
If he seeks someone else's friendship,
then Abu al-Izz is the best I can befriend anew:
The Generous One is better than one newly sought.
أبيضwhite الوجهof face والمساعيand deeds كريمgenerous
أبيض الوجه والمساعي كريم
جاءنيcame to me فقدهhis absence ولمand did not يأتcome نقدهhis cash
جاءني فقده ولم يأت نقده
fair of face and deeds, generous—
Fair of face and noble in effort,
his absence reached me, but his cash did not.
His loss came but no compensation followed.
Sol 6.1