أَتَتنيit came to me مِنfrom سَيِّديmy master رُقعَةٌa note
أَتَتني مِن سَيِّدي رُقعَةٌ
فَقُلتُso I said الزُلالُclear water وَقُلتُand I said الضَربwhite honey
فَقُلتُ الزُلالُ وَقُلتُ الضَرب
A note came to me from my master.
A missive came to me from my master
So I said, 'Clear water!' and said, 'White honey!'
So I said: It glitters, and I said: It shines
وَرُحتُand I began لِرَسمِto the written form of اِسمِهِhis name لاثِماًkissing
وَرُحتُ لِرَسمِ اِسمِهِ لاثِماً
كَأَنّيas though I لَثَمتُhad kissed اللَمىthe lips' dark tint وَالشَنَبand the mouth's cool sweetness
كَأَنّي لَثَمتُ اللَمى وَالشَنَب
And I began kissing his written name,
And I began tracing his name in rapture
as though I had kissed dusky lips and a mouth's cool sweetness.
As if my lips were savoring wine
فَياso, oh حَبَّذاhow lovely غُرُّradiant أَبياتِهاits verses
فَيا حَبَّذا غُرُّ أَبياتِها
وَماand what أودِعَتit was endowed with مِنof فُنونِarts الأَدَبliterature
وَما أودِعَت مِن فُنونِ الأَدَب
How lovely are its radiant verses,
What marvelous, subtle verses it bore
and the literary arts with which it is endowed!
Filled with the finest rhetoric and lore!
فَأَودَعتُهاso I placed it فيin صَميمِthe innermost part of الفُؤاthe heart (word continues)
فَأَودَعتُها في صَميمِ الفُؤا
دِcompletion of 'heart' وَلَمand did not أَرضَI accept تَسطيرَهاits inscription بِالذَهَبin gold
دِ وَلَم أَرضَ تَسطيرَها بِالذَهَب
So I placed it in the very core of my heart,
I placed it deep in my innermost heart
and was not content to have it inscribed in gold.
And would not glorify it in gold anymore
فَياso, O أَيُّهاyou (vocative) السَيِّدُmaster الفاضِلُvirtuous الthe (article for next line)
فَيا أَيُّها السَيِّدُ الفاضِلُ ال
شَريفُnoble الفِعالِdeeds المُنيفُlofty الحَسَبancestral honor
شَريفُ الفِعالِ المُنيفُ الحَسَب
So, O virtuous master,
O excellent, noble sir of flawless repute
noble in deeds, lofty in ancestral honor!
Of gracious deed, of purest attribute!
رَقيتَyou climbed هِضابَhills العُلىglory مُسرِعاًswiftly
رَقيتَ هِضابَ العُلى مُسرِعاً
كَأَنَّكَas though you مُنحَدِرٌdescending مِنfrom صَبَبa slope
كَأَنَّكَ مُنحَدِرٌ مِن صَبَب
You swiftly climbed the hills of glory,
You climbed the heights of glory in great haste
as though you were descending a slope.
As though cascading from a mountaintop
وَكُلُّand every بَعيدٍdistant مِنَof المَكرُماتِnoble deeds
وَكُلُّ بَعيدٍ مِنَ المَكرُماتِ
كَأَنَّكَas though you تَأخُذُهُtake it مِنfrom كَثَبclose at hand
كَأَنَّكَ تَأخُذُهُ مِن كَثَب
And every far-off noble deed—
And every far-flung generosity
you seem to grasp it from close at hand.
You seize as though from a nearby hilltop
أَتَيتُكَI came to you مُعتَرِفاًacknowledging بِالقُصوof inadequacy (word continues)
أَتَيتُكَ مُعتَرِفاً بِالقُصو
رِcompletion of 'inadequacy' وَأَينَand where اللَآليpearls مِنَin comparison with المُخشَلَبglass beads
رِ وَأَينَ اللَآلي مِنَ المُخشَلَب
I came to you acknowledging my inadequacy—
I come to you contrite, confessing my dearth
and how can pearls be compared with glass beads?
While nothing compares to your priceless worth
وَإِنّيand indeed I مِنكَbefore you لَفيsurely in خَجلَةٍshame
وَإِنّي مِنكَ لَفي خَجلَةٍ
لِأَنّيbecause I أُقَصِّرُfall short عَمّاof what وَجَبis due
لِأَنّي أُقَصِّرُ عَمّا وَجَب
And indeed I feel ashamed before you,
For beside you I am filled with shame
because I fall short of what is due.
Falling short of what duty does claim
Sol 6.1