صَفحاًpardon لِصَرفِfor the vicissitudes of الدَهرِtime عَنfor هَفَواتِهِits lapses
صَفحاً لِصَرفِ الدَهرِ عَن هَفَواتِهِ
إِذsince كانَwas هَذاthis اليَومُday مِنamong حَسَناتِهِits good deeds
إِذ كانَ هَذا اليَومُ مِن حَسَناتِهِ
Pardon the vicissitudes of time for its lapses,
since this day is among its good deeds.
يَومٌa day يُسَطَّرُis inscribed فيin الكِتابِthe book مَكانُهُits place
يَومٌ يُسَطَّرُ في الكِتابِ مَكانُهُ
كَمَكانِlike the place of بِسمِin the name of اللهَِGod فيin خَتَماتِهِits complete recitations
كَمَكانِ بِسمِ اللهَِ في خَتَماتِهِ
A day whose place is inscribed in the book,
like the place of 'In the name of God' in its complete recitations.
مَطَلَkept waiting الزَمانُtime بِهِfor him زَماناًfor a time أَنفُساًsouls
مَطَلَ الزَمانُ بِهِ زَماناً أَنفُساً
أَنِفَتgrew indignant وَعادَand returned لَهاfor them إِلىto عاداتِهِits accustomed ways
أَنِفَت وَعادَ لَها إِلى عاداتِهِ
Time kept souls waiting for him for a while;
they grew indignant, and it resumed its accustomed ways toward them.
وَالغَيثُand rain لاdoes not يَسِمُmark البِلادَthe lands بِنَفعِهِwith its benefit
وَالغَيثُ لا يَسِمُ البِلادَ بِنَفعِهِ
إِلّاexcept إِذاwhen اِشتاقَتthey longed لِوَسميّاتِهِfor its autumn showers
إِلّا إِذا اِشتاقَت لِوَسميّاتِهِ
And rain does not mark the lands with its bounty
until they long for its autumn showers.
ياO مُعجِزَrendering powerless الأَيّامَthe days قَرعُthe battering of صِفاتِهِhis rock
يا مُعجِزَ الأَيّامَ قَرعُ صِفاتِهِ
وَمُجَمِّلُand adorning الدُنياthe world بِحُسنِwith the beauty of صِفاتِهِhis qualities
وَمُجَمِّلُ الدُنيا بِحُسنِ صِفاتِهِ
O you whose rock defies the battering of the days,
and who adorn the world with the beauty of your qualities!
بَلrather أَحنَفاًAhnaf فيin حِلمِهِhis forbearance وَثَباتِهِand his steadfastness
بَل أَحنَفاً في حِلمِهِ وَثَباتِهِ
بَلrather حارِثَHarith of الهَيجاءِbattle فيin وَثَباتِهِhis leaps
بَل حارِثَ الهَيجاءِ في وَثَباتِهِ
Rather, an Ahnaf in his forbearance and steadfastness;
rather, Harith of battle in his leaps;
بَلrather كَعبَةَthe Kaaba of المَعروفِkindness بَلrather كَعبَKa'b of النَدىgenerosity
بَل كَعبَةَ المَعروفِ بَل كَعبَ النَدى
وَالماءُand water يَقسِمُapportions شُربَهُits draughts بِحَصاتِهِwith his pebble
وَالماءُ يَقسِمُ شُربَهُ بِحَصاتِهِ
rather, the Kaaba of kindness, rather, Ka'b of generosity,
while water apportions its draughts by his pebble.
إِنif كُنتَyou were غِبتَyou were absent عَنِfrom البِلادِthe land فَلَمyet did not تَغِبbe absent
إِن كُنتَ غِبتَ عَنِ البِلادِ فَلَم تَغِب
عَنfrom خاطِريmy mind إِذsince أَنتَyou مِنamong خَطَراتِهِits passing thoughts
عَن خاطِري إِذ أَنتَ مِن خَطَراتِهِ
If you were absent from the land, you were not absent
from my mind, for you are among its passing thoughts.
لَوif كُنتَyou had فَتَّشتَyou searched النَسيمَthe breeze وَجَدتَهُyou would have found it
لَو كُنتَ فَتَّشتَ النَسيمَ وَجَدتَهُ
وَدُعاؤُناand our prayers يَأتيكَcome to you فيin طَيّاتِهِits folds
وَدُعاؤُنا يَأتيكَ في طَيّاتِهِ
Had you searched the breeze, you would have found it
with our prayers reaching you within its folds.
أَحبِبhow dear! بِسَفرَتِكَis your journey الَّتيwhich بِقُدومِهاupon its arrival
أَحبِب بِسَفرَتِكَ الَّتي بِقُدومِها
جَمَعَتgathered إِلَيناto us الجودَgenerosity بَعدَafter شَتاتِهِits dispersal
جَمَعَت إِلَينا الجودَ بَعدَ شَتاتِهِ
How dear is your journey, which, upon its arrival,
gathered generosity back to us after its dispersal!
وَأَفادَكَand granted you المَلَكانِthe two kings زائِدَadded رِفعَةٍeminence
وَأَفادَكَ المَلَكانِ زائِدَ رِفعَةٍ
كَالسَيفِlike a sword يُصقَلُis polished بَعدَafter حَدِّthe sharpening of ظُباتِهِits edges
كَالسَيفِ يُصقَلُ بَعدَ حَدِّ ظُباتِهِ
And the two kings bestowed added eminence on you,
like a sword polished after its edges are sharpened.
وَكَفىand it suffices اِهتِماماًas concern مِنهُماfrom them both بِكَfor you أَنthat غَداcame to be
وَكَفى اِهتِماماً مِنهُما بِكَ أَن غَدا
كُلٌّeach يُريدُكَwants you أَنto تَكونَbe لِذاتِهِfor himself
كُلٌّ يُريدُكَ أَن تَكونَ لِذاتِهِ
And proof enough of their concern for you is that now
each wishes you to be his alone.
وَالجَدُّand good fortune إِنif أَمضىcarries through عَزيمَةَthe resolve of ماجِدٍa noble man
وَالجَدُّ إِن أَمضى عَزيمَةَ ماجِدٍ
راحَcame to السُكونُstillness يَنوبُstand in عَنfor حَرَكاتِهِhis movements
راحَ السُكونُ يَنوبُ عَن حَرَكاتِهِ
And if good fortune carries through a noble man's resolve,
stillness comes to take the place of his movements.
وَأَتىand came البَشيرُthe bearer of good news فَلَوthen if يَسوغُit were permissible لِواحِدٍto one
وَأَتى البَشيرُ فَلَو يَسوغُ لِواحِدٍ
مِنّاof us لَقاسَمَهُhe would have shared with him لَذيذَthe sweetness of حَياتِهِhis life
مِنّا لَقاسَمَهُ لَذيذَ حَياتِهِ
And the bearer of good news came; were it allowed to one
of us, he would have shared with him the sweetness of his life.
فَاِربَأso rise high بِعَزمِكَwith your resolve لَمdid not تَدَعleave مِنany مَنصِبٍstation
فَاِربَأ بِعَزمِكَ لَم تَدَع مِن مَنصِبٍ
يُفضيleads إِلىto رُتَبِthe ranks of العُلىglory لَمdid not تَأتِهِreach it
يُفضي إِلى رُتَبِ العُلى لَم تَأتِهِ
So rise high with your resolve; you have left no station
leading to the ranks of glory that you have not reached.
وَتَفَرَّعَتand branched forth لِلمَجدِfor glory مِنكَfrom you ثَلاثَةٌthree
وَتَفَرَّعَت لِلمَجدِ مِنكَ ثَلاثَةٌ
كَثَلاثَةِlike the three of الجَوزاءِOrion فيin جَنَباتِهِits reaches
كَثَلاثَةِ الجَوزاءِ في جَنَباتِهِ
And three have branched from you for glory,
like Orion's three stars in glory's reaches.
مِنof كُلِّeach مَهدِيٍّrightly guided child غَداcame to be فيin مَهدِهِhis cradle
مِن كُلِّ مَهدِيٍّ غَدا في مَهدِهِ
يَسموrises إِلىtoward أَسلافِهِhis forebears بِسِماتِهِthrough his traits
يَسمو إِلى أَسلافِهِ بِسِماتِهِ
Each a rightly guided child who, even in his cradle,
rises toward his forebears through his traits.
أَفضىimparted إِلَيهِto him المُشتَريJupiter بِسُعودِهِwith its good fortune
أَفضى إِلَيهِ المُشتَري بِسُعودِهِ
وَأَعاذَهُand shielded him بَهرامُBahram (Mars) مِنfrom سَطَواتِهِits assaults
وَأَعاذَهُ بَهرامُ مِن سَطَواتِهِ
Jupiter has imparted its good fortune to him,
and Bahram has shielded him from its assaults.
شَرُفَتbecame noble بِنَصرٍthrough Nasr فيamong البَرِيَّةِhumankind مَعشَرٌa clan
شَرُفَت بِنَصرٍ في البَرِيَّةِ مَعشَرٌ
هُوَhe فيهِمُamong them كَالسِنِّlike a tooth فَوقَabove لِثاتِهِits gums
هُوَ فيهِمُ كَالسِنِّ فَوقَ لِثاتِهِ
A clan among humankind has been ennobled by Nasr;
he is among them like a tooth above its gums.
قَومٌa people هُمُthey البيدِthe deserts خَيرُthe best of سُراتِهاtheir nobles
قَومٌ هُمُ البيدِ خَيرُ سُراتِها
حَسَباًin lineage وَهُمand they فيin الدَهرِtime خَيرُthe best of سَراتِهِits nobles
حَسَباً وَهُم في الدَهرِ خَيرُ سَراتِهِ
A people who are the finest of the desert's nobles
in lineage, and in time they are its finest nobles.
شَرُفَwas ennobled الزَمانُtime بِكُلِّby every نَدبٍgallant man مِنهُمُamong them
شَرُفَ الزَمانُ بِكُلِّ نَدبٍ مِنهُمُ
مُتَيَقِّظٌwakeful وَهَبَgave العُلاglory غَفَواتِهِhis brief slumbers
مُتَيَقِّظٌ وَهَبَ العُلا غَفَواتِهِ
Time has been ennobled by every gallant man among them,
ever wakeful, who has given his slumbers to glory.
أَلِفَbecame accustomed to النَدىgenerosity وَرَأىand deemed وُجوبَthe obligation of صِلاتِهِhis gifts
أَلِفَ النَدى وَرَأى وُجوبَ صِلاتِهِ
كَرَماًout of generosity وَلَمand not يُفرَضwas imposed وُجوبُthe obligation of صِلاتِهِhis gifts
كَرَماً وَلَم يُفرَض وُجوبُ صِلاتِهِ
He grew accustomed to generosity and deemed his gifts obligatory
out of generosity, though his gifts were never made obligatory.
يُؤتيbestows المَناياdeaths وَالمُنىand wishes كَاللَيثِlike a lion فيin
يُؤتي المَنايا وَالمُنى كَاللَيثِ في
غاباتِهِits forests وَالغَيثُand rain فيin غَبّاتِهِits downpours
غاباتِهِ وَالغَيثُ في غَبّاتِهِ
He brings death and fulfills wishes, like a lion in
its forests, and rain in its downpours.
ذوpossessing عَزمَةٍfirm resolve إِنif راحَhe sets out فيon سَفَراتِهِhis journeys
ذو عَزمَةٍ إِن راحَ في سَفَراتِهِ
سَكَبَتpoured forth شَباthe sharp points of الهِندِيِّIndian steel مِنfrom شَفَراتِهِhis blade-edges
سَكَبَت شَبا الهِندِيِّ مِن شَفَراتِهِ
A man of resolve: when he sets out on his journeys,
Indian steel's sharp points pour forth from his blade-edges.
ياO مَنسَكَshrine of المَعروفِkindness أَحرَمَentered pilgrim consecration مَنطِقيmy speech
يا مَنسَكَ المَعروفِ أَحرَمَ مَنطِقي
زَمَناًfor a time وَقَدand indeed لَبّاكَanswered your call مِنfrom ميقاتِهِits appointed pilgrimage station
زَمَناً وَقَد لَبّاكَ مِن ميقاتِهِ
O shrine of kindness, my speech entered pilgrim consecration
for a time, and has answered your call from its appointed station.
هَذاthis زُهَيرُكَyour Zuhayr لاnot زُهَيرُZuhayr of مُزَينَةٍMuzayna
هَذا زُهَيرُكَ لا زُهَيرُ مُزَينَةٍ
وافاكَhas come to you لاnot هَرِماًHarim عَلىdespite عِلّاتِهِhis flaws
وافاكَ لا هَرِماً عَلى عِلّاتِهِ
This is your Zuhayr, not Zuhayr of Muzayna;
he has come to you, not to Harim, with all his flaws.
دَعهُleave him وَحَولِيّاتِهِand his yearly poems ثُمَّthen اِستَمِعlisten
دَعهُ وَحَولِيّاتِهِ ثُمَّ اِستَمِع
لِزُهَيرِto Zuhayr of عَصرِكَyour age حُسنَthe beauty of لَيلِيّاتِهِhis nightly poems
لِزُهَيرِ عَصرِكَ حُسنَ لَيلِيّاتِهِ
Leave him and his yearly poems, then listen
to the beauty of the nightly poems of your age's Zuhayr.
لَوif أُنشِدَتthey were recited فيin praise of آلِthe house of جَفنَةَJafna أَضرَبواthey would have turned away
لَو أُنشِدَت في آلِ جَفنَةَ أَضرَبوا
عَنfrom ذِكرِmention of حَسّانٍHassan وَعَنand from جَفَناتِهِhis bowls
عَن ذِكرِ حَسّانٍ وَعَن جَفَناتِهِ
Had they been recited in praise of the house of Jafna, they would have turned away
from mention of Hassan and from his bowls.
Sol 6.1