أَعرىhe stripped مِنof المَدحِpraise الطِّرفَthe noble steed الَّذيthat رَكِباhe rode
أَعرى مِن المَدحِ الطِّرفَ الَّذي رَكِبا
لَمَّاwhen جَرَىit ran فيin مَيادِينِthe fields of الصِّباyouth فَكَباand it stumbled
لَمَّا جَرَى في مَيادِينِ الصِّبا فَكَبا
I leave unpraised the steed that he once rode,
He stripped of praise the noble steed he rode,
when it raced through the fields of youth and stumbled.
When it ran in the fields of youth and stumbled.
تَمُرُّpass وَثباًleaping بهِpast him خَيلُthe horses of الشَّبَابِyouth فَلاand so not
تَمُرُّ وَثباً بهِ خَيلُ الشَّبَابِ فَلا
يَسطِيعُhe can مِنfrom مَربِطِthe tethering-place of الخَمسينَfifty أنto يَثِباleap
يَسطِيعُ مِن مَربِطِ الخَمسينَ أن يَثِبا
Youth’s horses bound swiftly past him, and he
The horses of youth bound past him, so he cannot
cannot leap from the tethering-place of fifty.
Leap from the tethering-post of fifty.
ورُبّماand often شَقّhe rent أسدافَthe shrouds of الظّلامdarkness بِهِwith it
ورُبّما شَقّ أسدافَ الظّلام بِهِ
رَكضاًat a gallop وَشَقّand he rent بِهِwith it الأَستارَthe curtains والحُجُباand the veils
رَكضاً وَشَقّ بِهِ الأَستارَ والحُجُبا
Many a time he cleft the veils of darkness upon it,
Yet often he had rent the shrouds of darkness with it,
racing, and with it rent the curtains and the screens.
At a gallop, and with it rent curtains and veils.
يَلقَىhe meets الغَوَانِيthe fair women بِإِنكَارٍwith nonrecognition of مَعَارِفَهُhis familiar features
يَلقَى الغَوَانِي بِإِنكَارٍ مَعَارِفَهُ
وَهُنّand they أقربُthe closest خَلقٍpeople مِنهُto him مُنتَسَبَاin kinship
وَهُنّ أقربُ خَلقٍ مِنهُ مُنتَسَبَا
He meets the beauties, and they deny knowing him,
He meets the fair women, his familiar features unrecognized,
though of all creatures they are closest kin to him.
Though they are the closest of people to him in kinship.
إنif كُنَّthey were سَمّينَهُthey called him عَصرَin the time of الشَّبَابِyouth أخاًa brother
إن كُنَّ سَمّينَهُ عَصرَ الشَّبَابِ أخاً
لَهُنّto them فَاليَومَthen today أحرَىmore fitting أنto يَكونَbe أبَاa father
لَهُنّ فَاليَومَ أحرَى أن يَكونَ أبَا
If in the days of youth they called him brother,
If, in youth's time, they called him a brother
today it is more fitting that he be their father.
To them, today he is more fit to be a father.
رَعَينَهُthey grazed on him خَضِراًgreen رَطباًmoist فَحينَthen when عَسَاhe grew dry
رَعَينَهُ خَضِراً رَطباً فَحينَ عَسَا
أَتَينَthey came يَرعَينَthey honor ذَاكَthat الإِلَّbond وَالنَّسَباand kinship
أَتَينَ يَرعَينَ ذَاكَ الإِلَّ وَالنَّسَبا
They grazed upon him when he was green and tender; when he hardened,
They grazed on him, green and succulent; then, when he grew dry,
they came to tend that bond of intimacy and kinship.
They came to honor that bond and kinship.
لابدّit is necessary أَنthat يَنصُرَhe champion الآدابَletters مُشتَرِطٌone who stipulates
لابدّ أَن يَنصُرَ الآدابَ مُشتَرِطٌ
لِلمَجدِfor glory أنthat يَنصُرَhe champion العَليَاءَeminence وَالحَسَبَاand ancestral honor
لِلمَجدِ أن يَنصُرَ العَليَاءَ وَالحَسَبَا
Whoever binds himself to glory must champion letters;
He must champion letters, who makes it a condition
he must champion high renown and noble lineage.
Of glory that he champion eminence and ancestral honor.
نَدبٌa gallant man لآلِof a house of صَنَادِيدٍmighty chiefs لَهُhe has رُتَبٌranks
نَدبٌ لآلِ صَنَادِيدٍ لَهُ رُتَبٌ
فَاتَتsurpassed بِرِفعَتِهَاin their loftiness الأقدَارَdignities وَالرُّتَبَاand ranks
فَاتَت بِرِفعَتِهَا الأقدَارَ وَالرُّتَبَا
A champion of a house of mighty lords, possessing stations
A gallant man of a house of mighty chiefs, he holds ranks
whose loftiness surpassed every measure and rank.
That in their loftiness surpass dignities and ranks.
تَقدّمتadvanced بِهِمُcarrying them مِنfrom فَضلِهِhis excellence قَدَمٌa foot
تَقدّمت بِهِمُ مِن فَضلِهِ قَدَمٌ
دَاسُواthey trod upon بِأَخمَصِهَاwith its arch الأَقمَارَthe moons وَالشُّهُبَاand shooting stars
دَاسُوا بِأَخمَصِهَا الأَقمَارَ وَالشُّهُبَا
Through his bounty, their foot advanced so far
A foot of his excellence carried them forward;
that beneath its sole they trod the moons and meteors.
With its arch they trod upon moons and shooting stars.
نَالُواthey attained بِسَعيِthrough the efforts of أبِيAbu إسحَاقَIshaq مَاwhat طَلَبُواthey sought
نَالُوا بِسَعيِ أبِي إسحَاقَ مَا طَلَبُوا
وَنَالَand he attained عَفواًeffortlessly أبوAbu إسحَاقَIshaq مَاwhat طَلَبَاhe sought
وَنَالَ عَفواً أبو إسحَاقَ مَا طَلَبَا
Through Abu Ishaq’s endeavor, they attained all they sought,
Through Abu Ishaq's efforts they attained what they sought,
and Abu Ishaq attained effortlessly all that he sought.
And Abu Ishaq attained effortlessly what he sought.
يَاO ضَاحِكاًsmiling لِلمُنَىupon hopes مِنfrom مَبسِمٍa smiling mouth لَقَطَتthey gleaned
يَا ضَاحِكاً لِلمُنَى مِن مَبسِمٍ لَقَطَت
مِنfrom لَفظِهِits speech الدُّرَّpearls واشتَارَتand they harvested بِهِthrough it الضّرَباwhite honey
مِن لَفظِهِ الدُّرَّ واشتَارَت بِهِ الضّرَبا
O you whose smile makes hopes themselves laugh—hopes that plucked
O you who smile upon hopes, with a mouth where they have gleaned
pearls from his words and drew honey from them;
Pearls from its speech and harvested white honey through it,
وَمُفصِحاًand declaring plainly بِنَعَمwith 'yes' فِيin كُلِّevery مَسأَلَةٍrequest
وَمُفصِحاً بِنَعَم فِي كُلِّ مَسأَلَةٍ
إلاexcept لِمَنto whoever لامَهُreproached him فِيfor الجُودِgenerosity أَوor عَتَباrebuked
إلا لِمَن لامَهُ فِي الجُودِ أَو عَتَبا
O one who clearly pronounces “yes” to every petition,
And plainly say 'yes' to every request,
except to whoever blames or reproaches him for generosity.
Except to those who reproach you for generosity or rebuke you.
كُنbe لِيto me كَمَاas أنتَyou فِيin نَفسِيmy soul فَقَدfor indeed عَقَدَتhave forged
كُن لِي كَمَا أنتَ فِي نَفسِي فَقَد عَقَدَت
بَينِيbetween me وَبَينَكَand between you أَسبابُthe bonds of العلاeminence قُرُباcloseness
بَينِي وَبَينَكَ أَسبابُ العلا قُرُبا
Be to me as you are within my soul, for
Be to me as you are in my heart, for they have forged
the bonds of high aspiration have drawn us close.
Closeness between me and you—the bonds of eminence.
وَذَاكَand that أنَّكَthat you تُهدِيoffer البِرَّkindness منتخَباًcarefully chosen
وَذَاكَ أنَّكَ تُهدِي البِرَّ منتخَباً
نَحويtoward me وَأُهدِيand I offer إِلَيكَto you الحَمدَpraise مُنتَخَبَاcarefully chosen
نَحوي وَأُهدِي إِلَيكَ الحَمدَ مُنتَخَبَا
That is: you send chosen kindness
And that is because you offer choice kindness
toward me, and I send chosen praise to you.
Toward me, and I offer you choice praise.
وَسَامِعٍand many a hearer بِكَof you فِيin أقصَىthe remotest of مَنَازِلِهِhis dwellings
وَسَامِعٍ بِكَ فِي أقصَى مَنَازِلِهِ
أفَادَgained مِنfrom رَفدِكyour bounty الأموالَmoney والنّشبَاand possessions
أفَادَ مِن رَفدِك الأموالَ والنّشبَا
Many a man who heard of you in his farthest dwelling
And many a man who heard of you in his remotest dwelling
gained through your bounty wealth and possessions.
Gained money and possessions from your bounty.
رَجاكَhe hoped in you فَامتَلأَتso became full أرجَاؤُهhis quarters بدَراًmoneybags
رَجاكَ فَامتَلأَت أرجَاؤُه بدَراً
وَلَمand did not يَشُدّstrap on لَهَاfor them رَحلاa riding saddle ولاnor قَتَباa packsaddle
وَلَم يَشُدّ لَهَا رَحلا ولا قَتَبا
He placed his hope in you, and all his horizons filled with a full moon,
He hoped in you, and his quarters filled with bags of coin,
without cinching for the journey a riding-saddle or packsaddle—
Though he strapped on neither saddle nor packsaddle for them,
سِوَىexcept قَصَائدَpoems وَالاهاhe sent them successively مُنَقّحَةًcarefully polished
سِوَى قَصَائدَ وَالاها مُنَقّحَةً
أدّتthey brought إلَىto رَاحتَيهِhis two palms ثَروةًa fortune عَجَباwondrous
أدّت إلَى رَاحتَيهِ ثَروةً عَجَبا
save for polished odes he dispatched one after another,
Save poems he sent one after another, carefully polished,
which brought a wondrous fortune into his two palms.
Which brought a wondrous fortune into his two palms.
صَاغَتforged لَهُfor him كَيمِياءُthe alchemy of الجودِgenerosity إِذwhen وَرَدَتthey arrived
صَاغَت لَهُ كَيمِياءُ الجودِ إِذ وَرَدَت
مِنهَاfrom them نُضاراًpure gold وَكَانَتand they were قبلَهَاbefore it كُتُباwritings
مِنهَا نُضاراً وَكَانَت قبلَهَا كُتُبا
When they arrived, generosity’s alchemy fashioned for him
When they arrived, the alchemy of generosity forged for him
pure gold from them, though before then they had been writings.
Pure gold from them; before it, they had been writings.
فأشبَهَتso they resembled حالَthe state of بِنتِthe daughter of الكَرمthe vine إِذwhen خلصَتshe became pure
فأشبَهَت حالَ بِنتِ الكَرم إِذ خلصَت
فيin الدَّنِّthe wine jar خَمراًwine وكَانَتand she had been قَبلَهُbefore it عِنَبَاgrapes
في الدَّنِّ خَمراً وكَانَت قَبلَهُ عِنَبَا
Their state resembled the Daughter of the Vine when she is refined
Thus they resembled the vine's daughter's state, when she became pure
into wine in the vat, though before it she was grapes.
Wine in the jar, having been grapes before it.
Sol 6.1