أنجومٌAre they stars? بنورِهاby their light يُستضاءُone is illumined
أنجومٌ بنورِها يُستضاءُ
نَثرتهاshe scattered them بأُفقهاacross her horizon العَلياءُexalted Glory
نَثرتها بأُفقها العَلياءُ
Are they stars by whose light one is illumined,
Stars with their light to illuminate
which exalted Glory has strewn across her horizon?
Scattered across the sublime horizon
أمor مزاياًvirtues تودُّshe wishes لوif only أنَّthat منهاfrom them
أم مزاياً تودُّ لو أنَّ منها
فَصَّلتshe had adorned نظمَthe strand عقدِهاof her necklace الجوزاءal-Jawza
فَصَّلت نظمَ عقدِها الجوزاء
Or virtues from which she wishes she had
As if revealing their sublime traits
adorned her necklace's strand—al-Jawza?
Composing a poem like a pearl necklace
مكرماتٌnoble deeds بنشرِهاthrough their spread الفضلُvirtue يحيىlives
مكرماتٌ بنشرِها الفضلُ يحيى
لكريمٍof a generous man لولاهُwere it not for him ماتwould have died الرجاءhope
لكريمٍ لولاهُ مات الرجاء
Noble deeds whose spread gives virtue life,
Blessings spreading goodness through generosity
of a generous man without whom hope would have died.
Bringing hope to life for the noble one
لاdo not تقسcompare واصلاًa giver بمنwith one who كلّevery يومٍday
لا تقس واصلاً بمن كلّ يومٍ
واصلٌreaching للوفودِto the delegations منهُfrom him عطاءa gift
واصلٌ للوفودِ منهُ عطاء
Do not compare a giver with him from whom, each day,
Do not cease being loyal to one whose
a gift reaches the visiting delegations.
Caravans of gifts arrive daily
كرمٌgenerosity تستهِلُّpours down فيin كلِّevery قُطرٍland
كرمٌ تستهِلُّ في كلِّ قُطرٍ
منfrom غواديهِits morning rainclouds ديمةٌa steady rain وطفاءdense
من غواديهِ ديمةٌ وطفاء
Generosity—in every land there pours
Generosity flowing steadily in every land
from its morning clouds a dense, steady rain.
With constant rivers and rainfall
ياO مُطيبَyou who make delightful القِرىthe guest's fare إذاwhen ماemphatic particle اقشعرَّتgrew harsh
يا مُطيبَ القِرى إذا ما اقشعرَّت
ببنيfor the children of الدهرِTime شَتوةٌa winter غبراءbleak gray
ببني الدهرِ شَتوةٌ غبراء
O you who make the guest's fare delightful, when it grows harsh
O sweet dwellings when the bitter winter
for the children of Time—a bleak, gray winter.
Covers all people with its wind
أينَwhere منone who يرتقيrises لعلياكَto your heights منهمamong them
أينَ من يرتقي لعلياكَ منهم
وهمُwhile they فيin الهبوطِdescending عنكbelow you سواءequal
وهمُ في الهبوطِ عنك سواء
Where among them is one who rises to your heights,
Where are those who can rise up to your heights
while all are alike in falling below you?
While they remain below you, leveled?
وسماءٌand a sky تظلُّهمshades them وهيwhile it is أرضٌearth
وسماءٌ تظلُّهم وهي أرضٌ
لكto you لكنَّهاbut it is عليهمabove them سماءa sky
لك لكنَّها عليهم سماء
And a sky that shades them is mere earth
A sky that shades them though to you it’s land
to you, yet above them it is sky.
To them a sky, to you a land
إنَّindeed هذيthis الدنياworld يشعُّshines عليهاupon it
إنَّ هذي الدنيا يشعُّ عليها
رونقٌa luster منكfrom you رائقٌpure وبهاءand splendor
رونقٌ منك رائقٌ وبهاء
Indeed, upon this world there shines
Truly, over this world shines
a pure luster from you, and splendor.
A delicate grace and splendor from you
قدindeed زهتit has gloried بالزوراin al-Zawra لأنَّكbecause you فيهاin it
قد زهت بالزورا لأنَّك فيها
فهيfor it is عينٌan eye لهاfor it (the world) وأنتand you ضياءlight
فهي عينٌ لها وأنت ضياء
It has gloried in al-Zawra because you are there;
Adorned with falsehoods for you are in it
for al-Zawra is the world's eye, and you its light.
An eye for it, and you are the light
لكyou have ياoh ماhow أرقَّgentle طَبعكَyour nature حلمٌforbearance
لك يا ما أرقَّ طَبعكَ حلمٌ
هوit فيin الخطبِadversity صخرةٌa rock صمَّاءsolid
هو في الخطبِ صخرةٌ صمَّاء
You have—oh, how gentle your nature!—a forbearance
You whose nature is most serene, patience
that, in adversity, is a solid rock.
In calamities, an unmoving rock
وسجاياand virtues تنفَّسbreathed الروضُthe garden منهاfrom them
وسجايا تنفَّس الروضُ منها
عنforth نسيمٍa breeze تُظلُّهshade it الأنداءthe dews
عن نسيمٍ تُظلُّه الأنداء
And virtues from which the garden has breathed
With qualities where the meadow breathes
forth a breeze shaded by the dews.
The gentle breeze shadowed by clouds
Sol 6.1