ياO أمجدnoblest of الناسpeople فرعاًas a branch
يا أمجد الناس فرعاً
يُنمىis traced in descent لأمجدto the noblest أصلِroot
يُنمى لأمجد أصلِ
O noblest branch among men,
O most glorious of people, a branch
traced to the noblest root;
That grows for the most glorious root
وقاتلَand slayer of المحلdearth جوداًthrough generosity
وقاتلَ المحل جوداً
فيin كلِّevery أزمةٍcrisis of محلِdearth
في كلِّ أزمةٍ محلِ
and slayer of dearth through generosity,
Who fought against dire straits with generosity
in every crisis of dearth;
In every difficult time, place
وابنand son of القِرىhospitality ولعمريand by my life
وابن القِرى ولعمري
أبوكَyour father زادُsustenance for المقلِّthe needy
أبوكَ زادُ المقلِّ
and son of hospitality—by my life,
And son of towns, by my life
your father is sustenance for the needy.
Your father supplies the needy
لاnot يستشارis consulted سواهanyone other than him
لا يستشار سواه
فيin كلِّevery عقدٍbinding وحلِّand unbinding
في كلِّ عقدٍ وحلِّ
No one but he is consulted
None other is consulted
in every binding and unbinding.
In every knot and unknotting
والموقدُand the kindler of النارَthe fire ليلاًby night
والموقدُ النارَ ليلاً
للطارقِfor the night visitor المستدلِّseeking his way
للطارقِ المستدلِّ
And he kindles the fire by night
The fire is lit at night
for the night visitor seeking his way,
For the knocking traveler
مرفوعةًraised high وعليهاand over it
مرفوعةً وعليها
مراجلُcauldrons of الزادfood تغليboil
مراجلُ الزاد تغلي
raised high, and over it
With cooking pots atop it
cauldrons of food boil.
Boiling provisions
يمتدُّextends منهاfrom it لسانٌa tongue
يمتدُّ منها لسانٌ
إلىto السماthe sky متجليgleaming
إلى السما متجلي
A tongue stretches from it
A tongue extends from it
to the sky, gleaming,
To the sky, manifesting
حتَّىuntil يضيءَshines سناهits radiance
حتَّى يضيءَ سناه
فيacross كلِّevery حَزنٍrugged tract وسهلand plain
في كلِّ حَزنٍ وسهل
until its radiance shines
Until its glow illuminates
across every rugged tract and plain.
Every sadness and plain
يدعواcalls الضيوفَthe guests هلمُّواcome, all of you
يدعوا الضيوفَ هلمُّوا
إلىto القِرىhospitality لمحلِّيto my dwelling
إلى القِرى لمحلِّي
It calls the guests: “Come
It calls to guests, come
to hospitality—to my dwelling!”
To my towns, my home
فيهتديso finds the way بسناهby its radiance
فيهتدي بسناه
إليهto him كلُّevery مضلِّtraveler astray
إليه كلُّ مضلِّ
So its radiance guides
Thus by its glow is guided
every lost traveler to him.
Every lost soul
أكرمhow generous! بهhe is منas كريمٍa generous man
أكرم به من كريمٍ
لهto him انتهىculminated كلُّall فضلِexcellence
له انتهى كلُّ فضلِ
What a generous man he is!
More generous than any generous man
In him all excellence culminates.
To whom ended every glory
والخلقُand the character منكfrom you ومنهand from him
والخلقُ منك ومنه
مثلانtwo alike فيin غيرِwithout مثلِa peer
مثلان في غيرِ مثلِ
And your character and his
People are, through you and him
are alike in being without peer:
Peerless doubles
هذاthis one مجاجةُa drop of مسكٍmusk
هذا مجاجةُ مسكٍ
وذاكand that one شهدةُa honeycomb of نحلِbees
وذاك شهدةُ نحلِ
this one is a drop of musk,
This, pure musk
and that the honeycomb of bees.
That, bees' honey
يفديmay ransom عُلاكyour eminence ابنُa son of خفضٍlowliness
يفدي عُلاك ابنُ خفضٍ
سارٍtraveling by night برجلِon the leg of ابنa son of ذلِّabasement
سارٍ برجلِ ابن ذلِّ
May a son of lowliness ransom your eminence,
Redeems your heights the son of lowness
a night traveler on a son of abasement’s leg.
Walking in the steps of the humbled
يبغيseeks العُلىeminence وهوand he is شيخٌan old man
يبغي العُلى وهو شيخٌ
همٌّdecrepit بهمَّةwith the resolve of طفلِa child
همٌّ بهمَّة طفلِ
He seeks eminence, though he is an old man,
Seeking the heights, elder yet
decrepit, with a child’s resolve.
With hopes of a child
وهلand can تنالbe reached الثريَّاthe Pleiades
وهل تنال الثريَّا
عفواًeffortlessly بباعwith the arm-span of أشلa man with a paralyzed arm
عفواً بباع أشل
And can the Pleiades be reached
Can grapes be had for free
effortlessly, with a paralytic’s arm-span?
By one selling bitter colocynth?
وماand not لهfor him فيon طريقِthe road to الthe
وما له في طريقِ ال
علياءِheights موطئُa place to set رجلِa foot
علياءِ موطئُ رجلِ
Nor does he have, on the road to the
No footprint has he on the path
heights, a place to set his foot.
Of the lofty
ولاand not لهfor him حوضُa pool of جودٍgenerosity
ولا له حوضُ جودٍ
يرجىlooked to لعلٍfor a second draught ونهلِand a first draught
يرجى لعلٍ ونهلِ
Nor does he have a pool of generosity
Nor a basin of generosity
looked to for a second draught and a first,
Hoped for, found
إلاَّexcept حقيقةُthe reality of بخلٍmiserliness
إلاَّ حقيقةُ بخلٍ
تبدوappears بصورةin the guise of بذلِgiving
تبدو بصورة بذلِ
but only the reality of miserliness
Save the truth of stinginess
appearing in the guise of giving.
Seeming like giving
Sol 6.1