تأملcontemplate رعاكmay He protect you اللهGod حسنَbeauty المواكبِAl-Mawakib (The Processions)
تأمل رعاك الله حسنَ المواكبِ
فتلكfor that is سماءa sky زيّنتadorned بكواكبِwith stars
فتلك سماء زيّنت بكواكبِ
Contemplate—may God protect you—the beauty of Al-Mawakib.
Contemplate, may Allah watch over you, the beauty of processions,
For it is a sky adorned with stars.
For that is a sky adorned with stars.
ودونكand before you روضاًa garden زهرُهits blossoms الغضtender يانعblooming
ودونك روضاً زهرُه الغض يانع
تبسمit smiled بشراًjoyfully منfrom بكاءِthe weeping of السحائبِthe clouds
تبسم بشراً من بكاءِ السحائبِ
And before you is a garden whose tender blossoms flourish,
And below you is a garden whose fresh blossoms smile
Smiling with joy at the weeping of the clouds.
At the tears of clouds.
كتابa book حوىencompassed ماwhat لمnot يحُمْhover حولaround حيّهits precincts
كتاب حوى ما لم يحُمْ حول حيّه
سواهother than it ولمand not يفرغbe cast حُلاهits adornments بقالبِin a mold
سواه ولم يفرغ حُلاه بقالبِ
A book embracing things around whose precincts none has hovered,
A book that contained what no other book around it contained,
Save itself; nor were its adornments cast in a mold.
It excelled all others and was never surpassed.
تصدىundertook لجمعto gather الصادراتissued works فلمso did not يدَعleave
تصدى لجمع الصادرات فلم يدَع
لطالبfor a seeker جمعٍa compilation بعدَهafter it منany مطالبِobjects of pursuit
لطالب جمعٍ بعدَه من مطالبِ
It undertook to gather the issued works, leaving nothing
It undertook to gather masterpieces, leaving
For any later compiler to seek.
No seeker of masterpieces anything left to seek.
معانيهits meanings لوif فكرتyou reflected درpearls منضّدarrayed in rows
معانيه لو فكرت در منضّد
وألفاظهand its words بحرa sea لذيذsweet-tasting المشاربِdraughts
وألفاظه بحر لذيذ المشاربِ
Its meanings, if you reflect, are pearls arrayed in rows,
If you ponder its meanings, a precious pearl,
And its words are a sea whose draughts are sweet.
And its words, a sweet delicious drink.
وليسand it is not غريباًsurprising فهوfor it يعزَىis attributed لأحمدٍto Ahmad
وليس غريباً فهو يعزَى لأحمدٍ
حميدِpraiseworthy السجاياnatural traits الحبرthe learned scholar بحرِan ocean الغرائبِmarvels
حميدِ السجايا الحبر بحرِ الغرائبِ
And that is no wonder, for it is attributed to Ahmad,
And it is no wonder, for it is attributed to Ahmed,
Praiseworthy in character—a learned scholar, an ocean of marvels.
Of commendable traits, an ocean of wonders.
بهthrough him قدindeed غداbecame رأسRa's (head) الخليجal-Khalij (the gulf) متوجاًcrowned
به قد غدا رأس الخليج متوجاً
بتاجwith a crown عُلىًglory واللهand God جمّabundant in المواهبِgifts
بتاج عُلىً والله جمّ المواهبِ
Through him, Ra's al-Khalij has become crowned
By it the Gulf's head was crowned
With a crown of glory—and God is bountiful in gifts.
With a sublime crown, and Allah is perfecter of gifts.
شذاthe scent of عطرهhis perfume يهديكguides you أوor ضوءهhis light إلىto
شذا عطره يهديك أو ضوءه إلى
حماهhis sanctuary إذاwhen أمسيتyou reach evening رهنcaptive to الغياهبِdeep darkness
حماه إذا أمسيت رهن الغياهبِ
The scent of his perfume guides you—or his light—to
Its fragrance directs you, or its light guides you
His sanctuary, when evening finds you captive to deep darkness.
To its protector, when obscured by darkness.
لقدindeed ألبسclothed الأيامthe days منfrom سحرِthe magic of لفظهِhis speech
لقد ألبس الأيام من سحرِ لفظهِ
حُلَىornaments الؤلؤِpearls المنظومstrung فوقupon الترائبِthe upper chest
حُلَى الؤلؤِ المنظوم فوق الترائبِ
He has indeed clothed the days, through the magic of his speech,
It adorned the days with the magic of its words,
In ornaments of strung pearls upon their breasts.
Like pearls threaded atop necklaces.
لهhe has رتبةa rank علياءlofty فيin الفضلexcellence دونهاbelow it الthe
له رتبة علياء في الفضل دونها ال
سّمَاsky كانhad أعياthwarted نَيلُهاattaining it كلّevery طالبِseeker
سّمَا كان أعيا نَيلُها كلّ طالبِ
His is a lofty rank in excellence, below which lies the
It has a supreme rank in virtue, none below it,
sky; attaining it had thwarted every seeker.
That any seeker found hard to attain.
إذاif كانthere is فيin تصنيفa compilation غيرother than جنابهِhis honored self
إذا كان في تصنيف غير جنابهِ
عجابٌmarvels فهذاthen this فيهin it جلّthe bulk of العجائبِwonders
عجابٌ فهذا فيه جلّ العجائبِ
If a compilation by anyone but his honored self contains
If there was wonder in the work of another,
Marvels, then this one holds the bulk of all wonders.
Then in this is the greatest of wonders.
بداappeared فيin سماءthe sky of الطبعprinting بدرthe full moon of ختامهِits completion
بدا في سماء الطبع بدر ختامهِ
وأقبلتand came الأفراحjoys منfrom كلِevery جانبِside
وأقبلت الأفراح من كلِ جانبِ
The full moon of its completion appeared in the sky of print,
The full moon of its conclusion appeared
And joys came from every side.
In the sky of talent, as joys came from all sides.
ولاحand shone سناthe radiance of البشرىglad tidings فقلتso I said مؤرخاًmarking the date
ولاح سنا البشرى فقلت مؤرخاً
لقدindeed جلتshone forth البشرىglad tidings بطبعwith the printing of المواكبِAl-Mawakib (The Processions)
لقد جلت البشرى بطبع المواكبِ
And the radiance of glad tidings shone, so I said, marking the date:
The good news shone, so I recorded,
Glad tidings have indeed shone forth with the printing of Al-Mawakib.
The giving of good news with the beauty of processions.
Sol 6.1