مَرَرْناwe passed بروضٍby a garden والركائبُand the riding camels وُقَّفُhalted
مَرَرْنا بروضٍ والركائبُ وُقَّفُ
فقالواso they said لمَنْwhose هذاthis المَحَلُّthe place المُزَخْرَفُrichly adorned
فقالوا لمَنْ هذا المَحَلُّ المُزَخْرَفُ
We passed by a garden, while the riding camels stood halted.
We passed by a garden, and the riders halted,
They said, “Whose is this richly adorned place?”
And said, "For whom is this adorned dwelling?"
فقلبthen the heart of مولايmy lord ابنson of سلطانSultan ذيpossessed of الندىgenerosity
فقلب مولاي ابن سلطان ذي الندى
سعيدSaʿid بذكراهat his mention الورىhumankind تَتَشَرَّفُis honored
سعيد بذكراه الورى تَتَشَرَّفُ
Then [it is] the heart of my lord, son of Sultan, endowed with bounty—
My master, Ibn Sultan of generosity, replied,
Saʿid, whose remembrance brings honor to humankind.
The whole world is honored by his mention.
فقلتُso I said سلونيask me عنabout جميعِall صفاتِهhis qualities
فقلتُ سلوني عن جميعِ صفاتِه
فقالواso they said جميعاًall together أنتَyou لاno شكَdoubt أعْرَفُmore knowledgeable
فقالوا جميعاً أنتَ لا شكَ أعْرَفُ
So I said, “Ask me about all his qualities.”
I said, "Ask me about all his virtues,"
They all said, “You, without doubt, know best.”
They all said, "You, without doubt, know him best."
فقالواso they said وماand what النُوْرُthe light الذيwhich فيهin it ساطعٌshining
فقالوا وما النُوْرُ الذي فيه ساطعٌ
فقلتُso I said لهمto them نَورblossoms فإنso if شئتمُyou wish اقطفواpluck
فقلتُ لهم نَور فإن شئتمُ اقطفوا
They said, “And what is the light shining within it?”
They said, "What is the light radiating from him?"
I told them, “Blossoms—if you wish, pluck them.”
I said to them, "A light - so pluck, if you wish -
قرنفلهُits carnations الرّيانُwell-watered مالَleaned كأنَّهُas though it were
قرنفلهُ الرّيانُ مالَ كأنَّهُ
عذارىmaidens سقتserved راحاًwine عليهنupon them رَفْرَفُflowing drapery
عذارى سقت راحاً عليهن رَفْرَفُ
Its lush carnations leaned, as though they were
Its carnation, bending as if it were
maidens serving wine, with flowing drapery upon them.
Maidens who had sprinkled on them a fluttering.
سموطُstrings لآليpearls الطَّلِthe dew فوقَabove غُصونِهِits branches
سموطُ لآلي الطَّلِ فوقَ غُصونِهِ
وتهويand swoop علىonto أوراقهِits leaves الورقthe gray doves تَهْتِفُcall out
وتهوي على أوراقهِ الورق تَهْتِفُ
Strings of dew-pearls lie upon its branches,
It hangs before the radiant rising moon upon its branches,
and gray doves swoop onto its leaves, calling.
And upon its leaves the leaves flutter calling.
يفيءreturns عليهover it الظِّلُthe shade منfrom كلِّevery جانبٍside
يفيء عليه الظِّلُ من كلِّ جانبٍ
وَرَوَّتْهُand watered it عينُthe eye of المُزْنِthe rainclouds والدَّمْعُand the tears وكَّفُpouring down
وَرَوَّتْهُ عينُ المُزْنِ والدَّمْعُ وكَّفُ
Shade returns over it from every side,
Shade covers it from every side,
and the rainclouds’ eye watered it, with tears pouring down.
The spring's eye and tears have watered it.
ولوand if عَلِمَknew الساعونَthe seekers طُرّاًall without exception بِفَضْلِهof its excellence
ولو عَلِمَ الساعونَ طُرّاً بِفَضْلِه
لجأواthey sought refuge جميعاًall together نحوَهtoward it وتَكَلَّفُواand took pains
لجأوا جميعاً نحوَه وتَكَلَّفُوا
And if all the seekers knew of its excellence,
If the ambitious knew his superiority,
they would all seek refuge there and take pains.
They would all head towards him and make effort.
ولوand if أنthat فيamong الأحياءِthe living عاداًʿAd ليَدَّعيwould surely claim
ولو أن في الأحياءِ عاداً ليَدَّعي
تَمَلُّكَهpossession of it والشَّرْعُand the sacred law بالحقِwith justice يُنْصَفis given its due
تَمَلُّكَه والشَّرْعُ بالحقِ يُنْصَف
And were ʿAd among the living, they would surely claim
If the living claimed ownership of him,
ownership of it, while sacred law is justly given its due.
The law with truth would appraise.
وألقىand I cast عليهupon him بالقريضِin verse غَرائباًrare marvels
وألقى عليه بالقريضِ غَرائباً
مدائحَpraises منfrom بحرِthe sea of القريحةِpoetic inspiration أغرُفُI draw
مدائحَ من بحرِ القريحةِ أغرُفُ
And I cast upon him rare marvels in verse—
And he threw upon it wondrous eulogies -
praises I draw from the sea of poetic inspiration.
Praises from the sea of poetry I drew up.
وأسْلُكُand I follow نَهْجَthe path of السالفينَthose of old قريضَهمtheir verse
وأسْلُكُ نَهْجَ السالفينَ قريضَهم
وليand I have مِنfrom بقاياremnants of الجاهليةِthe Age of Ignorance عَجْرَفُrough pride
ولي مِن بقايا الجاهليةِ عَجْرَفُ
And I follow the path of those of old in their verse,
And I follow the path of the ancients' eulogies,
and I have a rough pride left over from the Age of Ignorance.
Yet from the remnants of the Ignorance I am raucous."
Sol 6.1