لولاwere it not for أبوAbu (father of) الفرجal-Faraj (joy) الهُمامthe noble-hearted لماwould not
لولا أبو الفرج الهُمام لما
وجدfound الرجاءُhope إلىto المنىwishes سُبلاpaths
وجد الرجاءُ إلى المنى سُبلا
Were it not for noble-hearted Abu al-Faraj,
Were it not for Abu al-Faraj al-Humam,
hope would have found no paths to its wishes.
Hope would not have found paths to fulfillment.
أضحَىhe has come to يُفَرِّقُhe scatters منthrough مواهِبهhis gifts
أضحَى يُفَرِّقُ من مواهِبه
شملاًa gathering ويجمعand he gathers للعًلاfor glory شَملاa gathering
شملاً ويجمع للعًلا شَملا
He now scatters, through his gifts,
He gives generously of his gifts,
a gathering, and gathers another for glory.
Uniting kinship ties and gathering noble traits.
جورٌtyranny علىagainst الأموالwealth عادhas returned وقدand indeed
جورٌ على الأموال عاد وقد
عمَّencompassed all العُفاةَpetitioners بنيلهwith his bounty عَدلاjustice
عمَّ العُفاةَ بنيله عَدلا
Tyranny against wealth has returned, while
Oppression of wealth has passed, since
his bounty has brought justice to all petitioners.
His justice has encompassed the destitute.
ولهand he has إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle المشكلاتdifficulties عَدَتassail
وله إذا ما المشكلات عَدَت
فهمunderstanding يكونis لعقدهاfor their knots حَلاّan untying
فهم يكون لعقدها حَلاّ
And when difficulties assail, he has
When difficulties multiply,
an understanding that unties their knots.
His understanding unravels their knots.
نَغدواwe go forth in the morning فنغنمand so we gain منfrom مواهبهhis gifts
نَغدوا فنغنم من مواهبه
جزلاa plentiful share ومنand from آدابهhis refinement جزلاa plentiful share
جزلا ومن آدابه جزلا
We go forth in the morning and reap from his gifts
We live well, profiting from his gifts
rich bounty, and from his refinement rich bounty.
Abundantly, and from his manners nobly.
وتراهُand you see him منفرداًunrivaled بغايتهat his pinnacle
وتراهُ منفرداً بغايته
فيin الفضلexcellence إنwhether جدَّاin earnest وإنor whether هَزلاin jest
في الفضل إن جدَّا وإن هَزلا
And you see him unrivaled at his pinnacle
You see him excelling by himself
of excellence, whether in earnest or in jest.
In merit, jesting or serious.
وترىand you see تطوُّلَهhis beneficence ونائلهand his bounty
وترى تطوُّلَه ونائله
غضّfresh الشَّبابyouth وحلمَهand his forbearance كهلاmature
غضّ الشَّباب وحلمَه كهلا
You see his beneficence and his bounty
You see his aspiring and his attainment,
fresh with youth, and his forbearance mature.
Despite youthful ardour and aged forbearance.
وتودُّand wish أيديthe hands of المجدglory لوif only جعلتthey could make
وتودُّ أيدي المجد لو جعلت
خدَّthe cheek of الحسودthe envious man لرجلهfor his foot نَعلاa sandal
خدَّ الحسود لرجله نَعلا
The hands of glory wish they could make
The hands of glory would make
the envious man's cheek a sandal for his foot.
The cheek of his envier his sandal.
تلقاهمmeet them الآمالُhopes كاسِفةdowncast
تلقاهم الآمالُ كاسِفة
وتعودand return عندupon لقائهmeeting him جذلىjoyful
وتعود عند لقائه جذلى
Hopes meet them downcast,
Hopes meet him downcast
and return joyful upon meeting him.
And leave his company uplifted.
ماnot عاقهhindered him عنfrom نيلattaining مكرمةa noble deed
ما عاقه عن نيل مكرمة
شيءanything يقالis said لأجلهon its account لولاwere it not for
شيء يقال لأجله لولا
He has never been hindered from attaining a noble deed
Nothing has prevented him from gaining esteem
by anything that could prompt 'were it not for ...'
That might be said to be an obstacle.
كثرتhave grown numerous فماso not تحصىare counted مناقبُهhis virtues
كثرت فما تحصى مناقبُه
منwho ذاthis one يَعُدُّcounts القطرَthe raindrops والرملاand the sand
من ذا يَعُدُّ القطرَ والرملا
His virtues are so many they cannot be counted;
His merits are many, beyond counting -
who can count the raindrops and the sand?
Who can tally drops of rain and grains of sand?
ماno فيهin him للعُذالfor the reproachers منany طمعٍhope
ما فيه للعُذال من طمعٍ
غلبprevailed السماحُgenerosity عليهover him واستولىand took control
غلب السماحُ عليه واستولى
His reproachers have no hope of swaying him:
The wretched have no hope in him,
generosity has conquered him and taken command.
Generosity has conquered and prevailed in him.
ماnot زلتُI have ceased أبدعI create masterfully فيabout محاسنهhis virtues
ما زلتُ أبدع في محاسنه
قولاًin words ويُبدعand he creates masterfully فيin الندىgenerosity فعلاin deeds
قولاً ويُبدع في الندى فعلا
I never cease fashioning marvels about his virtues
I continue to pioneer in praising his virtues,
in words, while he fashions marvels of bounty in deeds.
In both poetry and sincere action.
تُمليdictate واستمليand I take dictation فواضلهhis bounties
تُملي واستملي فواضله
ماnot الفضلthe credit إلاّexcept للذيto the one who أمليdictated
ما الفضل إلاّ للذي أملي
His bounties dictate, and I take dictation;
Dictate and transcribe his outstanding qualities,
the credit belongs only to the one who dictated.
For merit belongs only to one who dictates.
للهِto God, expressing admiration آلthe family of الموقفيّal-Mawqifi فماand how
للهِ آل الموقفيّ فما
أعلىlofty صنائعهمtheir benefactions وماand how أحلىsweet
أعلى صنائعهم وما أحلى
Praise God for the house of al-Mawqifi—and how
May God protect the house of Muwaqqif,
lofty their benefactions, and how sweet!
So lofty in achievements, so beautiful in manner.
طُبِعُواthey were fashioned علىwith كرمnobility of الخلالcharacter traits فلاso no
طُبِعُوا على كرم الخلال فلا
عِيَّاineloquence ترىyou see فيهمin them ولاand no بُخلاstinginess
عِيَّا ترى فيهم ولا بُخلا
They were fashioned with noble traits; thus
They are of a nature most generous and benign,
you see in them neither ineloquence nor stinginess.
No shame or stinginess is seen in them.
إنindeed المساعيendeavors غيرnot ناصرةsupporting
إن المساعي غير ناصرة
منone who ليسdoes not ينصرsupport فرعُهhis branch الأصلاthe root
من ليس ينصر فرعُه الأصلا
Indeed, endeavors lend no support
Efforts alone do not bring success,
to one whose branch does not uphold the root.
Unless the branch is aided by its root.
يبغيhe seeks العُلاhigh honor متجشماlaboring to assume خلقاa character trait
يبغي العُلا متجشما خلقا
فيروحso he goes forth مرسوماimprinted بهwith it عقلاin mind
فيروح مرسوما به عقلا
He seeks high honor, laboring to acquire a trait,
One seeks the heights with excellent character,
then goes forth with it imprinted upon his mind.
Then soars with a mind thus inscribed.
منone who لمdid not يقابلmatch حسنthe beauty of لبّتهhis throat
من لم يقابل حسن لبّته
حسنthe beauty of الحليthe jewelry غداbecomes بهwith it عطلاunadorned
حسن الحلي غدا به عطلا
He whose throat's beauty does not match
One whose refined exterior does not match
the beauty of the jewels remains unadorned despite them.
An equally refined heart soon falls idle.
ملكتhas taken hold of عنانthe reins of العُرفbeneficence منكof yours يدa hand
ملكت عنان العُرف منك يد
لاnot تعرفknows التسويفprocrastination والمطلاand stalling
لا تعرف التسويف والمطلا
A hand of yours has taken the reins of beneficence,
The reins of convention are held by your hand,
one that knows neither procrastination nor stalling.
Which knows no procrastination or negligence.
لوif أنّهاthat it للغيثbelonged to rain ماnot تركتwould have left
لو أنّها للغيث ما تركت
جَدبآbarrenness ببلقعةٍin a wasteland ولاand no محلاdrought
جَدبآ ببلقعةٍ ولا محلا
Had rain possessed that hand, it would not have left
If it were rain, it would leave no land
barrenness in a wasteland, nor any drought.
Barren, parched, or empty.
فاهنأso rejoice بهذاin this العيدfestival وابقand live on لهfor it
فاهنأ بهذا العيد وابق له
ماas long as زارit visits مشتاقاًone who yearns وماولّىand as long as it departs
ما زار مشتاقاً وماولّى
So rejoice in this festival, and live on for it,
Congratulations on this feast - remain
as long as it visits one who yearns for it and departs.
For one who visits in longing and leaves.
لاmay not تسلبbe robbed الدنياthe world الجمالbeauty بمنthrough him who
لا تسلب الدنيا الجمال بمن
سُوَرُchapters المديحof praise بذكرهat his mention تتلىare recited
سُوَرُ المديح بذكره تتلى
May the world never be robbed of beauty by losing him
Let not the world rob beauty from one
at whose mention the chapters of praise are recited.
Whose praise in verse is recited.
Sol 6.1