لازالَhas never ceased يَرفَعُكَto raise you الحِجىwisdom وَالسُؤدَدُand nobility
لازالَ يَرفَعُكَ الحِجى وَالسُؤدَدُ
حَتّىuntil رَناgazed حَسَداًin envy إِلَيكَat you الفَرقَدُFarqad (a star)
حَتّى رَنا حَسَداً إِلَيكَ الفَرقَدُ
Wisdom and nobility have never ceased to raise you,
Still do your excellence and nobility raise you
until Farqad gazed upon you in envy.
Until out of envy the stars have turned green for you
صَعِدَascended المُلوكُthe kings وَأَنتَand you تَصعَدُascend عَنهُمُbeyond them
صَعِدَ المُلوكُ وَأَنتَ تَصعَدُ عَنهُمُ
فَكَأَنَّهُمso it is as though they لَمdid not يُحسِنُواknow how أَنto يَصعدُواascend
فَكَأَنَّهُم لَم يُحسِنُوا أَن يَصعدُوا
Kings have ascended, while you ascend beyond them,
Kings ascend yet you ascend above them
as though they never knew how to ascend.
As though they failed to ascend properly
بُعداًbanishment لِحاسِدِكَfor your envier الشَقِيِّthe wretched فَإنِّماfor it is only
بُعداً لِحاسِدِكَ الشَقِيِّ فَإنِّما
حَسَدُenvy الحَسُودِof the envier سَجِيَّةٌa trait لاnot تُحمَدُis praised
حَسَدُ الحَسُودِ سَجِيَّةٌ لا تُحمَدُ
Away with your wretched envier, for
Away with your wretched envious enemies
the envier's envy is but a trait unworthy of praise.
For the envy of the envious is a despised trait
حَسبُenough for الحَسودِthe envier نَقيصَةًas a flaw أَنَّthat العُلىhigh honors
حَسبُ الحَسودِ نَقيصَةً أَنَّ العُلى
عَدَتِpassed by الحَسُودَthe envier وَماand did not عَدَتpass by مَنthe one whom يَحسُدُhe envies
عَدَتِ الحَسُودَ وَما عَدَت مَن يَحسُدُ
It is flaw enough in the envier that high honors
The flaw of the envious is that grandeur
passed him by, but not the one he envies.
Has avoided the envious but not those envied
أَمّاas for المُعِزُّal-Mu'izz فَإِنthen if سَمِعتَyou have heard بِأَوحَدٍof a peerless man
أَمّا المُعِزُّ فَإِن سَمِعتَ بِأَوحَدٍ
فاقَsurpassed البَرِيَّةَall creation فَهوَthen he is ذاكَthat الأَوحَدُpeerless one
فاقَ البَرِيَّةَ فَهوَ ذاكَ الأَوحَدُ
As for al-Mu'izz, if you have heard of a peerless man
As for the glorious one, if you have heard of a singular one
who surpassed all creation, he is that peerless one.
Who surpassed all humanity, that's the unique one
سَبَقَoutstripped الكِرامَthe noble وَقَصَّرواand they fell short أَنto يَلحَقُواcatch up
سَبَقَ الكِرامَ وَقَصَّروا أَن يَلحَقُوا
أَدنىthe nearest part of مَداهُhis reach وَضُلِّلواand they were led astray أَنto يَهتَدُواfind their way
أَدنى مَداهُ وَضُلِّلوا أَن يَهتَدُوا
He outstripped the noble, who fell short of reaching
He surpassed the generous and they failed to catch up
even his nearest reach, and were led astray, unable to find their way.
With the least of his bounds and strayed from following his guidance
نَفَقَgained currency الثَناءَpraise بِهِthrough him وَأَصبَحَتand became العُلىhigh honor
نَفَقَ الثَناءَ بِهِ وَأَصبَحَت العُلى
عِندَwith الأَعَزِّthe most exalted تِجارَةًa trade لاnot تَكسُدُstagnates
عِندَ الأَعَزِّ تِجارَةً لا تَكسُدُ
Praise gained currency through him, and high honor became
Praise flowed through him and the heights
with the most exalted, a trade that never stagnates.
Became priceless to the honorable, never deprecated
خَلَتِbecame empty البِلادُthe lands مِنَof الكِرامِthe noble وَأَقفَرَتand became desolate
خَلَتِ البِلادُ مِنَ الكِرامِ وَأَقفَرَت
إِلّاexcept العَواصِمُal-'Awasim مِنof جَوادٍa generous man يُقصَدُis sought out
إِلّا العَواصِمُ مِن جَوادٍ يُقصَدُ
The lands are empty of noble men and bereft—
The lands emptied of the generous and only
except al-'Awasim—of a generous man to turn to.
The bastions had magnanimous ones who were sought
لَوhad عاشَlived قَومٌpeople أَعتَقُوهُfreed him لَسَرَّهُمwould have delighted them
لَو عاشَ قَومٌ أَعتَقُوهُ لَسَرَّهُم
ماwhat أَعتَقُواthey freed وَلَسَرَّهُمand would have delighted them ماwhat أَولَدُواthey begot
ما أَعتَقُوا وَلَسَرَّهُم ما أَولَدُوا
Had the people who freed him lived, they would have rejoiced
If a people lived who freed him, their freeing would have delighted him
in the man they freed, and rejoiced in the offspring they begot.
As would what they sired have delighted him
شادُواthey built لَهُfor him الفَخرَglory المُنيفَtowering عَلىabove السُهىSuha (a star)
شادُوا لَهُ الفَخرَ المُنيفَ عَلى السُهى
وَنَشاand he grew up فَشَيَّدَthen he built فَوقَabove ماwhat قَدhad شَيَّدُواthey built
وَنَشا فَشَيَّدَ فَوقَ ما قَد شَيَّدُوا
They built him glory towering above Suha,
They built him towering glory upon glory
and he grew up, then built above what they had built.
And he prospered and built atop all they erected
ماnot كُلُّevery مَنone who وَرِثَinherited المَكارِمَnoble virtues قائِمٌupholding
ما كُلُّ مَن وَرِثَ المَكارِمَ قائِمٌ
فَيهاin them وَلاnor كُلُّevery ابنِson of فَحلٍa mighty sire سَيِّدُa lord
فَيها وَلا كُلُّ ابنِ فَحلٍ سَيِّدُ
Not everyone who inherits noble virtues upholds
Not all who inherited virtues continue them
them; nor is every son of a mighty sire a lord.
Nor are all sons of stallions lords
ياoh حَبَّذاhow fine الفَرعُthe branch الزَكِيُّthe pure وَحَبَّذاand how fine
يا حَبَّذا الفَرعُ الزَكِيُّ وَحَبَّذا
ذاكَthat النِجارُlineage وَحَبَّand how fine ذاكَthat المَحتِدُancestral stock
ذاكَ النِجارُ وَحَبَّ ذاكَ المَحتِدُ
How fine the pure branch, and how fine
O excellent is that virtuous scion and excellent
that lineage; how fine that ancestral stock!
Is that carpenter, and excellent is that devotee
مِنfrom سادَةٍlords أَخَذُواthey made المَكارِمnoble virtues عادَةًa habit
مِن سادَةٍ أَخَذُوا المَكارِم عادَةً
وَلِكُلِّand for every قَومٍpeople فيin العُلىhigh honor ماwhat عُوِّدُواthey were accustomed to
وَلِكُلِّ قَومٍ في العُلى ما عُوِّدُوا
From lords who made noble virtues a habit,
Of lords who made virtues their habit
and every people has in high honor what it was accustomed to.
And for every people in grandeur what they are accustomed to
قَومٌa people إِذاwhen شَهِدُواthey entered النِزالَcombat تَقَلَّدُواthey girded themselves
قَومٌ إِذا شَهِدُوا النِزالَ تَقَلَّدُوا
مِنfrom بَأسِهِمtheir valor بِأَحَدَّwith something sharper مِمّاthan what قُلِّدُواthey were girded with
مِن بَأسِهِم بِأَحَدَّ مِمّا قُلِّدُوا
A people who, when they enter combat, gird themselves
A people when they witness war don they
with valor sharper than the blades with which they are girded.
Of their might the sharpest of what they are adorned with
ياO سَيِّدَlord of الأُمَراءِthe princes دَعوَةَthe prayer of شاكِرٍa grateful man
يا سَيِّدَ الأُمَراءِ دَعوَةَ شاكِرٍ
لاnot يَجحَدُdenies الإِحسانَkindness فِيمَنamong those who يَجحَدُdeny
لا يَجحَدُ الإِحسانَ فِيمَن يَجحَدُ
O lord of princes, hear the prayer of a grateful man
O master of princes, the prayer of a grateful one
who does not deny kindness among those who deny it.
Who does not deny favor amongst the ungrateful
إِنَّindeed الرَعاياthe subjects أَشرَبَتكَgave you to drink قُلُوبُهُمtheir hearts
إِنَّ الرَعايا أَشرَبَتكَ قُلُوبُهُم
حُبّاًlove كَماas شَرِبَdrank الغَمامَthe raincloud الفَدفَدُthe barren plain
حُبّاً كَما شَرِبَ الغَمامَ الفَدفَدُ
Indeed, the subjects' hearts have given you
Indeed, the subjects have drunk the love of you into their hearts
love to drink, as the barren plain drinks the raincloud.
As the rainclouds drink the pouring rain
وَجَدُواthey found لِفَقدِat the loss of أَخيكَyour brother فيin مُهَجاتِهِمtheir inmost hearts
وَجَدُوا لِفَقدِ أَخيكَ في مُهَجاتِهِم
ناراًa fire تَنُوبُtakes مَنابَthe place of ماwhat لَمdid not يُوقِدُواthey kindle
ناراً تَنُوبُ مَنابَ ما لَم يُوقِدُوا
At the loss of your brother, they found within their hearts
And in their depths they felt the loss of your brother
a fire replacing the fires they had not kindled.
Like a fire that takes the place of what they have not kindled
وَتَحَرَّجُواand they felt it wrong أَنto يَفرَحُواrejoice فيon لَيلَةٍa night
وَتَحَرَّجُوا أَن يَفرَحُوا في لَيلَةٍ
سَكَنَdwelt in التُرابَthe dust بِهاon it الحُسامُthe sword المُغمَدُthe sheathed
سَكَنَ التُرابَ بِها الحُسامُ المُغمَدُ
They thought it wrong to rejoice on a night
And they refrained from rejoicing on a night
when the sheathed sword took its dwelling in the dust.
When dust settled on the sheathed swords
هَجَرُواthey forsook السُرورَjoy وَلَمand did not يَبِتspend the night يَعتادُهُمvisit them
هَجَرُوا السُرورَ وَلَم يَبِت يَعتادُهُم
أَسَفُsorrow المَلامَةِof reproach أَنَّهُمthat they ماhad not مَلًّدُواcelebrated the feast
أَسَفُ المَلامَةِ أَنَّهُم ما مَلًّدُوا
They forsook joy, and were not haunted through the night
They abandoned joy and grief at negligence
by the pain of reproach for not having celebrated the feast.
That they were not gentle did not accustom them
تَبِعُواthey followed هَواكَyour wishes فلَوso if أَمَرتyou commanded جَمِيعُهمall of them
تَبِعُوا هَواكَ فلَو أَمَرت جَمِيعُهم
بِالكَفِّto refrain عَنfrom أَعيادِهِمtheir festivals ماnot عَيَّدُواthey would have celebrated
بِالكَفِّ عَن أَعيادِهِم ما عَيَّدُوا
They followed your wishes; had you commanded them all
They followed your passion so if you commanded all
to refrain from their festivals, they would not have celebrated.
To refrain from their festivals, they would not celebrate
فاسلَمso remain safe لَهُمfor them فَإِذاthen when سَلِمتَyou are safe فَإِنَّهُمthen they
فاسلَم لَهُم فَإِذا سَلِمتَ فَإِنَّهُم
تَحتَunder السَلامَةِsafety أَتهَمُواthey went to Tihama أَمor أَنجَدُواthey went to Najd
تَحتَ السَلامَةِ أَتهَمُوا أَم أَنجَدُوا
So remain safe for them; when you are safe, they
So make peace with them, and if you make peace, they will
are under safety's protection, whether they go to Tihama or Najd.
Be secure whether blamed or aided
Sol 6.1