لاmay ... not زِلتَyou cease to be حِلفَsworn ally of سَعادَةٍhappiness وَبَقاءِand longevity
لا زِلتَ حِلفَ سَعادَةٍ وَبَقاءِ
مَوصُولَتَينِboth joined بِرِفعَةٍto high rank وَعَلاءِand eminence
مَوصُولَتَينِ بِرِفعَةٍ وَعَلاءِ
May you ever remain the sworn ally of happiness and long life,
You still swear to happiness and permanence
both joined to high rank and eminence.
Both connected to nobility and supremacy
تَجنيyou reap الحَياةَlife حَمِيدَةَpraiseworthy الإِيرادِthe coming in
تَجني الحَياةَ حَمِيدَةَ الإِيرادِ
وَالإِصدارِand the going out وَالإِصباحِand morning وَالإِمساءِand evening
وَالإِصدارِ وَالإِصباحِ وَالإِمساءِ
You reap a life praiseworthy in its comings,
Life yields praiseworthy revenue
and goings, its mornings and evenings.
And expenditure, dawn and dusk
ياO أَفصَحَmost eloquent of الفُصَحاءِthe eloquent بَلnay ياO أَرجَحَmost judicious of
يا أَفصَحَ الفُصَحاءِ بَل يا أَرجَحَ
الرُجَحاءِthe judicious بَلnay ياO أَسمَحَmost generous of السُمَحاءِthe generous
الرُجَحاءِ بَل يا أَسمَحَ السُمَحاءِ
O most eloquent of the eloquent—nay, O most judicious
O most eloquent of the eloquent, nay the most
of the judicious—nay, O most generous of the generous!
Persuasive of the reasonable, nay the most generous of the generous
لاno شَيءَthing أَعشَقُmore enamored مِنthan حُسامِكَyour keen sword لِلطُلىof throats
لا شَيءَ أَعشَقُ مِن حُسامِكَ لِلطُلى
إِلّاexcept يَداكَyour two hands لِنائِلٍof bounty وَسَخاءِand generosity
إِلّا يَداكَ لِنائِلٍ وَسَخاءِ
Nothing is more enamored than your sword is of throats,
I love nothing of your sharp swords for seekers except
save your two hands, enamored of bounty and generosity.
Your hands for a receiver and generosity
طُلتَyou towered over الأَنامَmankind فَماand so not تَرَكتَyou left فَضِيلَةًa virtue
طُلتَ الأَنامَ فَما تَرَكتَ فَضِيلَةً
إِلّاexcept وَفُقتَand you surpassed بِهاin it عَلىover الفَضلاءِthe virtuous
إِلّا وَفُقتَ بِها عَلى الفَضلاءِ
You towered above mankind, leaving no virtue
You excelled all people so you left no merit
in which you did not surpass the virtuous.
Without surpassing others who possess merit
أَنتَyou السَخِيُّthe generous one فَلِمso why بَخِلتَwere you stingy عَلىtoward الوَرىmankind
أَنتَ السَخِيُّ فَلِم بَخِلتَ عَلى الوَرى
أَنthat يُشبِهُوكَthey resemble you وَلَستَand you are not فيamong البُخَلاءِthe miserly
أَن يُشبِهُوكَ وَلَستَ في البُخَلاءِ
You are the generous one; why, then, begrudge mankind
You are generous so why are you stingy with people
the chance to resemble you, though you are not among the miserly?
To resemble you, while you are not among the stingy?
طَلَبُواthey sought لَحاقَكَto catch you فيin العَلاءِeminence فَقَصَّرُواand they fell short
طَلَبُوا لَحاقَكَ في العَلاءِ فَقَصَّرُوا
وَسَبَقتَand you outstripped سَبقَهُمُtheir advance إِلىtoward العَلياءِthe heights
وَسَبَقتَ سَبقَهُمُ إِلى العَلياءِ
They sought to catch you in eminence, but fell short;
They sought to catch up with you in supremacy but fell short
and you outpaced their advance toward the heights.
While you surpassed them, reaching the most high
قَعَدُواthey sat وَقُمتَand you rose بِماwith what حَمَلتَyou bore مِنَof العُلىhigh honors
قَعَدُوا وَقُمتَ بِما حَمَلتَ مِنَ العُلى
وَقَعَدتَand you sat فَوقَabove كَواكِبِthe stars of الجَوزاءِal-Jawza
وَقَعَدتَ فَوقَ كَواكِبِ الجَوزاءِ
They sat, while you rose with the high honors you bore,
They sat while you rose with what you carried of greatness
and sat above the stars of al-Jawza.
And sat above the stars of Gemini
رُوحِيmy soul فِداa ransom for مَلِكِa king لِسُنَّةِfor the countenance of وَجههِhis face
رُوحِي فِدا مَلِكِ لِسُنَّةِ وَجههِ
مَآءانَtwo waters ماءُthe water of حَيّاًrain وَماءُand the water of حَياءِmodesty
مَآءانَ ماءُ حَيّاً وَماءُ حَياءِ
My soul be ransom for a king whose countenance holds
My soul is ransom to the king with a blessed face
two waters: the water of rain and the water of modesty.
A flowing spring of life and a flowing spring of shyness
ماnot ضَرَّharmed خَلقاًa person شامَhe sighted بارِقَthe lightning of كَفِّهِhis palm
ما ضَرَّ خَلقاً شامَ بارِقَ كَفِّهِ
أَنthat لاnot يَشِيمَhe sights بَوارِقَthe lightning flashes of الأَنواءِrainstorms
أَن لا يَشِيمَ بَوارِقَ الأَنواءِ
No harm comes to anyone who has sighted his palm's lightning
No creation that met the shining of his palm was harmed
if he does not sight the lightning flashes of rainstorms.
By not partaking of the lights of stars
ياO خَيرَbest of مَنthose who سَمِعَheard الثَناءَpraise وَخَيرَand best of مَنthose who
يا خَيرَ مَن سَمِعَ الثَناءَ وَخَيرَ مَن
أَودَعتُI entrusted مَسمَعَهُhis ear الكَرِيمَnoble نِدائِيmy call
أَودَعتُ مَسمَعَهُ الكَرِيمَ نِدائِي
O best of those who heard praise, and best of those
O best of those who heard praise and best of those
whose noble ear I have entrusted with my call!
Whose generous hearing I made hear my call!
لاmay ... not وَدَّعَتكَbid you farewell المَكرُوماتُnoble deeds وَلاnor العُلىlofty honors
لا وَدَّعَتكَ المَكرُوماتُ وَلا العُلى
كَوَداعِناlike our farewell لِسُلافَةِto the choicest of الصهباءِtawny wine
كَوَداعِنا لِسُلافَةِ الصهباءِ
May noble deeds never bid you farewell, nor lofty honors,
The sublime did not bid you farewell, nor our farewell
as we bade farewell to the choicest tawny wine.
To the zealous high-minded ones
عُمرُthe duration of الجَفاءِestrangement لَناfor us قَصِيرٌshort طُولُهُits length
عُمرُ الجَفاءِ لَنا قَصِيرٌ طُولُهُ
شَهرٌa month كَعُمرِlike the lifespan of طَوائِفِbands of الأَعداءِenemies
شَهرٌ كَعُمرِ طَوائِفِ الأَعداءِ
Our estrangement is short-lived; its span is
The life of estrangement from us is short, as long as
a month, like the lifespan of bands of enemies.
The life of enemies' alliances, a month
فَاشرَبso drink هَنِيئاًwith pleasure لاmay ... not عَدِمتَyou lack مَسَرَّةًa joy
فَاشرَب هَنِيئاً لا عَدِمتَ مَسَرَّةً
أَبَداًever وَلاnor عاداكَbe hostile to you يَومُa day of هَناءِbliss
أَبَداً وَلا عاداكَ يَومُ هَناءِ
So drink with pleasure—may you lack no joy,
So drink happily - may you never lose pleasure
ever, nor may a day of bliss turn against you—
Or be restored to a day of happiness!
فيin مَنزِلٍa house أَلبَستَyou clothed سائِرَall أَهلِهِits inhabitants
في مَنزِلٍ أَلبَستَ سائِرَ أَهلِهِ
بِحُلُولِهِby settling in it حُلَلاًrobes مِنَof النَعماءِblessings
بِحُلُولِهِ حُلَلاً مِنَ النَعماءِ
in a house whose every inhabitant you clothed,
In a house whose people you clothed, by arriving,
by settling in it, in robes of blessings.
In garments of bounty from the Benefactor
لَوif أَنَّهُمthat they بَسَطُواthey laid out الخُدُودَthe cheeks كَرامَةًin honor
لَو أَنَّهُم بَسَطُوا الخُدُودَ كَرامَةً
لَكَfor you ماnot جَزَتكَrepaid you خُدُودُهُمtheir cheeks بِجَزاءِwith recompense
لَكَ ما جَزَتكَ خُدُودُهُم بِجَزاءِ
If they laid their cheeks down in honor
If they had offered their cheeks generously
of you, their cheeks would not repay you fittingly.
Their cheeks would not have repaid you enough
نِعمَhow excellent العَبِيدُthe servants أَتَواthey came لِيَرفَعَso that he might elevate مِنهُمُof them
نِعمَ العَبِيدُ أَتَوا لِيَرفَعَ مِنهُمُ
مَولىًa master كَثِيرُabundant in صَنائِعِacts of الآلآءِbounty
مَولىً كَثِيرُ صَنائِعِ الآلآءِ
How fine the servants! They came to be exalted by
Blessed are the servants who came to raise from them
a master abundant in acts of bounty.
A master of abundant fine works
شَكَرُواthey gave thanks وَماand not اِقتَنَعُواthey were content بِأَلسُنِwith the tongues of شُكرِهِمtheir gratitude
شَكَرُوا وَما اِقتَنَعُوا بِأَلسُنِ شُكرِهِم
حَتّىuntil اِستَعارُواthey borrowed أَلسُنَthe tongues of الشُعَراءِpoets
حَتّى اِستَعارُوا أَلسُنَ الشُعَراءِ
They gave thanks, yet were not content with their tongues of gratitude
They gave thanks but were not satisfied with the tongues of their thanks
until they borrowed the tongues of poets.
Until they borrowed the tongues of poets
فَشَكَرتُso I gave thanks for أَنعُمَكَyour favors الجَسِيمَةَimmense عَنهُمُon their behalf
فَشَكَرتُ أَنعُمَكَ الجَسِيمَةَ عَنهُمُ
وَعَنِand on behalf of الوَرىmankind شُكرَthe gratitude of الثَرىthe soil لِلماءِto water
وَعَنِ الوَرى شُكرَ الثَرى لِلماءِ
So I thanked you for your immense favors on their behalf,
So I thanked the great favors you bestowed
and on mankind's behalf, as the soil thanks water.
Both for them and for people, like the land's thanking of water
إِنّيindeed I لَأَرحَمُI surely pity مَنwhoever يَقُولُsays وَقَدand already رَأىhe has seen
إِنّي لَأَرحَمُ مَن يَقُولُ وَقَد رَأى
ذاthis الفَضلَexcellence إِنَّindeed الفَضلَexcellence لِلقُدَماءِfor the ancients
ذا الفَضلَ إِنَّ الفَضلَ لِلقُدَماءِ
I truly pity whoever says, after seeing
Truly, I pity whoever saw this merit and yet says
this excellence, 'Indeed, excellence belongs to the ancients.'
"Merit belongs to the ancients!"
لَيسُواthey are not بِأَنظارِpeers of الأَمِيرِthe emir وَلاnor الأُلىthose who
لَيسُوا بِأَنظارِ الأَمِيرِ وَلا الأُلى
نَطَقُواthey spoke بِحُسنِof the beauty of صِفاتِهِمtheir qualities نُظَرائِيmy peers
نَطَقُوا بِحُسنِ صِفاتِهِم نُظَرائِي
They are not the emir's peers, nor are those
They are not equal to the Emir‘s judgments or intimates—
who spoke of their fine qualities peers of mine.
My peers spoke well in their fine traits
تَرَكَhe left المُلوكَthe kings بَنِيsons of المُلوكِkings وَراءَهُbehind him
تَرَكَ المُلوكَ بَنِي المُلوكِ وَراءَهُ
وَتَرَكتُand I left أَربابَthe masters of القَريضِverse وَرائِيbehind me
وَتَرَكتُ أَربابَ القَريضِ وَرائِي
He left the kings, sons of kings, behind him,
He left behind him the kings, the sons of kings,
and I left the masters of verse behind me.
And I left behind the poetry masters
أُثنِيI praise عَلَيهِof him وَمَنand who لِخارِقَةِfor the piercing gust of الصَباthe east wind
أُثنِي عَلَيهِ وَمَن لِخارِقَةِ الصَبا
لَوif أَنَّهاthat it سارَتit traveled مَسِيرَthe course of ثَنائِيmy praise
لَو أَنَّها سارَت مَسِيرَ ثَنائِي
I praise him—and who could aid the east wind's piercing gust,
I praise him—and who to the wondrous early
were it to travel the course of my praise?
Youth, if it marched the march of my praise!
هُوَit عِطرُthe perfume of سُكّانِthe dwellers of العَمُودِthe tent-pole وَإِنand if أَتىit reaches
هُوَ عِطرُ سُكّانِ العَمُودِ وَإِن أَتى
بَلَداًa town فَعِطرُthen the perfume of مَجالِسِthe gatherings of الأُدَباءِmen of letters
بَلَداً فَعِطرُ مَجالِسِ الأُدَباءِ
It is the perfume of tent-dwellers; and if it reaches
He is the fragrance of the pillar's dwellers, but if he came
a town, it is the perfume of gatherings of men of letters.
To a land, he‘d be the fragrance of literary gatherings
Sol 6.1