قُلsay لِلغَمامِto the cloud إِذاwhen اِستَهَلَّbegan to rain صَبِيرُهُits piled cloud mass
قُل لِلغَمامِ إِذا اِستَهَلَّ صَبِيرُهُ
وَانهَلَّand poured down أَوَّلُهُits first part وَسَحَّand streamed down أَخِيرُهُits last part
وَانهَلَّ أَوَّلُهُ وَسَحَّ أَخِيرُهُ
Say to the cloud, when its piled mass begins to rain
and its first showers fall and its last pour down:
كاثِرvie in abundance سِوىother than جُودِthe bounty of الأَميرِthe emir فَرُبَّماfor perhaps
كاثِر سِوى جُودِ الأَميرِ فَرُبَّما
يُوفيsurpasses عَلَيهِover it قَلِيلُهُhis little bounty وَكَثيرُهُand his great bounty
يُوفي عَلَيهِ قَلِيلُهُ وَكَثيرُهُ
Vie in abundance with anything but the emir's bounty, for perhaps
his bounty, little and great alike, surpasses yours.
أَحَسِبتَdid you suppose أَنَّكَthat you حِينَwhen صُبتَyou poured down عَديلَهُhis equal
أَحَسِبتَ أَنَّكَ حِينَ صُبتَ عَديلَهُ
وَظَنَنتَand you thought أَنَّكَthat you ياO غَمامُcloud نَظِيرُهُhis match
وَظَنَنتَ أَنَّكَ يا غَمامُ نَظِيرُهُ
Did you suppose, when you poured down, that you were his equal,
and think, O cloud, that you were his match?
لاdo not تُوهَمَنَّbe deluded فَإِنَّfor indeed أَيسَرَthe least of جُودِهِhis bounty
لا تُوهَمَنَّ فَإِنَّ أَيسَرَ جُودِهِ
لَوif سَحَّit poured فيin بَلَدٍa land لَسالَwould flow غَدِيرُهُits pool
لَو سَحَّ في بَلَدٍ لَسالَ غَدِيرُهُ
Do not be deluded, for the least of his bounty,
if poured upon a land, would set its pool flowing.
إِنّيindeed I لَأعجَبُI surely marvel وَهوَthough it is رُكنُa buttress of مُتالِعٍMutāliʿ
إِنّي لَأعجَبُ وَهوَ رُكنُ مُتالِعٍ
لِمَwhy لاnot يَبِيدُit perishes إِذاwhen عَلاهُrose upon it سَرِيرُهُhis throne
لِمَ لا يَبِيدُ إِذا عَلاهُ سَرِيرُهُ
I truly marvel—though it is a buttress of Mutāliʿ—
why it does not crumble when his throne stands upon it.
مَلِكٌa king تَشَهَّرَbecame renowned بِالسَخاءِfor generosity مِنَfrom الصِباchildhood
مَلِكٌ تَشَهَّرَ بِالسَخاءِ مِنَ الصِبا
حَتّىuntil استَمَرَّgrew firm عَلىin السَخاءِgenerosity مَرِيرُهُhis cord of resolve
حَتّى استَمَرَّ عَلى السَخاءِ مَرِيرُهُ
A king renowned for generosity since childhood,
until the cord of his resolve grew firm in generosity.
ضَمِنتَguaranteed صُرُوفُthe vicissitudes of النائِباتِcalamities لِجارِهِto his neighbor
ضَمِنتَ صُرُوفُ النائِباتِ لِجارِهِ
أَنthat لاnot يَخافَhe fears البُؤسَmisery وَهوَwhile he is مُجِيرُهُhis protector
أَن لا يَخافَ البُؤسَ وَهوَ مُجِيرُهُ
The turns of misfortune have guaranteed his neighbor
that he need not fear misery, with him as his protector.
قَدindeed قُلتُI have said لِلأَعداءِto the enemies حينَwhen يَراهُمُhe sees them
قَد قُلتُ لِلأَعداءِ حينَ يَراهُمُ
حَذَراًbeware فَإِنَّfor indeed اللَيثَthe lion حَيثُwhere زَئيرُهُhis roar
حَذَراً فَإِنَّ اللَيثَ حَيثُ زَئيرُهُ
I have told the enemies, when he sees them:
Beware, for the lion is where his roar resounds.
لِزَعِيمِكُمfor your leader مِنهُfrom him النَجاءُescape فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I
لِزَعِيمِكُم مِنهُ النَجاءُ فَإِنَّني
مِنagainst شَفرَتيthe two edges of هَذاthis الحُسامِkeen sword نَذِيرُهُhis warner
مِن شَفرَتي هَذا الحُسامِ نَذِيرُهُ
Let your leader flee from him, for I
warn him against the two edges of this keen sword.
ماnothing بينَكَمbetween you حَتماًcertainly وَبَينَand between صَباحِكُمyour dawn
ما بينَكَم حَتماً وَبَينَ صَباحِكُم
بِالحَينِwith death إِلّاexcept أَنthat يَحِينَcomes due مَسِيرُهُhis march
بِالحَينِ إِلّا أَن يَحِينَ مَسِيرُهُ
Surely nothing stands between you and your dawn
of death but the coming of the hour for his march.
فَحَذارِso beware مِنهُof him وَمِنand of عَواقِبِthe consequences of كَيدِهِhis stratagem
فَحَذارِ مِنهُ وَمِن عَواقِبِ كَيدِهِ
إِنif كانَwere يَنفَعُbenefits حائِناًone doomed to die تَحذِيرُهُwarning him
إِن كانَ يَنفَعُ حائِناً تَحذِيرُهُ
So beware of him and of the consequences of his stratagem,
if warning him can benefit a doomed man.
أَمّاas for الإِمامُthe imam فَقَدthen indeed تَيَقَّنَbecame certain أَنَّهُthat he
أَمّا الإِمامُ فَقَد تَيَقَّنَ أَنَّهُ
لاnot يَرهَبُfears الأَعداءَthe enemies وَهوَwhile he is نَصِيرُهُhis champion
لا يَرهَبُ الأَعداءَ وَهوَ نَصِيرُهُ
As for the imam, he is certain that he
fears no enemies, with him as his champion.
خَلُصَتbecame pure سَرِيرَتُهُhis inward intent وَصَحَّand was true وِدادُهُhis affection
خَلُصَت سَرِيرَتُهُ وَصَحَّ وِدادُهُ
وَصَفاand became pure لِأَولادِtoward the children of النَبِيِّthe Prophet ضَميرُهُhis heart
وَصَفا لِأَولادِ النَبِيِّ ضَميرُهُ
His inward intent is pure, and his affection true,
and his heart is pure toward the Prophet's children.
إِنّيindeed I عَلىin ثِقَةٍconfidence بِأَنَّin the fact that عَدُوَّهُhis enemy
إِنّي عَلى ثِقَةٍ بِأَنَّ عَدُوَّهُ
مِنfrom حَيثُthe moment when يَسمَعُhe hears بِالمَسِيرِof the march أَسيرُهُhis captive
مِن حَيثُ يَسمَعُ بِالمَسِيرِ أَسيرُهُ
I am confident that his enemy
is his captive from the moment he hears of the march.
وافىhe came يَدُسُّsecretly conveys إِلىto الأَميرِthe emir وَعِيدَهُhis threat
وافى يَدُسُّ إِلى الأَميرِ وَعِيدَهُ
وَالكَلبُand the dog لاnot يَثنيturns back الهِزَبرَthe mighty lion هَرِيرُهُits growling
وَالكَلبُ لا يَثني الهِزَبرَ هَرِيرُهُ
He came, secretly conveying his threat to the emir,
but the dog's growling does not turn back the mighty lion.
دُفِعَتwere warded off مُلِمّاتُthe calamities of اللَياليthe nights عَنfrom فَتىًa young man
دُفِعَت مُلِمّاتُ اللَيالي عَن فَتىً
عَدَدُthe number of النُجومِthe stars الطالِعاتِthe rising فُخُورُهُhis glories
عَدَدُ النُجومِ الطالِعاتِ فُخُورُهُ
May the calamities of the nights be warded off from a young man
whose glories are as numerous as the rising stars.
أَبَداًalways لَناfor us رِيفانِtwo fertile lands إِمّاeither خَيرُهُhis bounty
أَبَداً لَنا رِيفانِ إِمّا خَيرُهُ
ماnot زالَceased to be مُنتَجَعاًa pasture sought out وَإِمّاor else خِيرُهُhis noble nature
ما زالَ مُنتَجَعاً وَإِمّا خِيرُهُ
Forever we have two fertile lands: either his bounty,
ever a pasture sought out, or his noble nature,
سِرَّgladdened القُلوبِthe hearts فَلاso may not اِنقَضىcome to an end فيin ظِلِّهِhis shade
سِرَّ القُلوبِ فَلا اِنقَضى في ظِلِّهِ
أَبَداًever سُرورُthe joy of قُلوبِناour hearts وَسُرُورُهُand his joy
أَبَداً سُرورُ قُلوبِنا وَسُرُورُهُ
which gladdened hearts. May there be no end beneath his shade
ever to the joy of our hearts and his own joy.
وَتَمَتَّعَتand may enjoy بِحَياتِهِin his life أَيّامُهُhis days
وَتَمَتَّعَت بِحَياتِهِ أَيّامُهُ
وَشُهُورُهُand his months وَدُهُورُهُand his ages وَعُصُورُهُand his eras
وَشُهُورُهُ وَدُهُورُهُ وَعُصُورُهُ
And may his days delight in his life,
and his months, his ages, and his eras.
Sol 6.1