قدindeed شرَّفَennobled الحمراءَthe Alhambra برجٌa tower مشرفُlofty
قد شرَّفَ الحمراءَ برجٌ مشرفُ
فيin الجوِّthe air دَبَّرَهُdesigned it الإمامُthe imam الأشرفُthe most noble
في الجوِّ دَبَّرَهُ الإمامُ الأشرفُ
A lofty tower has ennobled the Alhambra,
A tower adorns the red city, erected
in the air, designed by the most noble imam.
By the eminent Imam Al-Ashraf
قلهرّةa fortified tower (calahorra) فيin ضِمنِهَاits interior قَصرٌa palace فَقُلso say
قلهرّة في ضِمنِهَا قَصرٌ فَقُل
هيit مَعقِلٌa stronghold أوor للبشائِرِfor glad tidings مَألَفُa gathering place
هي مَعقِلٌ أو للبشائِرِ مَألَفُ
A calahorra tower, with a palace within it—say:
Within it lies a formidable castle, so say
it is a stronghold, or a gathering place for glad tidings.
Is it a fortress or built for gladdening?
حِيطَانُهَاits walls فيهاon them رَقُومٌpatterns أعجَزَتsurpassed
حِيطَانُهَا فيها رَقُومٌ أعجَزَت
أمَدَthe reach البليغthe eloquent speaker فَحُسنُهَاso their beauty لاnot يُوصَفُis described
أمَدَ البليغ فَحُسنُهَا لا يُوصَفُ
Its walls bear patterns that surpass
Its walls have left even the articulate wordless
the reach of the eloquent; their beauty cannot be described.
Its beauty is beyond description
راقتdelighted the eye وناظَرَand matched كُلَّevery شَكلٍform شَكلَهُits counterpart
راقت وناظَرَ كُلَّ شَكلٍ شَكلَهُ
فيin نسبةproportion فموشحthus adorned ومصنّفُand patterned
في نسبة فموشح ومصنّفُ
They delight the eye, and each form matches its counterpart
It shone and each form beheld its reflection
in proportion—some adorned, some patterned.
In harmony, a adorned and authored perfection
مهماwhenever لحظتyou glance رأيتَyou see نَقشاًa design وُشِّيَتwere embroidered
مهما لحظت رأيتَ نَقشاً وُشِّيَت
أنوَاعُهُits varieties فمذَهَّبٌthus gilded وَمُزَخرَفُand decorated
أنوَاعُهُ فمذَهَّبٌ وَمُزَخرَفُ
Whenever you glance, you see ornament, richly embroidered
However closely you look, you see engraved figures
in its varied forms—some gilded, some decorated.
Of varied embellishment and decoration
مبنىa building بديعٌwondrous أبرزتهُbrought it forth حكمةٌwisdom
مبنى بديعٌ أبرزتهُ حكمةٌ
ماnot حازَهاpossessed it إلاexcept الخليفةُthe caliph يوسفُYusuf
ما حازَها إلا الخليفةُ يوسفُ
A wondrous building, brought forth by a wisdom
A wondrous edifice, created by wisdom
possessed by none but the caliph Yusuf.
Attained only by the Caliph Yusuf
مَلِكٌa king إذاwhen افتَخَرَboasted المُلُوكُthe kings بِفَخرِهِof his glory
مَلِكٌ إذا افتَخَرَ المُلُوكُ بِفَخرِهِ
فيin الذكرthe Revelation يتلوهُrecites it عليناto us المصحَفُthe Qur’an
في الذكر يتلوهُ علينا المصحَفُ
A king—when kings boast of his glory,
A king, if kings boast of their glory
the Qur’an recites it to us in the Revelation.
In speech, the Scripture recites it to us
Sol 6.1