تِلكَthat الجَزيرَةُthe island أَقْبلَتْhave come تَنْوِيهَاseeking it
تِلكَ الجَزيرَةُ أَقْبلَتْ تَنْوِيهَا
سُحبٌclouds تَنَالُgain بِسَقْيِهاby watering it تَنْوِيهاrenown
سُحبٌ تَنَالُ بِسَقْيِها تَنْوِيها
To that island have come, intent upon it,
clouds that earn renown by watering it.
فِيin البَحْرِthe sea لَمْhas not تَبْرَحْleft فَمَاso what جَدْوَىbenefit الحَياlife-giving rain
فِي البَحْرِ لَمْ تَبْرَحْ فَمَا جَدْوَى الحَيا
وَالبَحْرُand the sea يُبْعَثis sent بِالسحائِبِby the clouds فِيهاinto it
وَالبَحْرُ يُبْعَث بِالسحائِبِ فِيها
It has never left the sea; what use is rain,
when the sea is borne into it by clouds?
فَخْراًglory لَهَاto it بِرِئاسَةٍin a leadership حَكَمِيَّةٍHakami
فَخْراً لَهَا بِرِئاسَةٍ حَكَمِيَّةٍ
تَنْمِيهِit raises him لِلْعَلياءِto glory أَوor يَنْمِيهاhe raises it
تَنْمِيهِ لِلْعَلياءِ أَو يَنْمِيها
Glory to it for its Hakami rule,
which raises him to glory—or he raises it.
ألِفَتْit cherished أَباAbu (father of) عُثمانِهاits Uthman ذاpossessing سيرَةٍa way of life
ألِفَتْ أَبا عُثمانِها ذا سيرَةٍ
عُمرِيَّةٍlike Umar's تُولِيهِit grants him مَاwhat يُولِيهاhe grants it
عُمرِيَّةٍ تُولِيهِ مَا يُولِيها
It cherishes its Abu Uthman, whose conduct
is Umar-like; it gives him what he gives it.
فَتأَلَّفَتْهso it won him over وَأزْلَفَتْهand brought him near مُجَاهِداًas a warrior
فَتأَلَّفَتْه وَأزْلَفَتْه مُجَاهِداً
يَسْمُوhe rises لِكُلِّfor every رَمِيَّةٍquarry يُصْمِيهاhe kills it outright
يَسْمُو لِكُلِّ رَمِيَّةٍ يُصْمِيها
So it won him over and drew him near, a warrior
who takes aim at every quarry and kills it outright.
نَدْبٌa gallant man إِلَىto الخَيْرَاتِgood deeds مُنْتَدِبeagerly volunteering فَلَنْso never will
نَدْبٌ إِلَى الخَيْرَاتِ مُنْتَدِب فَلَنْ
تَصْفُوbe sincere الدِّيانَةfaith بَعضa fraction of مَاwhat يُصْفِيهاhe offers it in devotion
تَصْفُو الدِّيانَة بَعض مَا يُصْفِيها
A gallant man, eager for good deeds; never will
faith show him a fraction of the devotion he shows it.
ذاتthe essence of الإِلَهِGod بِهاto it عَلاقَةُthe attachment of ذاتِهِhis own essence
ذات الإِلَهِ بِها عَلاقَةُ ذاتِهِ
تَعْلُوit rises مظَاهرةًgiving support لِمَنto whoever يُعْلِيهاexalts it
تَعْلُو مظَاهرةً لِمَن يُعْلِيها
God's very essence, to which his own is bound,
stands exalted, aiding whoever exalts it.
فَكَّhe freed الرقابَthe necks صَنائِعاacts of kindness مذْsince قامَhe took charge لَمْnot
فَكَّ الرقابَ صَنائِعا مذْ قامَ لَمْ
يَنْفَكَّcease يأْنِيهاperforms them (reading uncertain) كَمَاjust as يُؤنِيهاbestows them (reading uncertain)
يَنْفَكَّ يأْنِيها كَمَا يُؤنِيها
He freed necks through acts of kindness; since taking charge, he has not
ceased to [perform] them, even as he [bestows] them.
وَلَقَدْand indeed كَسَاhe clothed حَتَّىeven الصحَائِفthe pages جدَّةًin freshness
وَلَقَدْ كَسَا حَتَّى الصحَائِف جدَّةً
مِنfrom جُودِهِhis generosity وَأَفادَهاand gave them تَنبِيهاdistinction
مِن جُودِهِ وَأَفادَها تَنبِيها
Indeed, he clothed even the pages in freshness
from his generosity, and brought them distinction.
صدرَتthey departed وَقَدْand had وَرَدتthey came to water عَلَىat مَعْنِMa'n of الهُدَىright guidance
صدرَت وَقَدْ وَرَدت عَلَى مَعْنِ الهُدَى
فَتَكسبَتْso they gained فِيin حَالَتَيْهاboth their states تِيهاpride
فَتَكسبَتْ فِي حَالَتَيْها تِيها
They departed, having come to the Ma'n of guidance,
and gained a proud bearing in both their states.
لاmay not زالَcease ثَغْرُthe frontier of سدهِhis fortification يَزْهَىglory بِهِin him
لا زالَ ثَغْرُ سدهِ يَزْهَى بِهِ
ويعزُand grow mighty عِزةwith might مِنthrough حماهhis protection شَبِيهاresembling him
ويعزُ عِزة مِن حماه شَبِيها
May the frontier he fortifies ever glory in him,
and, through his protection, grow mighty in his likeness.
لَمْnot آلُI stinted مَدْحاًin praise لهfor him وَخِلالِهِand his virtues
لَمْ آلُ مَدْحاً له وَخِلالِهِ
لَكِنْbut عَجَزْتُI fell short رَوِيةًwith deliberation وَبَدِيهاand extemporaneously
لَكِنْ عَجَزْتُ رَوِيةً وَبَدِيها
I have not stinted in praising him and his virtues,
but I fell short, in deliberation and improvisation.
أزْرَىcast discredit بِقَولِيon my words فِيabout قُرَيشQuraysh قَوْلُهُhis words
أزْرَى بِقَولِي فِي قُرَيش قَوْلُهُ
ياO طُولُthe length of فَخْرthe pride of قضَاعَةQuda'a بِأَخِيهاin its brother
يا طُولُ فَخْر قضَاعَة بِأَخِيها
His words put my praise of Quraysh to shame:
“How lasting is Quda'a's pride in its brother!”
Sol 6.1