آبَhe returned بَدْراًas a full moon وَقَدْand already أَلَمَّhe arrived هِلالاas a crescent
آبَ بَدْراً وَقَدْ أَلَمَّ هِلالا
مَلِكٌa king زيدwas added للْكَمَالِto perfection كَمَالاas further perfection
مَلِكٌ زيد للْكَمَالِ كَمَالا
He returned a full moon, having arrived a crescent—
a king added to perfection as further perfection.
إنْif يَكُنْhe is يَمْلأُhe fills العُيونَthe eyes شَبَاباin youth
إنْ يَكُنْ يَمْلأُ العُيونَ شَبَابا
فَلَقَدthen indeed يَبْهَرُhe dazzles الحُلُومَthe minds اكْتِهالاin maturity
فَلَقَد يَبْهَرُ الحُلُومَ اكْتِهالا
If he fills the eyes in youth,
he surely dazzles the minds in maturity.
قامَhe took charge بالمُلْكِof kingship ذائِداًwarding off عَنfrom حِماهُits sanctuary
قامَ بالمُلْكِ ذائِداً عَن حِماهُ
فَكَفَاهُso he spared it الأَهْوَاءَcaprices والأَهْوالاand terrors
فَكَفَاهُ الأَهْوَاءَ والأَهْوالا
He upheld the kingship, defending its sanctuary,
and spared it caprices and terrors.
وَرَأَتْهand it deemed him لهاfor itself الإمَارَةُsovereignty أَهْلاًworthy
وَرَأَتْه لها الإمَارَةُ أَهْلاً
فأَراهاso he showed it بعِبْئِهاwith its burden اسْتِقْلالاability to bear it unaided
فأَراها بعِبْئِها اسْتِقْلالا
Sovereignty deemed him worthy of itself,
so he showed it he could shoulder its burden unaided.
أَيَّدَتْهُstrengthened him سُعُودُهَاits good fortunes وَهُدَاهاand its guidance
أَيَّدَتْهُ سُعُودُهَا وَهُدَاها
فَمَحَاso he wiped out الأَشْقِياءَthe ill-fated والضُّلالاand the misguided
فَمَحَا الأَشْقِياءَ والضُّلالا
Its good fortunes and guidance strengthened him,
so he swept away the ill-fated and the misguided.
وانْتَضَتْهُand it unsheathed him عَلَىagainst عِداهاits enemies حُساماًas a keen sword
وانْتَضَتْهُ عَلَى عِداها حُساماً
فَتَلَقَّىso he met بِقَتْلِهاby slaying them الأَقْتَالاthe foes
فَتَلَقَّى بِقَتْلِها الأَقْتَالا
It unsheathed him against its enemies as a keen sword,
and he met those foes by slaying them.
لَمdid not يَزَلْcease يُتْبِعُfollow up المَقَالَwords فِعَالاًwith deeds
لَم يَزَلْ يُتْبِعُ المَقَالَ فِعَالاً
والحُسَامُand the keen sword الهِنْدِيُّIndian إنْif صَلَّit rings صَالاit strikes
والحُسَامُ الهِنْدِيُّ إنْ صَلَّ صَالا
He never ceased to follow words with deeds;
and when the Indian sword rings, it strikes.
أَسَدُthe lion of الغابِthe forest حينَwhen يَزْأرُit roars يَسْطُوit pounces
أَسَدُ الغابِ حينَ يَزْأرُ يَسْطُو
فَيَدُقُّso it crushes الرِّقابَthe necks والأوْصَالاand the limbs
فَيَدُقُّ الرِّقابَ والأوْصَالا
The forest's lion, when it roars, pounces,
crushing necks and limbs.
وَكَذاand likewise المُزْنُthe rain clouds حِينَwhen يُرْعِدُthey thunder يَهْمِيthey pour rain
وَكَذا المُزْنُ حِينَ يُرْعِدُ يَهْمِي
فَيُدِيمُso they sustain الإلْثَاثunceasing rain والإسْبالاand downpour
فَيُدِيمُ الإلْثَاث والإسْبالا
So too the rain clouds, when they thunder, pour,
keeping up their unceasing rain and downpour.
رُبَّmany a هَيْجَاءَbattle خاضَhe plunged through قَسْطَلَهَاits dust cloud
رُبَّ هَيْجَاءَ خاضَ قَسْطَلَهَا
كالبَدْرِlike the full moon فيin خَوْضِهِits plunging through السَّحابَthe clouds الثِّقالاheavy
كالبَدْرِ في خَوْضِهِ السَّحابَ الثِّقالا
Many a battle's dust he plunged through,
like the full moon passing through heavy clouds.
مُسْتَبِيحاًdeeming lawful دِمَاءَthe blood of كُلِّevery كَفُورٍfaithless man
مُسْتَبِيحاً دِمَاءَ كُلِّ كَفُورٍ
يَسْتَبِيحُdeems lawful الدِّماءَblood والأَمْوالاand wealth
يَسْتَبِيحُ الدِّماءَ والأَمْوالا
Taking as lawful prey the blood of every faithless man
who treats blood and wealth as lawful prey.
فَإِلَيْهِso to him يُعْزَىis ascribed المَضَاءُcutting power يَقِيناًwith certainty
فَإِلَيْهِ يُعْزَى المَضَاءُ يَقِيناً
لاnot إِلَىto السَّيْفِthe sword ضُلَّةًin error ومُحالاand in absurdity
لا إِلَى السَّيْفِ ضُلَّةً ومُحالا
So the cutting power is surely ascribed to him,
not, through error and absurdity, to the sword.
أَصَّلَتْfirmly rooted فِيin الزَّمانِtime عَلْياهُhis exalted glory ماthat which
أَصَّلَتْ فِي الزَّمانِ عَلْياهُ ما
طَيَّبَsweetened مِنْهُof it الأَسْحَارَthe predawn hours والآصالاand the late afternoons
طَيَّبَ مِنْهُ الأَسْحَارَ والآصالا
His exalted glory planted firmly in time what
sweetened its predawn hours and late afternoons.
أقْسَمَswore المَجْدُglory غَيْرَwithout آلٍholding back وآلىand vowed
أقْسَمَ المَجْدُ غَيْرَ آلٍ وآلى
أنَّهُthat he مِنْهُfrom it صِيغَwas fashioned نَفْساًin person وآلاand in family
أنَّهُ مِنْهُ صِيغَ نَفْساً وآلا
Glory swore, holding nothing back, and vowed
that he was fashioned from it, in person and family,
فيin نِصَابٍlineage مُقَدَّسٍhallowed ونِجارٍand ancestral stock
في نِصَابٍ مُقَدَّسٍ ونِجارٍ
طَابَflourished فيin مَنْبِتِthe growing-place of السَّنَاءِsplendor وَطالاand grew tall
طَابَ في مَنْبِتِ السَّنَاءِ وَطالا
within hallowed lineage and ancestral stock
that flourished and towered where splendor grows.
قُلْsay لِعَهدِto the season of الوَلِيِّthe rain following the first rains هَذَاthis is وَلِيُّthe heir to العَهدِthe succession
قُلْ لِعَهدِ الوَلِيِّ هَذَا وَلِيُّ العَهدِ
يَشْفِيcures انْهِلالُهُhis downpour الإِمْحالاdrought
يَشْفِي انْهِلالُهُ الإِمْحالا
Tell the season of the later rains: this is the heir apparent;
his downpour cures drought.
أشْرَفَتْrose high كَثْرَةًin abundance أيادِيهِhis benefactions حتَّىuntil
أشْرَفَتْ كَثْرَةً أيادِيهِ حتَّى
قَلَّbecame few شَاكٍone complaining of فيin دَهْرِهِhis age الإقْلالاpoverty
قَلَّ شَاكٍ في دَهْرِهِ الإقْلالا
His benefactions rose to such abundant heights
that few in his age complained of poverty.
رُبَّمَاsometimes أمْسَكَwithheld itself الحَيَاthe rain مِنْbefore أبيAbu يَحYah- (name fragment)
رُبَّمَا أمْسَكَ الحَيَا مِنْ أبي يَح
يَى-ya (completes Yahya) حَيَاءًout of shame فَنَابَso he substituted عَنْهُfor it نَوالاwith bounty
يَى حَيَاءً فَنَابَ عَنْهُ نَوالا
Sometimes the rain held back before Abu Yahya,
out of shame; so he took its place with bounty.
شَافِعٌjoining فيin العُلىglory ارْتِحالاًdeparture بِحِلٍّwith encampment
شَافِعٌ في العُلى ارْتِحالاً بِحِلٍّ
وَكَذَاand likewise البَدْرُthe full moon لاَnot يَقِرُّrests انْتِقَالاin its passage
وَكَذَا البَدْرُ لاَ يَقِرُّ انْتِقَالا
He couples journeys with encampments in pursuit of glory;
so too the full moon never rests in its passage.
والحَيَاand the rain لاnot يَسُحُّpours إلاexcept إذَاwhen جَاroamed (first fragment)
والحَيَا لا يَسُحُّ إلا إذَا جَا
لَتْroamed (completion) يَميناًto the right سَحَابُهُits clouds وَشِمَالاand to the left
لَتْ يَميناً سَحَابُهُ وَشِمَالا
And rain does not pour except when
its clouds roam to right and left.
سِيَرٌways of conduct فيin السَّماحِgenerosity راقَتْcharmed جَمَالاًwith beauty
سِيَرٌ في السَّماحِ راقَتْ جَمَالاً
وخِلالٌand traits فيin البَأسِbattle راعَتْinspired awe جَلالاwith majesty
وخِلالٌ في البَأسِ راعَتْ جَلالا
His generous ways charmed with their beauty,
and his traits in battle inspired awe with their majesty.
ياO مُلُوكَkings of الزَّمَانِthe age شَرْقاًin the east وَغَرْباًand in the west
يا مُلُوكَ الزَّمَانِ شَرْقاً وَغَرْباً
هَكَذَاlike this هَكَذَاlike this وإِلاand otherwise فَلاthen no لاno
هَكَذَا هَكَذَا وإِلا فَلا لا
O kings of the age, east and west,
like this, like this—or else, no, no!
Sol 6.1