شَاهِدْbehold بِعَيْنَيْكَwith your two eyes مِنِّيin me قُرَّةthe delight of الْعَيْنِthe eye
شَاهِدْ بِعَيْنَيْكَ مِنِّي قُرَّة الْعَيْنِ
وَأعْجَبْand marvel لِمَاat what حُزْتُI have acquired مِنْof شَكْلٍform وَمِنْand of زَيْنbeauty
وَأعْجَبْ لِمَا حُزْتُ مِنْ شَكْلٍ وَمِنْ زَيْن
Behold with your own eyes in me a delight to the eye,
and marvel at the form and beauty I possess.
أنَاI الْفَرِيدَةُthe peerless jewel فِيin دهْرٍan age دَيَانَتُهُits creed
أنَا الْفَرِيدَةُ فِي دهْرٍ دَيَانَتُهُ
أَنْthat لاnot َيُرَىbe seen جَامِعاًjoining مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween أُخْتَيْنِtwo sisters
أَنْ لا َيُرَى جَامِعاً مَا بَيْنَ أُخْتَيْنِ
I am the peerless jewel in an age whose creed
is that no one be seen joining two sisters.
قَدْindeed كُنْتُI was دَيْناًa debt عَلَىupon الدِّينِthe faith الْحَنِيفِthe upright فَلَمْyet did not
قَدْ كُنْتُ دَيْناً عَلَى الدِّينِ الْحَنِيفِ فَلَمْ
تُلْوِdelay repayment السَّعَادَةُgood fortune بِيon my account للدِّينِfor the faith مِنْany دَيْنِdebt
تُلْوِ السَّعَادَةُ بِي للدِّينِ مِنْ دَيْنِ
I was indeed a debt upon the upright faith, yet
good fortune left the faith no unpaid debt on my account.
أَشْبَهْتُI resembled فِيin شُهْرَةِfame of اسْمٍname وَاشْتِهَارٍand renown for علىeminence
أَشْبَهْتُ فِي شُهْرَةِ اسْمٍ وَاشْتِهَارٍ على
إِيَوَانَthe iwan of كِسْرَىKisra وَكَمْand how far بيْنَbetween الإِيوَانَيْنِthe two iwans
إِيَوَانَ كِسْرَى وَكَمْ بيْنَ الإِيوَانَيْنِ
In fame of name and lofty renown, I resemble
the iwan of Kisra—yet how far apart the two iwans are!
بُيُوتُhouses of نَارٍfire بِنُورِby the light of اللهGod قَدْindeed طُفِيَتْhave been extinguished
بُيُوتُ نَارٍ بِنُورِ الله قَدْ طُفِيَتْ
شَتَّانَvast is the difference وَاللهِby God مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween الْيَزِيدَيْنِthe two Yazids
شَتَّانَ وَاللهِ مَا بَيْنَ الْيَزِيدَيْنِ
Houses of fire have been extinguished by God's light.
Vast, by God, is the difference between the two Yazids!
كَمْhow often جَمَّعَhas brought together الظَّرْفُelegance مِنِّيin me بَيْنَbetween مُفْتَرَقِthings apart
كَمْ جَمَّعَ الظَّرْفُ مِنِّي بَيْنَ مُفْتَرَقِ
كَمْhow often أَلَّفَhas harmonized الْحُسْنُbeauty مِنِّيin me بَيْنَbetween لَوْنَيْنtwo colors
كَمْ أَلَّفَ الْحُسْنُ مِنِّي بَيْنَ لَوْنَيْن
How often elegance has united in me things once apart!
How often beauty has harmonized two colors within me!
كَأَنَّنِيas though I were لِمَبَانِيfor the buildings of المُلْكِthe realm أَجْمَعِهَاall of them
كَأَنَّنِي لِمَبَانِي المُلْكِ أَجْمَعِهَا
عَيْنٌan eye وَمَوْلاَيَand my lord كَالإِنْسَانِlike the pupil فِيin عَيْنِيmy eye
عَيْنٌ وَمَوْلاَيَ كَالإِنْسَانِ فِي عَيْنِي
It is as though I were, for all the buildings of the realm,
an eye, and my lord is like the pupil in my eye.
مُحَمَّدُMuhammad بْنُson of أَبِيAbu الْحَجَّاجِal-Hajjaj أَنْشَأَنِيbuilt me
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي الْحَجَّاجِ أَنْشَأَنِي
فَحُجَّةُso the grounds for الْحَمْدِpraise حَقٌّtrue دُونَwithout مَاany مَيْنِfalsehood
فَحُجَّةُ الْحَمْدِ حَقٌّ دُونَ مَا مَيْنِ
Muhammad ibn Abi al-Hajjaj built me,
so the grounds for praise are true, without any falsehood.
هُوَhe الَّذِيthe one who جَمَعَتْhas united يُمْنَاهُhis right hand بُوركَتَاmay both hands be blessed
هُوَ الَّذِي جَمَعَتْ يُمْنَاهُ بُوركَتَا
لِلْجُودِfor generosity وَالْبَأَسِand martial might دَأْباًunceasingly بَيْنَbetween ضِدَّيْنِtwo opposites
لِلْجُودِ وَالْبَأَسِ دَأْباً بَيْنَ ضِدَّيْنِ
He is the one whose right hand—may both hands be blessed—unites
two opposites in its constant generosity and martial might.
هَوَhe الَّذِيthe one who اسْتَخْلَصَreclaimed السُّلْطَانَsovereignty مُجْتَهِداًstriving earnestly
هَوَ الَّذِي اسْتَخْلَصَ السُّلْطَانَ مُجْتَهِداً
بِكُلِّwith every بَاريcleaving الظُّبَاsword-edges مَاضِيkeen الذُّبَابَيْنِboth cutting edges
بِكُلِّ بَاري الظُّبَا مَاضِي الذُّبَابَيْنِ
He is the one who reclaimed sovereignty, striving
with every blade-cleaving sword, keen on both edges.
وَاسْتَدْرَكَand redressed الفَلْتَةَthe lapse الشَّنْعَاءَhideous مِنْof زَمَنٍan age
وَاسْتَدْرَكَ الفَلْتَةَ الشَّنْعَاءَ مِنْ زَمَنٍ
قَدْhad indeed أَلْبَسَclothed الدِّينَthe faith ثَوْبَa garment of الْعَارِshame وَالشَّيْنِand disgrace
قَدْ أَلْبَسَ الدِّينَ ثَوْبَ الْعَارِ وَالشَّيْنِ
And he redressed the hideous lapse of an age
that had clothed the faith in a garment of shame and disgrace.
بِنَصْرهِto aid him أَرْسَلَsent اللهُGod الصَّبَاthe east wind نُشُراspreading abroad
بِنَصْرهِ أَرْسَلَ اللهُ الصَّبَا نُشُرا
وَأَنْزَلَand sent down الرُّوحَthe Spirit خَفَّاقbeating الْجَنَاحَيْنِboth wings
وَأَنْزَلَ الرُّوحَ خَفَّاق الْجَنَاحَيْنِ
To aid him, God sent the east wind spreading abroad,
and sent down the Spirit with both wings beating.
لاَزَالَmay there ever remain شَمْلُthe gathering of الْمَعَانِيqualities فيَّwithin me مُجْتَمِعاًunited
لاَزَالَ شَمْلُ الْمَعَانِي فيَّ مُجْتَمِعاً
وَالنَّصْرُand victory وَالْفَتْحُand conquest فِيin مَغْنَايmy abode إِلْفَيْنِtwo close companions
وَالنَّصْرُ وَالْفَتْحُ فِي مَغْنَاي إِلْفَيْنِ
May all the qualities within me ever remain united,
and victory and conquest be companions in my abode.
وَكَيَّفَand may He give form to الأَمَلَthe hope الأَقْصَىthe utmost لِمُخْتَرِعِيfor my maker
وَكَيَّفَ الأَمَلَ الأَقْصَى لِمُخْتَرِعِي
رَبٌّa Lord تَنَزَّهَis exalted عَنْbeyond كَيفٍhow وَعَنْand beyond أَيْنِwhere
رَبٌّ تَنَزَّهَ عَنْ كَيفٍ وَعَنْ أَيْنِ
And may my maker's utmost hope be given form
by a Lord exalted beyond 'how' and 'where'.
Sol 6.1