أَمَوْلاَيَO my lord إِنَّindeed الشِّعْرَpoetry دِيَوَانُa compendium of حِكْمَةٍwisdom
أَمَوْلاَيَ إِنَّ الشِّعْرَ دِيَوَانُ حِكْمَةٍ
يُفِيدُit brings الْغِنَىwealth وَالْعِزَّand honor وَالْجَاهَand prestige مُذْsince كَانَاit came to be
يُفِيدُ الْغِنَى وَالْعِزَّ وَالْجَاهَ مُذْ كَانَا
O my lord, poetry is indeed a compendium of wisdom;
It has brought wealth, honor, and prestige ever since it came to be.
وَقَدْand indeed وُجِدَwas found الْمُخْتَارُthe Chosen One فِيin الْحَفْلِthe gathering مُنْصِتاًlistening silently
وَقَدْ وُجِدَ الْمُخْتَارُ فِي الْحَفْلِ مُنْصِتاً
لَهُto it وحَبَاand he rewarded كَعْباًKa'b عَلَيْهِfor it وَحَسَّاناand Hassan
لَهُ وحَبَا كَعْباً عَلَيْهِ وَحَسَّانا
And the Chosen One was indeed found listening silently at the gathering
To it, and he rewarded Ka'b and Hassan for it.
وَفِيمَاand in what رَوَاهُthey related it النَّاقِلُونَthe transmitters وَأَثْبَتُواand they recorded
وَفِيمَا رَوَاهُ النَّاقِلُونَ وَأَثْبَتُوا
بِذَاكَconcerning that دِيوَاناًa collection صَحِيحاًauthentic فَدِيوَانَاthen another collection
بِذَاكَ دِيوَاناً صَحِيحاً فَدِيوَانَا
And, as the transmitters have related and recorded
On this matter, in one authentic collection after another,
فَإِنَّfor indeed أَبَاAbu بَكْرٍBakr خَلِيفَتَهُhis successor الرِّضَاthe approved one
فَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيفَتَهُ الرِّضَا
وَفَارُوقَهُand his Faruq الأدْنَىthe nearest إِلَيْهِto him وَعُثْمَاناand Uthman
وَفَارُوقَهُ الأدْنَى إِلَيْهِ وَعُثْمَانا
Indeed, Abu Bakr, his approved successor,
And his Faruq, nearest to him, and Uthman,
وَإِنand indeed عَليّاًAli قَدَّسَmay sanctify اللهُGod جَمْعَهُمْthem all
وَإِن عَليّاً قَدَّسَ اللهُ جَمْعَهُمْ
وَكَرَّمَنَاand honor us بِالْقُرْبِwith nearness مِنْهُمْto them وَحَبَانَاand favor us
وَكَرَّمَنَا بِالْقُرْبِ مِنْهُمْ وَحَبَانَا
And indeed Ali—may God sanctify them all,
And honor us with nearness to them and favor us—
لَهُمْthey have فِيin بُحُورِthe seas of الْقَوْلِspeech إِذْsince هُمْthey بِحَارُهُits oceans
لَهُمْ فِي بُحُورِ الْقَوْلِ إِذْ هُمْ بِحَارُهُ
خِطَابٌoratory وَشِعْرٌand verse يَسْتَفِزَّانِboth stir تبْيَانَاin eloquence
خِطَابٌ وَشِعْرٌ يَسْتَفِزَّانِ تبْيَانَا
Have, in the seas of speech—for they are its oceans—
Oratory and verse, both stirring in their eloquence.
وَفَاضَand overflowed عَلَىupon أَهْلِthe practitioners of الْقَرِيضِpoetry نَوَالُهُمْtheir bounty
وَفَاضَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْقَرِيضِ نَوَالُهُمْ
فَرَوَّضَthus made flourish رَوْضَthe garden of الْقَوْلِspeech سَحّاًin torrents وَتهْتَانَاand steady showers
فَرَوَّضَ رَوْضَ الْقَوْلِ سَحّاً وَتهْتَانَا
And their bounty overflowed upon the makers of verse,
Making the garden of speech flourish with torrents and steady showers.
وَأَنْتَand you أَحَقُّthe worthiest of النَّاسِpeople أَنْto تَفْعَلَdo الَّذِيthat which
وَأَنْتَ أَحَقُّ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ الَّذِي
بِهِby it فَعَلَacted الْمُخْتَارُthe Chosen One دِيناًin devotion وَإِيمَانَاand faith
بِهِ فَعَلَ الْمُخْتَارُ دِيناً وَإِيمَانَا
And you are the worthiest of men to do what
The Chosen One did, in devotion and faith.
فَمَازِلْتَfor you have never ceased تَهْدِيyou follow فِيamong الْبَرِّيةِhumankind هَدْيَهُhis way
فَمَازِلْتَ تَهْدِي فِي الْبَرِّيةِ هَدْيَهُ
وَتَقْضِيand you judge بِمَاby what يُرْضِيهِpleases him سِرّاًin secret وَإِعْلاَنَاand openly
وَتَقْضِي بِمَا يُرْضِيهِ سِرّاً وَإِعْلاَنَا
For you have never ceased to follow his way among humankind,
And to judge by what pleases him, in secret and in public.
وَإِنْand if قِيلَit is said قَدْرُthe worth of الْمَرْءa person مَاwhat هُوَhe مُحْسِنٌdoes well
وَإِنْ قِيلَ قَدْرُ الْمَرْء مَا هُوَ مُحْسِنٌ
فَصنْعَةُthen the craft of نَظْمِcomposing الْقَوْلِspeech أَرْفَعُهُhis loftiest شَانَاin standing
فَصنْعَةُ نَظْمِ الْقَوْلِ أَرْفَعُهُ شَانَا
And if it is said, 'A man's worth is what he does well,'
Then the craft of composing verse is his noblest skill.
Sol 6.1