شَاهِدْbehold بِعَيْنَيْكَwith your two eyes مِنِّيin me قُرَّةdelight الْعَيْنِof the 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 religious law
أنَا الْفَرِيدَةُ فِي دهْرٍ دَيَانَتُهُ
أَنْthat لاnot َيُرَىbe seen جَامِعاًuniting مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween أُخْتَيْنِtwo sisters
أَنْ لا َيُرَى جَامِعاً مَا بَيْنَ أُخْتَيْنِ
I am the peerless jewel in an age whose religious law is
that none be seen uniting two sisters.
قَدْonce كُنْتُI was دَيْناًa debt عَلَىupon الدِّينِthe faith الْحَنِيفِupright فَلَمْbut did not
قَدْ كُنْتُ دَيْناً عَلَى الدِّينِ الْحَنِيفِ فَلَمْ
تُلْوِwithhold repayment السَّعَادَةُgood fortune بِيthrough me للدِّينِto the faith مِنْany دَيْنِdebt
تُلْوِ السَّعَادَةُ بِي للدِّينِ مِنْ دَيْنِ
I was once a debt upon the upright faith, but
good fortune, through me, left the faith no debt unpaid.
أَشْبَهْتُI resembled فِيin شُهْرَةِfame of اسْمٍa name وَاشْتِهَارٍand renown of علىeminence
أَشْبَهْتُ فِي شُهْرَةِ اسْمٍ وَاشْتِهَارٍ على
إِيَوَانَthe vaulted hall of كِسْرَىKisra وَكَمْand how great بيْنَbetween الإِيوَانَيْنِthe two vaulted halls
إِيَوَانَ كِسْرَى وَكَمْ بيْنَ الإِيوَانَيْنِ
In fame of name and lofty renown I have resembled
the vaulted hall of Kisra—yet how different the two halls!
بُيُوتُhouses نَارٍof fire بِنُورِby the light of اللهGod قَدْalready طُفِيَتْwere extinguished
بُيُوتُ نَارٍ بِنُورِ الله قَدْ طُفِيَتْ
شَتَّانَhow far apart وَاللهِby God مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween الْيَزِيدَيْنِthe two Yazids
شَتَّانَ وَاللهِ مَا بَيْنَ الْيَزِيدَيْنِ
Houses of fire have been extinguished by God's light;
how far apart, by God, the two Yazids are!
كَمْhow often جَمَّعَbrought together الظَّرْفُelegance مِنِّيin me بَيْنَbetween مُفْتَرَقِthings apart
كَمْ جَمَّعَ الظَّرْفُ مِنِّي بَيْنَ مُفْتَرَقِ
كَمْhow often أَلَّفَbrought into harmony الْحُسْنُbeauty مِنِّيin me بَيْنَbetween لَوْنَيْنtwo colors
كَمْ أَلَّفَ الْحُسْنُ مِنِّي بَيْنَ لَوْنَيْن
How often elegance has united in me what lay apart!
How often beauty has harmonized two colors in me!
كَأَنَّنِيas though I were لِمَبَانِيto the buildings of المُلْكِthe kingdom 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, to all the kingdom's buildings, I were
an eye, and my lord were like the pupil in my eye.
مُحَمَّدُMuhammad بْنُson of أَبِيAbu (father of) 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, son of Abu al-Hajjaj, built me,
so the grounds for praise are true, without any falsehood.
هُوَhe الَّذِيwho جَمَعَتْhas united يُمْنَاهُhis right hand بُوركَتَاmay both 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 his hands be blessed—has united
two opposites, generosity and martial might, unceasingly.
هَوَhe الَّذِيwho اسْتَخْلَصَreclaimed السُّلْطَانَsovereignty مُجْتَهِداًstriving earnestly
هَوَ الَّذِي اسْتَخْلَصَ السُّلْطَانَ مُجْتَهِداً
بِكُلِّwith every بَاريcleaving الظُّبَاsword-edges مَاضِيkeen الذُّبَابَيْنِboth edges
بِكُلِّ بَاري الظُّبَا مَاضِي الذُّبَابَيْنِ
He is the one who reclaimed sovereignty, striving earnestly
with every sword that cleaves blades, keen on both edges.
وَاسْتَدْرَكَand remedied الفَلْتَةَthe lapse الشَّنْعَاءَhideous مِنْfrom زَمَنٍan age
وَاسْتَدْرَكَ الفَلْتَةَ الشَّنْعَاءَ مِنْ زَمَنٍ
قَدْalready أَلْبَسَhad clothed الدِّينَthe faith ثَوْبَa garment of الْعَارِshame وَالشَّيْنِand disgrace
قَدْ أَلْبَسَ الدِّينَ ثَوْبَ الْعَارِ وَالشَّيْنِ
And he remedied 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 ever remain شَمْلُthe whole company of الْمَعَانِيmeanings فيَّin me مُجْتَمِعاًgathered
لاَزَالَ شَمْلُ الْمَعَانِي فيَّ مُجْتَمِعاً
وَالنَّصْرُand victory وَالْفَتْحُand conquest فِيin مَغْنَايmy abode إِلْفَيْنِtwo close companions
وَالنَّصْرُ وَالْفَتْحُ فِي مَغْنَاي إِلْفَيْنِ
May all meanings ever remain gathered in me,
and victory and conquest be close companions in my abode.
وَكَيَّفَand may give form to الأَمَلَthe hope الأَقْصَىutmost لِمُخْتَرِعِيfor my maker
وَكَيَّفَ الأَمَلَ الأَقْصَى لِمُخْتَرِعِي
رَبٌّa Lord تَنَزَّهَis exalted عَنْabove كَيفٍhow وَعَنْand above أَيْنِwhere
رَبٌّ تَنَزَّهَ عَنْ كَيفٍ وَعَنْ أَيْنِ
And may the utmost hope be given form for my maker
by a Lord exalted above all 'how' and 'where'.
Sol 6.1