أَمَوْلاَيَO my lord إِنَّindeed الشِّعْرَpoetry دِيَوَانُa treasury حِكْمَةٍof wisdom
أَمَوْلاَيَ إِنَّ الشِّعْرَ دِيَوَانُ حِكْمَةٍ
يُفِيدُit brings الْغِنَىwealth وَالْعِزَّand honor وَالْجَاهَand standing مُذْsince كَانَاit came to be
يُفِيدُ الْغِنَى وَالْعِزَّ وَالْجَاهَ مُذْ كَانَا
My lord, poetry is a treasury of wisdom;
It has brought wealth, honor, and standing since it first came to be.
وَقَدْand indeed وُجِدَwas seen الْمُخْتَارُthe Chosen One فِيin الْحَفْلِthe gathering مُنْصِتاًlistening attentively
وَقَدْ وُجِدَ الْمُخْتَارُ فِي الْحَفْلِ مُنْصِتاً
لَهُto it وحَبَاand favored كَعْباًKa‘b عَلَيْهِfor it وَحَسَّاناand Hassan
لَهُ وحَبَا كَعْباً عَلَيْهِ وَحَسَّانا
The Chosen One was seen listening attentively in the gathering
To poetry, and he favored Ka‘b and Hassan for its sake.
وَفِيمَاand in what رَوَاهُthey recounted النَّاقِلُونَthe transmitters وَأَثْبَتُواand recorded
وَفِيمَا رَوَاهُ النَّاقِلُونَ وَأَثْبَتُوا
بِذَاكَconcerning that دِيوَاناًa collection صَحِيحاًsound فَدِيوَانَاthen collection after collection
بِذَاكَ دِيوَاناً صَحِيحاً فَدِيوَانَا
And in what the transmitters recounted and recorded
Concerning this, in one sound collection after another:
فَإِنَّfor indeed أَبَاAbu بَكْرٍBakr خَلِيفَتَهُhis successor الرِّضَاthe well-pleasing
فَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيفَتَهُ الرِّضَا
وَفَارُوقَهُand his Faruq الأدْنَىclosest إِلَيْهِto him وَعُثْمَاناand Uthman
وَفَارُوقَهُ الأدْنَى إِلَيْهِ وَعُثْمَانا
Abu Bakr, his well-pleasing successor,
And his Faruq, closest to him, and Uthman,
وَإِنand indeed عَليّاًAli قَدَّسَmay He bless اللهُGod جَمْعَهُمْall of them
وَإِن عَليّاً قَدَّسَ اللهُ جَمْعَهُمْ
وَكَرَّمَنَاand honor us بِالْقُرْبِwith nearness مِنْهُمْto them وَحَبَانَاand favor us
وَكَرَّمَنَا بِالْقُرْبِ مِنْهُمْ وَحَبَانَا
And Ali—may God bless them all
And honor us by drawing us near to them and granting us favor—
لَهُمْthey have فِيin بُحُورِthe seas الْقَوْلِof speech إِذْsince هُمْthey بِحَارُهُare its seas
لَهُمْ فِي بُحُورِ الْقَوْلِ إِذْ هُمْ بِحَارُهُ
خِطَابٌoratory وَشِعْرٌand poetry يَسْتَفِزَّانِthat both stir تبْيَانَاeloquence
خِطَابٌ وَشِعْرٌ يَسْتَفِزَّانِ تبْيَانَا
Had, in the seas of speech, being seas of it themselves,
Oratory and poetry that stir eloquence.
وَفَاضَand flowed عَلَىover أَهْلِthe makers of الْقَرِيضِverse نَوَالُهُمْtheir gifts
وَفَاضَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْقَرِيضِ نَوَالُهُمْ
فَرَوَّضَand made flourish رَوْضَthe garden الْقَوْلِof speech سَحّاًin downpours وَتهْتَانَاand steady rain
فَرَوَّضَ رَوْضَ الْقَوْلِ سَحّاً وَتهْتَانَا
Their gifts flowed over the makers of verse
And made the garden of speech flourish with abundant rain.
وَأَنْتَand you أَحَقُّmost entitled النَّاسِof people أَنْto تَفْعَلَdo الَّذِيwhat
وَأَنْتَ أَحَقُّ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ الَّذِي
بِهِby it فَعَلَdid الْمُخْتَارُthe Chosen One دِيناًas religion وَإِيمَانَاand faith
بِهِ فَعَلَ الْمُخْتَارُ دِيناً وَإِيمَانَا
And you, above all people, ought to do what
The Chosen One did, as a matter of religion and faith.
فَمَازِلْتَand you have continued تَهْدِيto guide فِيamong الْبَرِّيةِhumankind هَدْيَهُby his guidance
فَمَازِلْتَ تَهْدِي فِي الْبَرِّيةِ هَدْيَهُ
وَتَقْضِيand you judge بِمَاby what يُرْضِيهِpleases him سِرّاًin private وَإِعْلاَنَاand in public
وَتَقْضِي بِمَا يُرْضِيهِ سِرّاً وَإِعْلاَنَا
You have continued to guide people by his guidance
And to judge in ways that please him, in private and in public.
وَإِنْand if قِيلَit is said قَدْرُthe worth الْمَرْءof a person مَاis what هُوَthey مُحْسِنٌdo well
وَإِنْ قِيلَ قَدْرُ الْمَرْء مَا هُوَ مُحْسِنٌ
فَصنْعَةُthen the craft نَظْمِof composing الْقَوْلِspeech أَرْفَعُهُis highest in شَانَاstanding
فَصنْعَةُ نَظْمِ الْقَوْلِ أَرْفَعُهُ شَانَا
And if it is said that a person’s worth lies in what they do well,
Then the craft of composing verse is highest in standing.
Sol 6