ياO بنَson of أخيناour brother أقمْتَناyou have kept us standing أبداforever
يا بنَ أخينا أقمْتَنا أبدا
لشكرِin gratitude to مَنْthe one أنتَyou عندَهُin his presence قاعدْare sitting
لشكرِ مَنْ أنتَ عندَهُ قاعدْ
O our brother's son, you have kept us ever standing
in gratitude to him in whose presence you sit.
أخجلتناyou have abashed us بالجميلِwith the kindness فيكَtoward you فمنso whoever
أخجلتنا بالجميلِ فيكَ فمن
فَرَضْتَyou might choose منَّاamong us فشاكرٌis thus thankful حامدْfull of praise
فَرَضْتَ منَّا فشاكرٌ حامدْ
You have abashed us with the kindness shown you; whoever
you choose among us is thankful and full of praise.
قاضيjudge of القضاةِthe judges المهذبُthe refined الفطنُthe discerning الthe
قاضي القضاةِ المهذبُ الفطنُ ال
أروعُawe-inspiring كهفُrefuge of المسودِthe ruled والسائدْand the ruler
أروعُ كهفُ المسودِ والسائدْ
The chief judge, refined and discerning,
awe-inspiring, a refuge for the ruled and the ruler.
أوحدُpeerless فيin الفضلِexcellence لاno نظيرَequal لهُto him
أوحدُ في الفضلِ لا نظيرَ لهُ
أيَّwhat الرجالِmen المهذبُthe refined الماجدْthe noble
أيَّ الرجالِ المهذبُ الماجدْ
Peerless in excellence, he has no equal—
what a man, refined and noble!
بعثتُI sent بالبهجةِwith al-Bahja (The Delight) التيwhich طُلِبَتْwas requested
بعثتُ بالبهجةِ التي طُلِبَتْ
خجلانَashamed منof ضعفِthe weakness of خطِّهاits script الفاسدْfaulty
خجلانَ من ضعفِ خطِّها الفاسدْ
I sent the requested al-Bahja,
ashamed of its poor, faulty script.
وإننيand indeed I لَوْif شرعتُI began أَحْمَدُهاpraising it
وإنني لَوْ شرعتُ أَحْمَدُها
أضحكَهُwould make him laugh أننيthat I am لهاof it حامدْa praiser
أضحكَهُ أنني لها حامدْ
And if I were to begin praising it,
my praising it would make him laugh.
وأعجلَand hastened القاصدُthe messenger المسيرَthe departure فلمْso I did not
وأعجلَ القاصدُ المسيرَ فلمْ
أجدْfind سواهاother than it لسرعةِbecause of the haste of القاصدْthe messenger
أجدْ سواها لسرعةِ القاصدْ
And the messenger hurried his departure, so I could not
find another, because of the messenger's haste.
وكانand it was فيin نيَّتيmy intention أجهزهاto prepare it
وكان في نيَّتي أجهزها
بنسخةٍin a copy لاnot يعيبُهاfind fault with it الناقدْthe critic
بنسخةٍ لا يعيبُها الناقدْ
And I had intended to prepare it
in a copy no critic could fault.
فابسطْso set forth ليَfor me العذرَthe excuse عندَbefore ذيone possessing كرمِgenerosity
فابسطْ ليَ العذرَ عندَ ذي كرمِ
مِنْfrom جودِهِhis generosity أنthat ينفَّقَbe made to sell الكاسدْthe unsaleable
مِنْ جودِهِ أن ينفَّقَ الكاسدْ
So plead my excuse before one so generous
that his bounty makes even unsaleable wares sell.
واذكرand tell لمولاكَto your lord كيفَhow نحنُwe are لماfor what
واذكر لمولاكَ كيفَ نحنُ لما
أولاكَhe bestowed on you مِنْfrom فيضِthe overflow of جودِهِhis bounty الزائدْabundant
أولاكَ مِنْ فيضِ جودِهِ الزائدْ
And tell your lord how we feel about what
he has bestowed on you from the overflow of his abundant bounty.
وصفْand describe لهُto him عنيَon my behalf الدعاءَthe prayers لهُfor him
وصفْ لهُ عنيَ الدعاءَ لهُ
أمْor عندَin the view of مولاكَyour lord أننيthat I am راقدْasleep
أمْ عندَ مولاكَ أنني راقدْ
And tell him of my prayers for him;
or does your lord suppose that I am asleep?
جعلتناyou have made us الكلَّall فيin ضيافتهhis hospitality
جعلتنا الكلَّ في ضيافته
وعندَهُand in his view أنَّthat عندَهُwith him واحدْone
وعندَهُ أنَّ عندَهُ واحدْ
You have made us all his guests,
though he thinks he has only one guest.
لاmay ... not زالَcease to be كهفاًa refuge لمنfor whoever يلوذُseeks shelter بهِwith him
لا زالَ كهفاً لمن يلوذُ بهِ
فَهْوَfor he is لأهلِto the people of العلومِthe sciences كالوالدْlike a father
فَهْوَ لأهلِ العلومِ كالوالدْ
May he ever remain a refuge for whoever seeks shelter with him,
for he is like a father to the people of learning.
Sol 6.1