أهَلَّburst into song بالرّوضِin the garden سرْبُa flock of الطّائِرِthe bird الغَرِدِwarbling
أهَلَّ بالرّوضِ سرْبُ الطّائِرِ الغَرِدِ
بماat what انتَضىunsheathed نهرُهُits river منof سيفِهِits sword الفَرَدِpeerless
بما انتَضى نهرُهُ من سيفِهِ الفَرَدِ
A flock of warbling birds burst into song in the garden
The warbling birds greeted the garden
At the peerless sword its river unsheathed.
With the clear water flowing from its pure spring,
فهزّthen it shook مثنَىthe pair of جناحَيْهِits two wings وحثّهُماand urged them both on
فهزّ مثنَى جناحَيْهِ وحثّهُما
حثّthe urging of المُسابِقِthe racer للأقْصىtoward the farthest منof الأمَدِthe distance
حثّ المُسابِقِ للأقْصى من الأمَدِ
Then it shook its two wings and urged them on,
Flapping their wings again and again,
As a racer presses toward the farthest goal.
Urging each other on towards the furthest goal.
عهْديmy recollection بهof it وارِداًcoming to drink أكْواسَcups of غاديةٍa morning cloud
عهْدي به وارِداً أكْواسَ غاديةٍ
تُقسّمُit divides الرّاحَwine بينbetween الرّوحِthe spirit والجسدِand the body
تُقسّمُ الرّاحَ بين الرّوحِ والجسدِ
I recall it drinking from the cups of a morning cloud,
My pact with it is the passing cups
Which divides wine between the spirit and the body.
That apportion the spirit between soul and body,
ولحْظُهُand its gaze يرْتَعيgrazes المرْعىthe pasture المَجودَrichly rain-watered بهاby it
ولحْظُهُ يرْتَعي المرْعى المَجودَ بها
وجيدُهُand its neck يزْدَهيglories بالحَلْيin jewelry والغَيَدِand supple grace
وجيدُهُ يزْدَهي بالحَلْي والغَيَدِ
And its gaze grazes the pasture richly watered by it,
Its glances graze the rich pasture,
And its neck glories in jewels and supple grace.
Its neck sways with charm and grace.
خيّلْتُهُI imagined it حينwhen أبْدىit revealed ليto me بدائِهَهُits improvisations
خيّلْتُهُ حين أبْدى لي بدائِهَهُ
أنّيthat I زُهِيتُtook pride بعِقْدٍin a necklace منهُfrom it منتَضِدِneatly strung
أنّي زُهِيتُ بعِقْدٍ منهُ منتَضِدِ
When it revealed its improvisations to me, I fancied
When it showed me its skills, I imagined
That I gloried in a neatly strung necklace from it,
That I was adorned with a necklace made by it,
أوor أنّthat عارِفةًa favor وافَىcame الشّريفُthe Sharif بهاwith it
أو أنّ عارِفةً وافَى الشّريفُ بها
فأحْبَسَتْand so it bound أمَليmy hope بالعدِّwith reckoning والعُدَدِand provisions
فأحْبَسَتْ أمَلي بالعدِّ والعُدَدِ
Or that the Sharif had arrived bearing a favor,
Or that a noblewoman had arrived with it
Which then bound my hope with reckoning and provisions.
So my hopes were limited by number and amount.
ماwhat لِيhave I وللرّوضِand with the garden أسْتَهْديI seek as a gift أزاهِرَهُits blossoms
ما لِي وللرّوضِ أسْتَهْدي أزاهِرَهُ
والزُهْرُand the bright stars فيin أفُقِthe horizon of العلياءِglory طوْعُat the command of يَديmy hand
والزُهْرُ في أفُقِ العلياءِ طوْعُ يَدي
What need have I of the garden, seeking its blossoms as gifts,
Why should I seek the garden’s flowers
When the bright stars on glory's horizon are at my hand's command?
When flowers in the realm of the Exalted are at my hand?
حسْبيenough for me هديّةُthe gift of سِبْطِthe descendant of المصْطَفىthe Chosen One شرفاًas honor
حسْبي هديّةُ سِبْطِ المصْطَفى شرفاً
تهْديit guides وتَنقُلُand leads منfrom زَيغٍdeviation إلىto رشَدِright guidance
تهْدي وتَنقُلُ من زَيغٍ إلى رشَدِ
The gift of the Chosen One's descendant is honor enough for me,
It is enough that the Chosen One’s grandson honored me
Guiding and leading from error to right guidance.
And guided me from deviance back to the right path.
ألاshould I not أجيدُperfect قَريضيmy verse وهْوَand he ليfor me عضُدٌa supporting arm
ألا أجيدُ قَريضي وهْوَ لي عضُدٌ
لاnot يُنْهِضُraises الرُّمْحَthe spear إلاexcept شدّةُthe strength of العضُدِthe arm
لا يُنْهِضُ الرُّمْحَ إلا شدّةُ العضُدِ
Should I not perfect my verse, when he is my strong arm?
If only my poetry were good, for it is a support for me,
Only the arm's strength can raise the spear.
The spear is not raised except by the strength of the arm.
ألاshould I not أرُدُّrequite خَصيمَthe adversary of القومِthe people إذwhen حسَدواthey envied
ألا أرُدُّ خَصيمَ القومِ إذ حسَدوا
وقدand already مضىwent away عدْلُهُhis justice بالبغْيwith oppression والحسَدِand envy
وقد مضى عدْلُهُ بالبغْي والحسَدِ
Should I not requite the people's adversary when they envied—
Should I not rebuff the envious people
Whose justice has swept away oppression and envy,
When his justice has passed by aggression and envy?
وسَلَّand unsheathed فيin حرْبِwar against مَنْthose who عادَىwere hostile مواضِيَهُhis keen blades
وسَلَّ في حرْبِ مَنْ عادَى مواضِيَهُ
وهزّand brandished كُلّevery قويمِstraight القَدّof shaft مُطَّرِدِlong, straight spear
وهزّ كُلّ قويمِ القَدّ مُطَّرِدِ
Who unsheathed his keen blades in war against his foes,
He attacked those who opposed his meadows in war
And brandished every long, straight-shafted spear—
And shook every tall, upright palm tree.
بصالِحٍwith a righteous منof دُعاءٍprayer يرْتقيascends صُعُداًupward
بصالِحٍ من دُعاءٍ يرْتقي صُعُداً
عليهِon him فيin طلَبِseeking العَلْياءِglory مُعْتَمَديmy reliance
عليهِ في طلَبِ العَلْياءِ مُعْتَمَدي
With a righteous prayer that ascends on high?
With righteous prayer that ascends the heights
On him I rely in my pursuit of glory.
Dependent on him in seeking the Most High.
أقولُI say ياO ناشِدَseeker of الدُنْياthe world وزُخْرُفِهاand its glitter
أقولُ يا ناشِدَ الدُنْيا وزُخْرُفِها
لقدْsurely كفَتْكِhave spared you يداهُhis two hands جهْدَthe toil of مُجْتَهِدِone who strives
لقدْ كفَتْكِ يداهُ جهْدَ مُجْتَهِدِ
I say: O seeker of the world and its glitter,
I say to you, singer of this world and its vanities,
His two hands have surely spared you a striver's toil.
Your efforts have spared you the toll of the diligent.
أبوAbu; father of المَعاليal-Ma‘ali; lofty distinctions مَعاليهِhis lofty merits مُقدّسةٌhallowed
أبو المَعالي مَعاليهِ مُقدّسةٌ
فيin جنّةِthe Garden of الخُلْدِEternity منهُfrom him فكرَةُa thought of الخَلَدِthe mind
في جنّةِ الخُلْدِ منهُ فكرَةُ الخَلَدِ
Abu al-Ma‘ali—his lofty merits are hallowed;
His noble deeds are sanctified in the Garden of Immortality
A thought from his mind is in the Garden of Eternity.
A thought of eternity comes from him.
قصْداًmoderation فمَعْلَمُهُfor his distinguishing mark للهِfor God عالِمُهُits knower
قصْداً فمَعْلَمُهُ للهِ عالِمُهُ
بكلِّin all ماthat لمْnot ينَلْهُreach it نقْدُcriticism of مُنتَقِدِa critic
بكلِّ ما لمْ ينَلْهُ نقْدُ مُنتَقِدِ
Be measured, for his distinguishing mark—God bless its knower—
His intention is thus known to God, His Knower,
Lies in all that no critic's censure has touched.
Of all that no critic’s appraisal can attain.
يدْعوhe calls بناfor us معْشرَO company of الأبناءِsons إنّindeed لكُمْyou have
يدْعو بنا معْشرَ الأبناءِ إنّ لكُمْ
لوالِداًsurely a father مُشْفِقاًcompassionate للأهلِtoward the family والولَدِand offspring
لوالِداً مُشْفِقاً للأهلِ والولَدِ
He summons us: “O company of sons, you indeed have
He calls upon us, the children: You have
A father compassionate toward family and offspring.”
A caring father for family and child.
وحيثُand when يُهْديكُمُhe gives you أبياتَهُhis verses مِدَحاًas praises
وحيثُ يُهْديكُمُ أبياتَهُ مِدَحاً
فالشُكْرُthen thanks ماwhat lies بينَbetween مَشْفوعٍpaired ومُتّحِدِand single
فالشُكْرُ ما بينَ مَشْفوعٍ ومُتّحِدِ
And when he gives you his verses of praise,
And wherever his verses praise you
Then thanks range between the paired and the single.
Gratitude lies between the connected and united.
فَياso, O عَميدَchief of بنيthe sons of البيتِthe House الكريمِnoble لقدْindeed
فَيا عَميدَ بني البيتِ الكريمِ لقدْ
أصْمتّyou silenced بالفخْرِwith glory رَغْماًagainst their will ألْسُنَthe tongues of اللّدَدِobstinate contention
أصْمتّ بالفخْرِ رَغْماً ألْسُنَ اللّدَدِ
So, O chief of the sons of the noble House, you have indeed
O leader of the generous household, I have surely
Silenced with glory, against their will, the tongues of obstinate strife.
Kept silent despite the tongues of slander.
وجئْتَand you came بالشّعْرِwith poetry فالشّعْرَىand so Sirius بساحَتِهِin its courtyard
وجئْتَ بالشّعْرِ فالشّعْرَى بساحَتِهِ
فيamid جمْعِa gathering مُحْتَشِدٍassembled يعْنوbows لمُنْفَرِدِto one alone
في جمْعِ مُحْتَشِدٍ يعْنو لمُنْفَرِدِ
And you came with poetry; Sirius is in its court,
And you have come with poetry, so the poetic abodes
Amid an assembled throng that bows to one alone.
In a gathering of unity attend to one alone.
ممتدّةٌoutstretched فيin العُلىthe heights أطْنابُهُits tent-ropes فأناso I
ممتدّةٌ في العُلى أطْنابُهُ فأنا
أدْعوI pray لرافِعِfor the raiser of عُلْياهاits highest part علىupon عَمَدِpillars
أدْعو لرافِعِ عُلْياها على عَمَدِ
Its tent-ropes stretch into the heights, and so I
With pillars reaching to the heights, I
Pray for him who raises its lofty roof upon pillars.
Call upon their erect supporter.
وأسألُand I ask اللهَGod فيfor طولِlength of البقاءِlife لهُfor him
وأسألُ اللهَ في طولِ البقاءِ لهُ
سؤالَthe plea of عبْدٍa servant علىupon مَوْلاهُhis Lord مُعْتَمِدِrelying
سؤالَ عبْدٍ على مَوْلاهُ مُعْتَمِدِ
And I ask God to grant him a long life,
And I ask God for long life for him
With the plea of a servant relying upon his Lord.
The request of a servant dependent on his Master.
Sol 6.1