مِنfrom كُلِّevery فذٍّpeerless man ماجِدٍnoble ألْفاظُهُhis words
مِن كُلِّ فذٍّ ماجِدٍ ألْفاظُهُ
مُسْتَمْتَعُa delight for الأسْماعِthe ears والألْبابِand minds
مُسْتَمْتَعُ الأسْماعِ والألْبابِ
From every peerless, noble man whose words
are a delight to ears and minds.
إنْif أحكَمواthey craft masterfully الآياتِthe marvels منfrom آدابِهمْtheir literary arts
إنْ أحكَموا الآياتِ من آدابِهمْ
كمْhow much حِكْمَةٍwisdom فيهاin them وفصْلand decisiveness of خِطابِspeech
كمْ حِكْمَةٍ فيها وفصْل خِطابِ
If they craft masterworks of their literary art,
how much wisdom lies in them, and decisive speech!
قدindeed أحْرَزواthey have attained للسّبْقِfor precedence أقصىthe furthest غايةٍgoal
قد أحْرَزوا للسّبْقِ أقصى غايةٍ
بمدَىin the field of الكتائِبِbattalions أوor مَدىthe field of الكُتّابِscribes
بمدَى الكتائِبِ أو مَدى الكُتّابِ
They have reached the furthest goal in the race,
in the field of battalions or the field of scribes.
قومٌa people إذاwhen ماever (emphatic) حارَبواthey wage war أوor سالَمواthey make peace
قومٌ إذا ما حارَبوا أو سالَموا
قامُواthey undertake بحِفْظِthe safeguarding of كتائِبٍbattalions وكِتابِand a book
قامُوا بحِفْظِ كتائِبٍ وكِتابِ
A people who, whenever they wage war or make peace,
safeguard battalions and the written word.
وهَبواthey gave الجَزيلَabundant bounty منَof الفَواضِلbounties وانثَنَوْاand turned back
وهَبوا الجَزيلَ منَ الفَواضِل وانثَنَوْا
يرْجُونَthey hope for فضْلَthe grace of المُنْعِمِthe Benefactor الوهّابِthe Bestower
يرْجُونَ فضْلَ المُنْعِمِ الوهّابِ
They gave generously of their bounties and turned back,
hoping for the grace of the Benefactor, the Bestower.
نالُواthey attained المَعالِيhigh honors فيat مَعالِمَlandmarks أُنزِلَتْwere lodged
نالُوا المَعالِي في مَعالِمَ أُنزِلَتْ
منْهاamong them ركائِبُهُمtheir riding camels أعزَّthe most honored جَنابِprecinct
منْها ركائِبُهُم أعزَّ جَنابِ
They attained high honors at landmarks where
their riding camels were lodged in the noblest precinct.
وتسارَعواand they hastened قَصْداًpurposefully إلىtoward داعِيthe herald of الهُدىguidance
وتسارَعوا قَصْداً إلى داعِي الهُدى
يُهْدونَthey offer as gifts للقُصّادِto seekers كلَّevery عُجابِmarvel
يُهْدونَ للقُصّادِ كلَّ عُجابِ
And they hastened purposefully toward the herald of guidance,
offering every marvel to those who came seeking.
بالناصِرِon al-Nasir الموْلَىthe lord الهُمامِthe valiant قدِindeed اقتدَوْاthey modeled themselves
بالناصِرِ الموْلَى الهُمامِ قدِ اقتدَوْا
لمّاwhen اهْتَدَواthey found their way منfrom هَدْيِهِhis guidance بشِهابِby a shooting star
لمّا اهْتَدَوا من هَدْيِهِ بشِهابِ
They have taken al-Nasir, the valiant lord, as their model,
when they found their way by a shooting star of his guidance.
كمhow many نِعْمةٍa favor أسْدىhe bestowed وكمand how many منof آيةٍa wonder
كم نِعْمةٍ أسْدى وكم من آيةٍ
أبْدىhe displayed منof الإحْسانِbenevolence والإحْسابِand lavish giving
أبْدى من الإحْسانِ والإحْسابِ
How many favors he has bestowed, how many a wonder
he has shown in kindness and lavish giving!
أمداحُهُpraises of him وهِباتُهand his gifts قدindeed أصبَحَتْhave become
أمداحُهُ وهِباتُه قد أصبَحَتْ
روْضاًa garden وغيْثاًand rain دائمَunceasing in التّسْكابِpouring
روْضاً وغيْثاً دائمَ التّسْكابِ
His praises and his gifts have become
a garden and rain that pours unceasingly.
والكاتِبونَand the writers عَبيدُservants مَوْلاناour lord الذيwho
والكاتِبونَ عَبيدُ مَوْلانا الذي
عمّhas encompassed الوجودَexistence بجودِهwith his generosity المُنْسابِflowing
عمّ الوجودَ بجودِه المُنْسابِ
And the writers are servants of our lord, who
has filled all existence with his flowing generosity.
ماnot راقهُمْdelighted them إلاexcept بَديهَتُهhis impromptu verse التيwhich
ما راقهُمْ إلا بَديهَتُه التي
يصْبوyearns الرّضيُّal-Radi لهاfor it وترضيand pleases الصّابيal-Sabi
يصْبو الرّضيُّ لها وترضي الصّابي
Nothing delighted them but his impromptu verse, which
al-Radi yearns for and which pleases al-Sabi.
رامواthey sought إجازَتَهاto continue it وكُلٌّand each one لفْظُهُhis utterance
راموا إجازَتَها وكُلٌّ لفْظُهُ
سيفٌa sword عنaway from القَصْدِthe aim المؤمَّلِhoped-for نابِmissing the mark
سيفٌ عن القَصْدِ المؤمَّلِ نابِ
They sought to continue it, yet each one's utterance
was a sword that missed the hoped-for mark.
منْwho ذاis it that يُجاريcan rival نظْمَthe verse of مَولىًa lord وصْفُهhis description
منْ ذا يُجاري نظْمَ مَولىً وصْفُه
لمْnot يُحْصَbe fully recounted بالإسْهابِthrough lengthy speech والإطْنابِand elaboration
لمْ يُحْصَ بالإسْهابِ والإطْنابِ
Who can rival the verse of a lord whose qualities
have never been fully recounted, even in lengthy, elaborate speech?
لكنbut أجزْتُI supplied a continuation وإنand indeed عادَةَthe habit of صَفْحِهِhis pardon
لكن أجزْتُ وإن عادَةَ صَفْحِهِ
للعَبْدِfor this servant خيْرُthe best مثابَةٍrefuge وثَوابِand reward
للعَبْدِ خيْرُ مثابَةٍ وثَوابِ
Yet I supplied a continuation; indeed, his customary pardon
is this servant's finest refuge and reward.
Sol 6.1