ياO وحيدَpeerless in النّدىgenerosity وقُطْبَand pivot of المَعاليlofty honors
يا وحيدَ النّدى وقُطْبَ المَعالي
زاحَمَjostled الشُهْبَthe stars مُرتقاكَyour ascent العاليlofty
زاحَمَ الشُهْبَ مُرتقاكَ العالي
O peerless in generosity, pivot of lofty honors,
O lone splendor and polestar of glories,
Your lofty ascent has jostled the stars.
You scaled the stars in your lofty ascent.
لُحْتَyou shone forth كالشّمسِlike the sun بهجةًin splendor وعَلاءًand height
لُحْتَ كالشّمسِ بهجةً وعَلاءً
فاقتِرابُthus nearness of السّنىradiance وبُعْدُand remoteness of المنالِattainment
فاقتِرابُ السّنى وبُعْدُ المنالِ
You shone like the sun in splendor and height,
You shone like the sun in delight and brilliance.
So near in radiance, yet far beyond reach.
The years draw near while the goal stays distant.
والذيand what حُزْتَyou have attained يقْصُرُfalls short الوصْفُdescription عنهُof it
والذي حُزْتَ يقْصُرُ الوصْفُ عنهُ
منof جَميلbeautiful الحُلاgraces وغُرِّand radiant الخِلالِqualities
من جَميل الحُلا وغُرِّ الخِلالِ
And what you have gained defies description:
That which you have attained, description falls short of,
Lovely graces and radiant virtues—
Of beautiful adornment and the prime of youth.
شيَمٌtraits تقْصُرُfall short الأماجِدُthe noblest عنْهاof them
شيَمٌ تقْصُرُ الأماجِدُ عنْها
بحُلاهاwith their ornaments جيدُthe neck of المَكارِمِnoble deeds حالِadorned
بحُلاها جيدُ المَكارِمِ حالِ
Traits beyond the reach of the noblest,
Virtues that even glories fall short of
Whose ornaments adorn the neck of nobility.
In their beauty, the essence of noble traits.
وأوانُand the time of الإملاكِthe marriage contract أسْعَدُmost auspicious آتٍarrival
وأوانُ الإملاكِ أسْعَدُ آتٍ
بوجوهِwith signs of القَبولِacceptance والإقْبالِand good fortune
بوجوهِ القَبولِ والإقْبالِ
And the hour of marriage comes most auspiciously,
And the time of your rule is a happier time to come
With signs of welcome and good fortune.
With faces of acceptance and welcome.
قدindeed نعِمْناwe delighted فيهِduring it بليْلَةِin a night of أُنْسٍfellowship
قد نعِمْنا فيهِ بليْلَةِ أُنْسٍ
عرّفتناit acquainted us with عَوارِفَfavors الإفْضالِgenerosity
عرّفتنا عَوارِفَ الإفْضالِ
We delighted then in a night of fellowship
We enjoyed in it a night of intimacy
That acquainted us with generosity's gifts.
That introduced us to the noblest acts of grace.
لسْتُI do not أنْسىforget الإحْسانَkindness والحسْنَand beauty منْهاfrom it
لسْتُ أنْسى الإحْسانَ والحسْنَ منْها
شفَعَتْit paired ليfor me الجَمالَbeauty بالإجْمالِwith graciousness
شفَعَتْ لي الجَمالَ بالإجْمالِ
I shall not forget its kindness and beauty;
I cannot forget the kindness and beauty of it
It paired beauty with graciousness for me.
That interceded for me with an all-encompassing grace.
وأفادَتْand it gave سمْعيmy hearing وكفّيand my palm غِناءًsong
وأفادَتْ سمْعي وكفّي غِناءً
وغِنىًand wealth راقَنيpleased me ونعّمَand soothed باليmy mind
وغِنىً راقَني ونعّمَ بالي
It gave my ear and my palm song,
And it gratified my hearing and hands with melody,
And wealth that pleased me and soothed my mind.
A melody that pleased me and delighted my mind,
صوْتَthe voice of شادٍa singer علىover ترنُّمِthe melody of عودٍa lute
صوْتَ شادٍ على ترنُّمِ عودٍ
يهَبُhe grants السّولَwhat is desired منهُfrom him قبْلَbefore السّؤالِthe asking
يهَبُ السّولَ منهُ قبْلَ السّؤالِ
A singer's voice over a lute's melody—
The voice of a singer accompanying the strumming of a lute
He grants what is sought of him before being asked.
That gives entertainment without needing to be asked.
عودُهُhis lute ناطِقٌspeaking بغيْرِwithout لِسانٍa tongue
عودُهُ ناطِقٌ بغيْرِ لِسانٍ
بخَفيِّof the secrets of الضميرِthe heart دونَwithout مَقالِspeech
بخَفيِّ الضميرِ دونَ مَقالِ
His lute speaks without a tongue,
Its lute speaks without a tongue
Of the heart's secrets, without a word.
With the hidden meanings of the soul without utterance.
نَغَماتٌmelodies عنِfrom المَرينيِّal-Marini تُرْوىare handed down
نَغَماتٌ عنِ المَرينيِّ تُرْوى
وهْيَand they بالمَوصِليِّwith al-Mawsili ذاتُpossess اتّصالِa connection
وهْيَ بالمَوصِليِّ ذاتُ اتّصالِ
Melodies handed down from al-Marini,
Melodies are transmitted from Al-Marrini
And linked to al-Mawsili.
And it is connected to Al-Mawsili.
ولكمْand many a راقصٍdancer يروقُcharms انعطافاًin swaying
ولكمْ راقصٍ يروقُ انعطافاً
كقَضيبٍlike a slender branch فيin دوحِهِits great tree ميّالِswaying
كقَضيبٍ في دوحِهِ ميّالِ
And many a dancer charms with his swaying,
And how many a dancer sways gracefully
Like a slender branch swaying in its tree.
Like a rod bending in its container.
طرباًin rapture مالَleaned عطْفُهُhis side وتثنّىand swayed
طرباً مالَ عطْفُهُ وتثنّى
كالرُبىlike hills فيin يدِthe hand of الصَّباthe east wind والشَّمالِand the north wind
كالرُبى في يدِ الصَّبا والشَّمالِ
His body leaned and swayed in rapture,
He sways in rapture, his side bent
Like hills in the hands of the east and north winds.
Like a gazelle in the hand of the morning breeze.
وأنارتand shone للشّمْعِfor the candles فيهاthere نُجومٌstars
وأنارت للشّمْعِ فيها نُجومٌ
تُجْتَلىare beheld عندَat نقْصِهاtheir dwindling فيin اكْتِمالِfullness
تُجْتَلى عندَ نقْصِها في اكْتِمالِ
And there the candles' stars shone,
And it lit candles whose stars
Beheld in fullness as they dwindled.
Shine when they wane towards fullness.
كُلُّevery قلبٍheart منّاamong us بهاwith them فيin اشْتِغالٍabsorption
كُلُّ قلبٍ منّا بها في اشْتِغالٍ
كُلُّevery جسمٍbody منهاof them رَهينُcaptive to اشتِعالِburning
كُلُّ جسمٍ منها رَهينُ اشتِعالِ
Every heart among us was absorbed in them;
All our hearts were occupied with it
Every body of theirs was captive to flame.
All our bodies were captives to its flames
وكأنّand as though الذيwhat تساقَطfell منهاfrom them
وكأنّ الذي تساقَط منها
زهَرُthe blossoms of الروضِthe garden بينَamid فَيْءِthe shade of الظِّلالِshadows
زهَرُ الروضِ بينَ فَيْءِ الظِّلالِ
And it was as though what fell from them
And it seemed that what fell from it
Were garden blossoms in the sheltering shade.
Were the flowers of the meadow in the shade.
لاnot أوفّيI fulfill بعضَpart of الذيwhat رُمْتُI sought منof وصdescrip-
لا أوفّي بعضَ الذي رُمْتُ من وص
فِ-tion حُلاهاits charms رويّتيmy deliberation وارْتِجاليand my improvisation
فِ حُلاها رويّتي وارْتِجالي
I cannot fulfill even part of my aim in describing
I cannot fully describe what I hoped
Its charms, through my deliberation and improvisation.
To capture of its beauty in my poetry and improvisation.
فاقبلso accept العُذْرَthe excuse إنّنيindeed I am مُستَقلٌّdeeming too little
فاقبل العُذْرَ إنّني مُستَقلٌّ
هِبةَthe gift of النّفسِone's life عندَهاbeside it والمالِand wealth
هِبةَ النّفسِ عندَها والمالِ
So accept my excuse: I deem too small
So accept my apology, I am indeed
The gift of life and wealth in return for it.
Independent in spirit and wealth before it.
شيمةُthe trait of الفضلِgenerosity لمhas not تزلْceased منكَfrom you تُرْجىto be hoped for
شيمةُ الفضلِ لم تزلْ منكَ تُرْجى
ولديْكَand with you القَبولُacceptance رحْبُample in المجالِscope
ولديْكَ القَبولُ رحْبُ المجالِ
Your generous nature has always inspired hope,
I still hope for your gracious favor,
And with you, acceptance has ample room.
And you have acceptance and ample space.
قدindeed أنلْتَyou have bestowed upon الجميعَeveryone كُلَّevery جميلٍkindness
قد أنلْتَ الجميعَ كُلَّ جميلٍ
نِلتَmay you attain ماwhat تبتَغيyou seek منof الآمالِhopes
نِلتَ ما تبتَغي من الآمالِ
You have granted everyone every kindness;
You attained all good for everyone,
May you attain the hopes you seek.
You got what you sought of hopes.
Sol 6.1