أَمولايَO my lord مَجدَMajd (Glory of) الدينthe Faith وَالبارعَand the accomplished one الَّذيwho
أَمولايَ مَجدَ الدين وَالبارعَ الَّذي
لَهُto him الفَضلُpreeminence إِنif صاغcomposes القَريضَverse قَرينُa peer
لَهُ الفَضلُ إِن صاغ القَريضَ قَرينُ
O my lord Majd al-Din, the accomplished one who
has preeminence whenever a peer composes verse.
فُتِنتُI was captivated بِلُغزٍby a riddle منكfrom you تَصحيفُthe re-dotting of عكسِهِits reversal
فُتِنتُ بِلُغزٍ منك تَصحيفُ عكسِهِ
فَتىًa youth بَثَّpoured out شَكوىa complaint وَالحَديثُand talk شُجونُbranching paths
فَتىً بَثَّ شَكوى وَالحَديثُ شُجونُ
I was captivated by a riddle of yours: its reversal, redotted, is
a youth who poured out a complaint—and talk has many branches.
وَشنَّفَand adorned with earrings سَمعيmy hearing حينَwhen أَعجمتُI added dots أَوّلاًthe first letter
وَشنَّفَ سَمعي حينَ أَعجمتُ أَوّلاً
لَهُof it ولأنand because العينَthe middle radical عِنديto me نونُnūn (n)
لَهُ ولأن العينَ عِندي نونُ
It adorned my hearing when I dotted the first letter
of it, and because its middle letter, to me, is nūn.
يَشُقُّis difficult عَلىfor الغمرthe novice البَليدthe dull-witted اِهتداؤُهُhis finding the way
يَشُقُّ عَلى الغمر البَليد اِهتداؤُهُ
لتَصحيفهto its re-dotting إِنif ظَنَّهhe thinks it سَيَهونُwill be easy
لتَصحيفه إِن ظَنَّه سَيَهونُ
It is hard for the dull novice to find his way
to its redotted form, if he thinks it will be easy.
وَقُلتُand I said لَهُto him فَتِّشsearch بقلبby reversal وَإِنand if تَسِرyou proceed
وَقُلتُ لَهُ فَتِّش بقلب وَإِن تَسِر
بطرقِalong the paths of الهويناleisureliness لاnot يَكادit almost يبينُbecomes clear
بطرقِ الهوينا لا يَكاد يبينُ
I told him, 'Search by reversal; and if you proceed
by leisurely paths, it will scarcely become clear.'
وَإِنand if رُمتَهyou seek it منfrom بعدafter ذاكَthat مُحاجياas a riddler
وَإِن رُمتَه من بعد ذاكَ مُحاجيا
تَجِدyou will find عَبدَa slave of ملكٍa king لاnot أَراهI see him يَخونُbetraying
تَجِد عَبدَ ملكٍ لا أَراه يَخونُ
And if, after that, you seek it as a riddler,
you will find a king's slave whom I deem no traitor.
إِذاwhen قَلَّبوهthey turn it over لِلشِّرىfor purchase قِيسَis measured طولُهُits length
إِذا قَلَّبوه لِلشِّرى قِيسَ طولُهُ
لَدىupon العَرضdisplay فيin الأَسواقthe markets وَهوَand it is ثَمينُprecious
لَدى العَرض في الأَسواق وَهوَ ثَمينُ
When they turn it over for purchase, its length is measured
as it is displayed in the markets, and it is precious.
يَمانٍa Yemeni وَفيand among قَيسٍQays لَهُit has مَدخَلٌa place وَكَمand how often
يَمانٍ وَفي قَيسٍ لَهُ مَدخَلٌ وَكَم
ظهورemergence لهit has فيamong قَومِهِits people وَبطونُand concealment
ظهور له في قَومِهِ وَبطونُ
A Yemeni, yet it has a place among Qays—and how often
it appears among its people and lies hidden!
وَسَوفand shall تَراهyou see it بَعدafter تغييرchanging قلبهِits heart
وَسَوف تَراه بَعد تغيير قلبهِ
وَإِنand if عُدتَyou return لِلتَغييرto changing كَيفَhow يَكونُit becomes
وَإِن عُدتَ لِلتَغيير كَيفَ يَكونُ
And you shall see it after changing its heart,
and, if you change it again, what it becomes.
وَأَحرفُهand its letters أَضحَتhave become تُعَدُّcounted ثَلاثَةًthree
وَأَحرفُه أَضحَت تُعَدُّ ثَلاثَةً
وَمنand whoever قالsays بَلrather حرفينtwo letters لَيسَis not يَمينُlying
وَمن قال بَل حرفين لَيسَ يَمينُ
Its letters have come to be counted as three,
and whoever says, 'Rather, two letters,' is not lying.
وَفيand in عَكسreversing ثلثيهِtwo thirds of it دَليلٌa clue عَلىto الَّذيwhat
وَفي عَكس ثلثيهِ دَليلٌ عَلى الَّذي
أَشَرتُI pointed إِلَيهِto it وَالبَيانُand explanation يُبينُmakes clear
أَشَرتُ إِلَيهِ وَالبَيانُ يُبينُ
In reversing two thirds of it lies a clue to what
I pointed to; explanation makes it plain.
وَثلثاهand two thirds of it بالتَصحيفthrough re-dotting شَيءٌsomething محقَّقٌreal
وَثلثاه بالتَصحيف شَيءٌ محقَّقٌ
يُظَنُّis thought مَجازاًmetaphorical فيهin it وَهوَthough it is يَقينُcertain
يُظَنُّ مَجازاً فيه وَهوَ يَقينُ
And two thirds of it, redotted, are something real,
thought metaphorical in it, though it is certain.
يُحَدُّit is sharpened بلاwithout ذنبan offense وَيُضرَبُand is beaten ظهرهُits back
يُحَدُّ بلا ذنب وَيُضرَبُ ظهرهُ
وَيَلقاهand befalls it ذُلٌّabasement لاnot يحدّis bounded وهونُand humiliation
وَيَلقاه ذُلٌّ لا يحدّ وهونُ
It is sharpened without offense, and its back is beaten;
boundless abasement and humiliation befall it.
فَإِنbut if قَرَّبواthey bring near منهto it الطِلاthe necks عزّis exalted جاههits standing
فَإِن قَرَّبوا منه الطِلا عزّ جاهه
وظلّand it continues بَدينby the creed of العارِمينthe fierce يَدينُit professes
وظلّ بَدين العارِمين يَدينُ
If they bring necks near it, its standing rises,
and it continues to profess the creed of the fierce.
ويعرِبُand it speaks clearly لكنbut بَعدَماafter كَلَّمَit wounded العدىthe foes
ويعرِبُ لكن بَعدَما كَلَّمَ العدى
بِمقوَلِهwith its tongue الهنديِّIndian وَهوَand it is مبينُeloquent
بِمقوَلِه الهنديِّ وَهوَ مبينُ
It speaks plainly, but only after wounding the foes
with its Indian tongue, and it is eloquent.
وَسَمّاهand named it بِالمَنديلas the kerchief قَومٌsome people لمسحهِfor its wiping
وَسَمّاه بِالمَنديل قَومٌ لمسحهِ
رِقابَthe necks of العدىthe foes إِنّindeed اللُغاتlanguages فنونُvarieties
رِقابَ العدى إِنّ اللُغات فنونُ
Some have named it 'the kerchief,' for its wiping
of the foes' necks; indeed, languages have many forms.
وَإِنand if قالَsay قَومٌsome people قلبthe reversal of مَعناهits meaning ماسِحٌa wiper
وَإِن قالَ قَومٌ قلب مَعناه ماسِحٌ
فَقُلthen say صَحَّthat is correct فالمَعنىfor the meaning عليهin its support معينُa helper
فَقُل صَحَّ فالمَعنى عليه معينُ
And if some say its synonym reversed means 'wiper,'
say, 'True—the meaning lends it support.'
نَحيفٌslim لَهit has جِسمٌa body يعزُّis rare ضَريبهits equal
نَحيفٌ لَه جِسمٌ يعزُّ ضَريبه
نَحيلٌslender وَأَمّاbut as for ضَربُهُits stroke فَثَخينُthen it is heavy
نَحيلٌ وَأَمّا ضَربُهُ فَثَخينُ
It is slim, with a body whose equal is rare,
slender; its stroke, however, is heavy.
وَمِنand from شدّةthe intensity of البَردِthe cold اِعترَتهseized it اِهتِزازَةٌa shudder
وَمِن شدّة البَردِ اِعترَته اِهتِزازَةٌ
عَلىdespite أَنّthe fact that حَرَّthe heat of النارfire فيهِwithin it دَفينُburied
عَلى أَنّ حَرَّ النار فيهِ دَفينُ
From the bitter cold it was seized by a shudder,
though the fire's heat lies buried within it.
هوَit is الأَبيَضُthe white one الفردthe peerless الخَضيبُthe dyed one بَنانُهُits fingertips
هوَ الأَبيَضُ الفرد الخَضيبُ بَنانُهُ
لَهُit has وَجنَةٌa cheek قَدalready أَشرَقَتhas shone وَجَبينُand a brow
لَهُ وَجنَةٌ قَد أَشرَقَت وَجَبينُ
It is the peerless white one, its fingertips dyed;
it has a cheek that shines brightly, and a brow.
نعمyes وَلهُand it has كَفٌّa palm وَقَدٌّand a stature وَساعدٌand a forearm
نعم وَلهُ كَفٌّ وَقَدٌّ وَساعدٌ
وَلَيسَand there is no لمَخضوبِfor the dyed one البنانthe fingertips يَمينُa right hand
وَلَيسَ لمَخضوبِ البنان يَمينُ
Yes, it has a palm, a stature, and a forearm,
yet this dyed-fingered one has no right hand.
عَجائِبُهُits wonders ليسَتare not تعدّcounted فإِنّهfor it
عَجائِبُهُ ليسَت تعدّ فإِنّه
فَريدٌunique أساميهِits names الكِرامُthe noble مئينُhundreds
فَريدٌ أساميهِ الكِرامُ مئينُ
Its wonders cannot be counted, for it
is unique; its noble names number in the hundreds.
فَإِنso if شئتَyou wish فاِضرِبthen turn عنهfrom it صَفحاًaside فَقَدfor already غَداhas become
فَإِن شئتَ فاِضرِب عنه صَفحاً فَقَد غَدا
لَكَyours السبقُthe precedence حَقّاًtruly فيهِin it وَهوَand it is مُبينُplain
لَكَ السبقُ حَقّاً فيهِ وَهوَ مُبينُ
If you wish, turn away from it; for now
precedence in it is truly yours, and that is plain.
وَلاand never زِلتَmay you cease to be للآدابfor literature سَيفاًa sword مجرّداًunsheathed
وَلا زِلتَ للآداب سَيفاً مجرّداً
بِجاهِكby your prestige تَحميyou protect سَرحَهاits grazing herds وَتَصونُand you safeguard
بِجاهِك تَحمي سَرحَها وَتَصونُ
May you ever remain an unsheathed sword for literature,
with your prestige defending its grazing herds and keeping them safe.
Sol 6.1