مَزج البلاغَةَ بالجزالةِ مُوجِزا

مَزج البلاغَةَ بالجزالةِ مُوجِزا

وأتَى بهِ في الحُسْنِ بِدْعاً مُعجزا

وأتَى بهِ في الحُسْنِ بِدْعاً مُعجزا

He blended eloquence with forceful diction, concisely,

He combined eloquence with conciseness, summarizing,

and brought it forth as an unprecedented, inimitable marvel of beauty.

And came with it in beauty an extraordinary plea,

يَنْسابُ بين حَلاوةٍ وطلاوةٍ

يَنْسابُ بين حَلاوةٍ وطلاوةٍ

جمع البديع بها البديعَ فأوْجَزا

جمع البديع بها البديعَ فأوْجَزا

It flows between sweetness and charm;

It flows between sweetness and softness,

the ingenious one gathered ingenious artistry in it, and kept it brief.

Bringing together the wonderful with the wonderful and summarizing.

وافَى يُجاذِبُني الحَدِيثَ وإنَّما

وافَى يُجاذِبُني الحَدِيثَ وإنَّما

وافى يُجَشَّم بَذْلَ نَيْلٍ مُعْوِزا

وافى يُجَشَّم بَذْلَ نَيْلٍ مُعْوِزا

He came to exchange conversation with me, yet in truth

And it competes with me in conversation but rather

he came, charged with bestowing a gift, though lacking means.

It competes with the generous outpouring of a lean palm tree.

هَلّا ومَلْعَبُ خَيْلِيَ الآدابُ إذْ

هَلّا ومَلْعَبُ خَيْلِيَ الآدابُ إذْ

أسْمو لَها من قَبْلِ أن تُتَنَجَّزا

أسْمو لَها من قَبْلِ أن تُتَنَجَّزا

Why not when letters were my steeds' arena, when

Why not, and the playing ground of my horses are literature when

I aspired to them before they were requested?

They soar high before they can be reined back.

تَهْفُو بِعِطْفي نَحْوَها خُلُق الصِّبا

تَهْفُو بِعِطْفي نَحْوَها خُلُق الصِّبا

مَيْلاً لِحَيِّز حُسْنِها وتَحَيُّزا

مَيْلاً لِحَيِّز حُسْنِها وتَحَيُّزا

The spirit of youth swayed my side toward them,

The nature of youth inclines gently towards it

inclining toward their realm of beauty and siding with them.

Leaning towards the sphere of its beauty and bias.

أمّا وقَد جَذَبَتْ عِنانَ عِنايَتي

أمّا وقَد جَذَبَتْ عِنانَ عِنايَتي

أيْدِي الحَقائِقِ فانْتَبَذْتُ تَجَوُّزا

أيْدِي الحَقائِقِ فانْتَبَذْتُ تَجَوُّزا

But now that the reins of my attention have been drawn

But it has seized the reins of my attention

by the hands of truths, I have cast figurative speech aside.

So I set out to roam through the hands of realities.

هَمِّي تَلَقِّي عِلْمٍ اَوْ إلقاؤُهُ

هَمِّي تَلَقِّي عِلْمٍ اَوْ إلقاؤُهُ

مما يُؤَمَّلُ نَفْعُهُ يومَ الجَزا

مما يُؤَمَّلُ نَفْعُهُ يومَ الجَزا

My concern is to receive knowledge or impart it,

My concern is to receive knowledge or impart it

of the kind whose benefit is hoped for on the Day of Recompense.

Of what is hoped its benefits will be on Judgement Day.

وعَقائل الآدابِ ما لَمْ تُصْطَنَع

وعَقائل الآدابِ ما لَمْ تُصْطَنَع

بعد التَّثَنِّي أوشكَتْ أن تَنْشزا

بعد التَّثَنِّي أوشكَتْ أن تَنْشزا

And the noble ladies of letters, unless cultivated,

And the high parts of literature that have not been fabricated

after their graceful swaying, are soon to rebel.

After the duplicity have almost recoiled.

وعَزيزة الأبياتِ أودعَ نَظْمَها

وعَزيزة الأبياتِ أودعَ نَظْمَها

مِن واضحِ الآياتِ ما قَدْ أعْجَزا

مِن واضحِ الآياتِ ما قَدْ أعْجَزا

And the cherished poem—he placed within its verse

And the dear verses in whose composition he placed

manifest signs that have defied imitation.

Some clear verses that have perplexed.

أو واصِل بن عطاء أُعطيَ وَصْلَها

أو واصِل بن عطاء أُعطيَ وَصْلَها

لم يَعْتزلْ عن حُسْنها ولها اعْتَزى

لم يَعْتزلْ عن حُسْنها ولها اعْتَزى

Or, if Wasil ibn Ata were granted union with her,

Or Wasil bin Ata was given his connection

he would not withdraw from her beauty, and would profess allegiance to her.

He did not abandon its beauty and for it he withdrew.

ولأَصبحَتْ فيما أتاهُ أُسوةً

ولأَصبحَتْ فيما أتاهُ أُسوةً

يَعْتادُها مَنْ جَدَّ قَوْلاً أو هَزا

يَعْتادُها مَنْ جَدَّ قَوْلاً أو هَزا

And she would become a model in what he produced,

And it has become for what he came with an example

revisited by anyone who spoke in earnest or in jest.

Imitated by one who utters excellent speech or weak.

حَيَّا بها كالاحى بل أحْيا بِها

حَيَّا بها كالاحى بل أحْيا بِها

ماضِي البَديهةِ مُسْهباً أو مُوجِزا

ماضِي البَديهةِ مُسْهباً أو مُوجِزا

With her he greeted [unclear reading]—indeed, with her he gave life—

It has revived the spontaneity of the past, or rather revived

keen in spontaneous wit, whether expansive or concise.

What passes of spontaneity, summarizing or prolonging.

قَسَماً بما خَطَّت عَوالي نَفْسهِ

قَسَماً بما خَطَّت عَوالي نَفْسهِ

في وَجْهِ صَفحَتِها الَّذي لا يُوْتزا

في وَجْهِ صَفحَتِها الَّذي لا يُوْتزا

I swear by what his soul's spearheads inscribed

I swear by what its sublime ambitions have inscribed

on the face of its page, which cannot be assailed:

On its smooth cheek that cannot be erased.

ما جنّة بالحَزْنِ دَبَّج وَشْيَها

ما جنّة بالحَزْنِ دَبَّج وَشْيَها

وَكّاف مُزْنٍ لَمْ يَبِتْ مُسْتَوفِزا

وَكّاف مُزْنٍ لَمْ يَبِتْ مُسْتَوفِزا

no garden on rugged ground, whose brocade was embroidered

No garden embroidered with sorrow its foliage

by a pouring raincloud, unhurried through the night,

And ample full moons that have not arisen provoking.

قد عَمَّها وَجْهُ الزَّمانِ مَحاسِناً

قد عَمَّها وَجْهُ الزَّمانِ مَحاسِناً

تَسْتَوْقفُ الأحْداقَ أنْ تَتَجَوَّزا

تَسْتَوْقفُ الأحْداقَ أنْ تَتَجَوَّزا

which the face of time has covered with beauties

The face of time has filled it with beauties

that hold the eyes back from passing on,

That eyes stop to gaze at as they pass by.

لِغناءِ ساجِعها افْتِنانُ مُساجِلٍ

لِغناءِ ساجِعها افْتِنانُ مُساجِلٍ

يُثني عَلَيْها مُفْصِحاً أو مُلْغِزا

يُثني عَلَيْها مُفْصِحاً أو مُلْغِزا

whose warbler's song has a rival's varied artistry,

For the lament of its departing, the fascination of one bidding farewell

praising it openly or in riddles,

Who eulogizes it, eloquently or mumbling.

سَحبَ النَّسيمُ بِها فُضولَ ذُيولِهِ

سَحبَ النَّسيمُ بِها فُضولَ ذُيولِهِ

فتضوَّعت طِيْباً ولانَتْ مَغْمَزا

فتضوَّعت طِيْباً ولانَتْ مَغْمَزا

where the breeze trailed the long hems of its skirts,

The breeze has pulled along its trailing hems

so it breathed perfume and grew soft to the touch,

And it has given off perfume and bent pliant.

بأتَمَّ أنفاساً وأعْذَبَ نَغْمةً

بأتَمَّ أنفاساً وأعْذَبَ نَغْمةً

مِنْهُ لِذي سَمْعٍ وآنقَ حَيِّزا

مِنْهُ لِذي سَمْعٍ وآنقَ حَيِّزا

is more perfect in breath or sweeter in melody

With the most perfect breath and sweetest melody

than it to one who hears, or more enchanting in its setting.

From it for one with hearing and a refined sphere.

إيْهٍ مُهَيِّجةَ الجوى لِجَوانحي

إيْهٍ مُهَيِّجةَ الجوى لِجَوانحي

شَوْقاً لمنْ بِحُلى عُلاهُ تَمَيَّزا

شَوْقاً لمنْ بِحُلى عُلاهُ تَمَيَّزا

Go on, you who stir burning longing within my breast,

Oh rouser of passions in my soul

with yearning for him distinguished by the jewels of his eminence.

With yearning for the one distinguished by its jewels.

بحياة وُدِّي في امْتدادِ حَياتِهِ

بحياة وُدِّي في امْتدادِ حَياتِهِ

ووَفاءِ عَهْدٍ صُنتُه أنْ يُغْمَزا

ووَفاءِ عَهْدٍ صُنتُه أنْ يُغْمَزا

By the life of my love throughout the span of his life,

With the life of my love in the course of its life

and by the faithfulness of a pledge I guarded from reproach,

And the loyalty of a pact too solid to be shaken.

قولي وزِيْدي وابْسُطي لي حالَهُ

قولي وزِيْدي وابْسُطي لي حالَهُ

لا تُوجِزي ما حَقُّه أنْ يُوجزا

لا تُوجِزي ما حَقُّه أنْ يُوجزا

speak, add more, and unfold his condition for me;

Speak and augment and relate its state to me

do not abridge what rightly deserves abridgment.

Do not summarize what deserves to be told in full.

وَصِفي فَفي أوْصافِهِ ما يُجْتَلى

وَصِفي فَفي أوْصافِهِ ما يُجْتَلى

صَدْعاً بها فَبِوَحْيِها لا يُجْتزا

صَدْعاً بها فَبِوَحْيِها لا يُجْتزا

And describe him: his qualities hold much to be revealed

Describe, for in its descriptions lies what can be gleaned

by open proclamation; hints at them alone will not suffice.

To crack it open, and through its expressions it cannot be restrained.

لمحمدِ بنِ جُزَيِّ آيةُ سُؤددٍ

لمحمدِ بنِ جُزَيِّ آيةُ سُؤددٍ

قد ظَلَّ في العَليا بِها مُتَمَيِّزا

قد ظَلَّ في العَليا بِها مُتَمَيِّزا

Muhammad ibn Juzayy has a mark of nobility,

For Muhammad ibn Juzayy, a verse of Sudd

by which he has remained distinguished in the heights.

Who has remained lofty through it, distinguished.

نَدْبٌ إذا ما المجدُ نِيْلَ بِمِهْنَةٍ

نَدْبٌ إذا ما المجدُ نِيْلَ بِمِهْنَةٍ

لم يأْلُ أنْ يَحْظى بهِ مُتَعَزّزا

لم يأْلُ أنْ يَحْظى بهِ مُتَعَزّزا

A man of mettle: when glory is won through toil,

A calling when glory is attained through effort

he spares no effort to attain it with dignity.

That does not stop striving to be honored.

أضْحى ذكاء بَني جُزَيٍّ غدوةً

أضْحى ذكاء بَني جُزَيٍّ غدوةً

شُهب العَلاءِ بِكُلِّ أُفقٍ حَيِّزا

شُهب العَلاءِ بِكُلِّ أُفقٍ حَيِّزا

At dawn, the sun of Banu Juzayy has become

The intellect of the Juzayy clan has become one morning

a realm for glory's bright stars on every horizon.

The shooting stars of enlightenment in every horizon and sphere.

وغدا الزَّمانُ به اعتدالَ مَحاسِنٍ

وغدا الزَّمانُ به اعتدالَ مَحاسِنٍ

والآنَ آنَ لِوَعْدِهِ أنْ يُنْجَزا

والآنَ آنَ لِوَعْدِهِ أنْ يُنْجَزا

And through him time has become a harmony of beauties;

And time through it has attained the balance of beauties

and now the time has come for its promise to be fulfilled.

And now is the time for its promise to be fulfilled.

وإليكَها مِنِّي تَعِلَّةَ مُعْوِزٍ

وإليكَها مِنِّي تَعِلَّةَ مُعْوِزٍ

فلَقَدْ سَموت إليه سَهْلاً مُعْوزا

فلَقَدْ سَموت إليه سَهْلاً مُعْوزا

Here it is from me to you, a needy man's consolation;

And to you from me the excuse of one lean

for I have aspired to it—easy, yet elusive.

For I have soared to it smooth and lean.

جانَبْتُ ما جانَبْتَ فيه تَشَيُّعاً

جانَبْتُ ما جانَبْتَ فيه تَشَيُّعاً

فَمَنِ انْتَبَذْتَ فَنَبْذُهُ عِندي الجَزا

فَمَنِ انْتَبَذْتَ فَنَبْذُهُ عِندي الجَزا

I avoided what you avoided in it, out of allegiance;

I have avoided what you avoided therein courteously

for whoever you cast aside, his rejection is, to me, recompense.

So whom you have cast off, his rejection is justified to me.