أسَيفَO sword الوَزَارَةِof the ministry بُورِكتَyou are blessed مِنas
أسَيفَ الوَزَارَةِ بُورِكتَ مِن
حُسَامٍa keen blade وَأيَّدتَand you are strengthened مِنas حَامِلِa bearer
حُسَامٍ وَأيَّدتَ مِن حَامِلِ
O sword of the ministry, blessed are you as
O sword of ministry, you were blessed with
a keen blade, and strengthened as a bearer.
A sharp blade and supported by a steadfast handle
وَيَاand O سَيِّداًmaster هَأمwas enamored بِالمعلَوَاتِof lofty achievements
وَيَا سَيِّداً هَأم بِالمعلَوَاتِ
فَلَمso did not يُصغِlisten فِيهَاconcerning them إلَىto عَاذِلِa censurer
فَلَم يُصغِ فِيهَا إلَى عَاذِلِ
And O master, enamored of lofty achievements,
And O eminent master, he consulted widely
who heeded no censurer concerning them.
Yet paid no heed to the detractor
فَجَدَّدَso he renewed كُلَّevery فَخارٍglory مَحِيلٍbarren
فَجَدَّدَ كُلَّ فَخارٍ مَحِيلٍ
وَألقَحَand he made fertile كُلَّevery رجاًhope حَائِلِsterile
وَألقَحَ كُلَّ رجاً حَائِلِ
So he renewed every barren glory,
So he renewed every decaying glory
and made every sterile hope fruitful.
And inspired every despondent soul
وَقَالَand said لَهُto him المَجدُglory كُنbe نَاصِرِيmy champion
وَقَالَ لَهُ المَجدُ كُن نَاصِرِي
فَثَارَso he sprang إلَىto دَعوَةِthe call of القَائِلthe speaker
فَثَارَ إلَى دَعوَةِ القَائِل
And Glory said to him, “Be my champion,”
And glory said to him, be my champion
so he sprang to the speaker’s call.
So he rose to the call of the sayer
سَمَاhe rose لِلمَكَارِمِtoward noble deeds حَتَّىuntil انتَهَىhe reached
سَمَا لِلمَكَارِمِ حَتَّى انتَهَى
لِمَاto what فَوقَis beyond أمنِيَةِthe desire of الامِلِthe hopeful one
لِمَا فَوقَ أمنِيَةِ الامِلِ
He rose toward noble deeds until he reached
He aspired to the highest virtues until he attained
beyond the hopeful one’s desire.
What surpassed the hopes of the aspirant
فَغَادَرَso he left طُلاَّبَهَأtheir seekers يَخطُبُونَcourting
فَغَادَرَ طُلاَّبَهَأ يَخطُبُونَ
وَسَارَand he traveled عَلَىalong المَنهَجِthe path السَّابِلِwell-trodden
وَسَارَ عَلَى المَنهَجِ السَّابِلِ
He left their suitors still courting,
Then he left his students still seeking
and took the well-trodden path.
And followed the exemplary path
أحَلَّتهُestablished him بِالأزدِamong the Azd أقلاَمُهُhis pens
أحَلَّتهُ بِالأزدِ أقلاَمُهُ
مَحَلَّةَthe station of سَحبَانَSahban فِيamong وَائِلِWa’il
مَحَلَّةَ سَحبَانَ فِي وَائِلِ
His pens established him among the Azd
His pens made him dwell in nobility
in Sahban’s station among Wa’il.
Like the abode of Suhban among the eminent
تَفَجَّرَburst forth خَاطِرُهُhis mind وَالبَنَانُand the fingertips
تَفَجَّرَ خَاطِرُهُ وَالبَنَانُ
بِبَحرينِwith two seas لِلعِلمِof learning وَالنَّائِلِand bounty
بِبَحرينِ لِلعِلمِ وَالنَّائِلِ
His mind and fingertips burst forth
His ideas and words poured forth
with two seas of learning and bounty.
In two seas of knowledge and attainment
فَغُصso dive بَحرَthe sea of دُرّpearls العِبَاتِgifts (uncertain reading) الكرَأgenerous (word begins)
فَغُص بَحرَ دُرّ العِبَاتِ الكرَأ
مِcompletes “generous” أوor دُرَرpearls المَنطِقِeloquence الحَافِلِabundant
مِ أو دُرَر المَنطِقِ الحَافِلِ
Dive, then, into the sea of pearls of generous gifts—
So the sea of pearls of eloquence swelled
or the pearls of abundant eloquence.
And the sea of logical jewels overflowed
نَوَالٌbounty نَفىbanished الجُودَgenerosity عَنfrom حَاتِمٍHatim
نَوَالٌ نَفى الجُودَ عَن حَاتِمٍ
وَلَفظٌand speech نَفَىbanished السِّحرَmagic عَنfrom بابِلِBabylon
وَلَفظٌ نَفَى السِّحرَ عَن بابِلِ
Bounty that stripped Hatim of generosity,
His munificence outshone Hatim's generosity
and speech that stripped Babylon of magic.
And his eloquence surpassed Babylon's magic
لَهُhe has قَلَمٌa pen يُسفِرُreveals النَّفعُbenefit مِنfrom
لَهُ قَلَمٌ يُسفِرُ النَّفعُ مِن
هُit وَالضُّرُّand harm عَنof بَاسِمٍa smiling one بَاسِلِa fierce one
هُ وَالضُّرُّ عَن بَاسِمٍ بَاسِلِ
He has a pen: the benefit flowing from
His pen produces benefit
it and the harm reveal its smiling, fierce nature.
And shields from harm like an impregnable fortress
نَحِيلٌslender عَنَاهُwore it down انتِقَاءُthe choosing of الكَلاَمwords
نَحِيلٌ عَنَاهُ انتِقَاءُ الكَلاَم
لَقَدindeed جَلَّit is great مِنas ناحِلٍa slender one نَاجِلِa piercer
لَقَد جَلَّ مِن ناحِلٍ نَاجِلِ
Slender, worn down by the choosing of words,
Selective in speech, a bee
how great a slender piercer it is!
He has certainly excelled as a productive bee
قَصِيرٌshort يَقُولُit says لِسُمرِto the dusky القَنَأspear-shafts
قَصِيرٌ يَقُولُ لِسُمرِ القَنَأ
رُويدَكَtake it easy طُلتِyou have grown long بِلاَwithout طَائِلِbenefit
رُويدَكَ طُلتِ بِلاَ طَائِلِ
Short, it says to the dusky spear-shafts,
Concise, he says to verbose rambling
“Easy! You have grown long to no purpose.”
Restrain yourself, you strive pointlessly
يُرِيit shows فِيin الصَّرِيرِthe scratching بَياناًeloquence كَمَاjust as
يُرِي فِي الصَّرِيرِ بَياناً كَمَا
يُرَىis seen العِتقُnoble breeding فِيin نَغمَةِthe voice of الصَّاهِلِthe neighing steed
يُرَى العِتقُ فِي نَغمَةِ الصَّاهِلِ
It displays eloquence in its scratching, just as
His clarity in diction shows
noble breeding is revealed in the neighing steed’s voice.
Like the purity in the trill of a warbler
أصَابَit struck مَقَاتِلَthe vital spots of أغرَاضِهِits targets
أصَابَ مَقَاتِلَ أغرَاضِهِ
فِنلنَso they gained الحَيَاةَlife مِنَfrom القَائِلِthe speaker
فِنلنَ الحَيَاةَ مِنَ القَائِلِ
It struck the vital spots of its targets,
He hit his targets
and they gained life from the speaker.
And drew life from the sayer
وَأثبَتَand it set فِيupon الصُّحفِthe pages زَهرَthe blossoms of الرَّبِيعِspring
وَأثبَتَ فِي الصُّحفِ زَهرَ الرَّبِيعِ
فَحَدّثso tell عَنof المُثمِرِthe fruit-bearing الذَّبِلِwithered one
فَحَدّث عَن المُثمِرِ الذَّبِلِ
And it set spring’s blossoms upon the pages,
And inscribed in books the flowers of spring
so speak of this withered thing that bears fruit.
Relating the faded remnants
أبَاO Abu بَكرِBakr افخَرtake pride وَحَسبُand enough for الحَسُودِthe envious man
أبَا بَكرِ افخَر وَحَسبُ الحَسُودِ
مًغَالَطَةُfallacious disputation الزّجّthe spear’s butt-cap لِلعَامِلِagainst the spear’s forepart
مًغَالَطَةُ الزّجّ لِلعَامِلِ
Abu Bakr, take pride; enough for the envious is
Abu Bakr, boast! The envy of foes
the spear-butt’s false argument against its forepart.
Is but the deluded censure of the worker
فَإننَّfor indeed الثَّنَاءَpraise الَّذِيwhich فِيconcerns سِوَاكَanyone but you
فَإننَّ الثَّنَاءَ الَّذِي فِي سِوَاكَ
لأضيَعُis surely more wasted مِنthan كَاتِبٍa scribe عَاطِلِunemployed
لأضيَعُ مِن كَاتِبٍ عَاطِلِ
For praise bestowed on anyone but you
For the praise not from you
is more wasted than an unemployed scribe.
Would be wasted on the idle eulogizer
لَكَyours is الطُّولbounty لَكِنَّbut نَجمَthe star of الذَّميمِthe wretched man
لَكَ الطُّول لَكِنَّ نَجمَ الذَّميمِ
تَعَامَىhas hidden itself عَلَىfrom رَأيِكَyour judgment الفَاضِلِexcellent
تَعَامَى عَلَى رَأيِكَ الفَاضِلِ
Yours is bounty, but the wretched man’s star
Yours is the height, though the star of blamer
has hidden itself from your excellent judgment.
Turned a blind eye to your excellent view
إذاif الجَذبُbarrenness (text likely miswritten) كَانَis طِبَاعُthe nature of الثَّرَىthe soil
إذا الجَذبُ كَانَ طِبَاعُ الثَّرَى
فَلاَthen no ذَنبَblame لِلعَارِضِon the raincloud الهَأطِلِpouring
فَلاَ ذَنبَ لِلعَارِضِ الهَأطِلِ
If barrenness is the nature of the soil,
If pulling down is the nature of earth
there is no blame on the pouring raincloud.
The passing cloud bears no blame
كَأنِّيas though I خُفِضتُwas put in the genitive بِحُكمِby the rule of البِنَاindeclinability
كَأنِّي خُفِضتُ بِحُكمِ البِنَا
فَمَاso not أتَغيَّرُI change لِلعَامِلِfor the grammatical governor
فَمَا أتَغيَّرُ لِلعَامِلِ
As though fixed in the genitive by the rule of indeclinability,
It's as if I was debased by construction
I do not change for any grammatical governor.
Yet remain unchanged by the worker
وَلَكِنَّنِيbut I بَعدُafterward أسنِدتُwas entrusted مِنكَthrough you
وَلَكِنَّنِي بَعدُ أسنِدتُ مِنكَ
إلَىto عِصمَةِthe protection of الادَبِliterature الخَامِلِneglected
إلَى عِصمَةِ الادَبِ الخَامِلِ
Yet afterward, through you, I was entrusted
Rather, I was later supported by you
to the protection of neglected letters.
To the safekeeping of perfect manners
وَلَيسَnor does يَخِيبُfail انقِطَاعِيmy exclusive devotion إلَيكَto you
وَلَيسَ يَخِيبُ انقِطَاعِي إلَيكَ
لأنِّيbecause I انقَطَعتُdevoted myself إلَىto وَاصِلِone who maintains bonds
لأنِّي انقَطَعتُ إلَى وَاصِلِ
Nor will my exclusive devotion to you fail,
My bond with you will not disappoint
for I have devoted myself to one who maintains bonds.
For I have bonded with the eternal
أبِيتُI spend the night أجِلُّI hold high عَلَيكَconcerning you الظُنُونَexpectations
أبِيتُ أجِلُّ عَلَيكَ الظُنُونَ
فَتَسرَحُso they roam فِيamid السُّؤدَدِnobility الكَامِلِperfect
فَتَسرَحُ فِي السُّؤدَدِ الكَامِلِ
I pass the night holding high expectations of you,
I cherish high hopes of you
and they roam amid perfect nobility.
To roam freely in perfect bliss
وَأخطِرُand I bring to mind ذِكرَكَremembrance of you فِيin خَاطِرِيmy mind
وَأخطِرُ ذِكرَكَ فِي خَاطِرِي
فَأوقِنُso I become certain بِالفَرَجِof relief العَاجِلِswift
فَأوقِنُ بِالفَرَجِ العَاجِلِ
And I bring remembrance of you to mind,
And I ponder your mention in my thoughts
and become certain of swift relief,
Certain of imminent relief
لِتَنزِيهِيَbecause of my exalting اسمكَyour name أنto يَلتَقِيmeet
لِتَنزِيهِيَ اسمكَ أن يَلتَقِي
مَعَwith النَّاسِpeople فِيin الخُلُدِthe mind الامِلِhopeful
مَعَ النَّاسِ فِي الخُلُدِ الامِلِ
for I hold your name too exalted to mingle
To absolve your name from meeting
with others in the hopeful mind.
With people in everlasting perfection
ظَهَرتَyou prevailed عَلَىover كُبَرَاءِthe grandees of الزَّمَانِthe age
ظَهَرتَ عَلَى كُبَرَاءِ الزَّمَانِ
ظُهُورَthe triumph of اليَقِينِcertainty عَلَىover البَاطِلِfalsehood
ظُهُورَ اليَقِينِ عَلَى البَاطِلِ
You have prevailed over the grandees of the age,
You triumphed over the great men of the age
as certainty prevails over falsehood.
As certainty triumphs over falsehood
وَمِثلُكَand one like you يَملأfills كَفَّthe palm of المُقِيمِthe resident
وَمِثلُكَ يَملأ كَفَّ المُقِيمِ
وَيَنهَضُand lifts مِنfrom قَدَمِthe foot of الرَّاحِلِthe departing traveler
وَيَنهَضُ مِن قَدَمِ الرَّاحِلِ
And one such as you fills the resident’s palm
And the like of you fills the hand of the dweller
and lifts the departing traveler’s foot.
And rises from the foot of the departing
Sol 6.1