وكفاكand it suffices you منقبةًas a distinction إذاwhen ذكرis mentioned الندىgenerosity
وكفاك منقبةً إذا ذكر الندى
كرمmunificence لحضرتكto your presence العليةexalted ينسبis attributed
كرم لحضرتك العلية ينسب
And it is distinction enough for you, when generosity is mentioned,
that munificence is attributed to your exalted presence.
ومواقفand stands مشهودةًwitnessed لكto your credit فيin الوغىbattle
ومواقف مشهودةً لك في الوغى
حيثwhere المواضيkeen-edged swords نارهاtheir fire تتلهبblazes
حيث المواضي نارها تتلهب
And your renowned stands in battle,
where the fire of keen-edged swords blazes.
ومعارفand knowledge قصرتreserved عليكfor you لأنهاbecause it
ومعارف قصرت عليك لأنها
بكto you ياO أجلmost august ذويthose possessing المعارفknowledge أنسبmost fitting
بك يا أجل ذوي المعارف أنسب
And knowledge reserved for you, for it
befits you best, O most august of the learned.
وخلائقand virtues عمpervaded الخلائقall creatures نشرهاtheir fragrance
وخلائق عم الخلائق نشرها
كالروضlike a garden غبafter المزنrainclouds بلrather هيthey أطيبmore fragrant
كالروض غب المزن بل هي أطيب
And virtues whose fragrance has filled all creation,
like a garden after rainclouds—nay, they are more fragrant.
وشمائلand traits تحكيresemble النسيمthe breeze وإنماbut in truth
وشمائل تحكي النسيم وإنما
هيthey منthan صباthe east wind نجدٍof Najd أرقgentler وأعذبand sweeter
هي من صبا نجدٍ أرق وأعذب
And traits that resemble the breeze, though in truth
they are gentler and sweeter than the east wind of Najd.
وعزائمand resolves يعنوbows لهاto them ليثa lion الشرىof al-Shara
وعزائم يعنو لها ليث الشرى
فيin غابهits thicket والدهرand Time منهاof them يرهبis afraid
في غابه والدهر منها يرهب
And resolves before which the lion of al-Shara bows,
in its thicket, and Time fears them.
وبلاغةand eloquence عربيةًArabic آياتهاits verses
وبلاغة عربيةً آياتها
تليتwere recited فأضحتand so came to عنof كمالكyour perfection تعربspeak clearly
تليت فأضحت عن كمالك تعرب
And Arabic eloquence whose verses
were recited and came to proclaim your perfection.
ومراتبand stations فيin المجدglory عزwas difficult مرامهاtheir attainment
ومراتب في المجد عز مرامها
بعدتwere distant مدىin reach فالنجمso the star منهاthan they أقربnearer
بعدت مدى فالنجم منها أقرب
And stations of glory hard to attain,
so distant that a star is nearer than they.
وهناكand there are جمmany مناقبvirtues لاnot تنتهيend
وهناك جم مناقب لا تنتهي
وكواكبand the stars الأفلاكof the celestial spheres أنىhow can تحسبbe counted
وكواكب الأفلاك أنى تحسب
And there are many virtues that never end—
and how can the stars of the celestial spheres be counted?
ياO واحدpeerless one الدنياof the world وأكرمand most generous منof those who لهfor him
يا واحد الدنيا وأكرم من له
جملphrases المدايحof praise والثناand eulogy تتركبare composed
جمل المدايح والثنا تتركب
O peerless one of the world, most generous of those for whom
phrases of praise and eulogy are composed;
وأبرand kindest منof those who رحمshowed compassion to الوفودthe delegations كأنهas though he were
وأبر من رحم الوفود كأنه
لهمto them وقدand already نزلواthey had alighted بساحتهin his courtyard أبa father
لهم وقد نزلوا بساحته أب
and kindest of those who show compassion to delegations, as though
he were a father to them when they alighted in his courtyard.
وابنand son الألىthose who ملكواpossessed العلىthe heights وتسنمواand ascended
وابن الألى ملكوا العلى وتسنموا
مرقىًan ascent لهfor which ظهرthe back المجرةof the Milky Way مركبa mount
مرقىً له ظهر المجرة مركب
And son of those who possessed the heights and ascended
an ascent whose mount is the Milky Way's back.
شملتembraced مواهبكyour gifts العفاةthe supplicants فشرقواso they traveled east
شملت مواهبك العفاة فشرقوا
بجميلwith fine مدحكpraise of you فيacross البلادthe lands وغربواand traveled west
بجميل مدحك في البلاد وغربوا
Your gifts embraced the supplicants, so they traveled east
with fine praise of you across the lands, and traveled west.
وسرتand spread أياديكyour favors الجسامgreat فأخصبتand made fertile
وسرت أياديك الجسام فأخصبت
رحبthe broad expanses الفلاof the desert والدهرwhile Time قفرa waste مجدبbarren
رحب الفلا والدهر قفر مجدب
And your great favors spread, making fertile
the desert's broad expanses, while Time was a barren waste.
وأنارand illuminated طالعكyour rising star اللياليthe nights فانجلتso were dispelled
وأنار طالعك الليالي فانجلت
كرباتهاtheir sorrows وأنجبand lifted (assuming intended وانجاب) عنهاfrom them الغيبthe unseen
كرباتها وأنجب عنها الغيب
And your rising star illuminated the nights, dispelling
their sorrows, and the unseen lifted from them.
Sol 6.1