أيُّwhat نجمٍstar بداappeared يشعُّshines منيراradiant
أيُّ نجمٍ بدا يشعُّ منيرا
طبَّقfilled الكونthe universe بهجةًdelight وسروراand joy
طبَّق الكون بهجةً وسرورا
What star has appeared, shining radiantly,
What radiant star has risen to shine
filling the universe with delight and joy!
Illuminating the cosmos with joy and delight
إنthough بداappeared لليعونto the eyes (apparent misspelling) وهوwhile he is صغيرٌsmall
إن بدا لليعون وهو صغيرٌ
فهوthen he للمكرماتfor noble deeds شبَّgrew كبيراgreat
فهو للمكرمات شبَّ كبيرا
Though he appears small to the eyes,
If it appeared small to the weak eyed
he has grown great in noble deeds.
It is greatly magnificent to the noble
بيwith my life as ransom وليداa newborn وافىarrived عديمwithout نظيرa peer
بي وليدا وافى عديم نظير
لفَّenfolded منهof him القماطthe swaddling cloth غُصناa bough نضيراfresh and flourishing
لفَّ منه القماط غُصنا نضيرا
My life for a newborn who has come without a peer:
Waleed brought me a matchless, precious infant
his swaddling cloth enfolded a verdant bough.
The wet nurse wrapped a fresh branch around him
ولدتهshe bore him العلىlofty honor رضيعa nursling لبانٍbreast milk
ولدته العلى رضيع لبانٍ
فامترىso he drew milk خلفهاher teat الحفيلfull of milk دروراcopious milk-flow
فامترى خلفها الحفيل درورا
Lofty honor bore him, a nursling at her breast,
The High One delivered him a suckling babe
and he drew copious milk from her brimming teat.
So I watched over him as he crawled youthfully
قدindeed رعيناwe grazed الخدودthe cheeks منهof him رياضاًgardens
قد رعينا الخدود منه رياضاً
وشربناand we drank اللحاظthe glances منهof him غديراa pool
وشربنا اللحاظ منه غديرا
We have grazed upon his cheeks as gardens,
His cheeks have cultivated gardens within us
and drunk of his glances as of a pool.
His glances have poured springs inside us
حررinscribed الحسنbeauty منهof him فوقupon جبينa brow
حرر الحسن منه فوق جبين
فقرأناso we read الجمالbeauty فيهin it سطوراlines
فقرأنا الجمال فيه سطورا
Beauty wrote upon his brow,
Beauty itself has etched its lines on his cheek
and we read loveliness there in lines.
So we've read gracefulness in his features
حيّgreet خشفthe fawn الغويرal-Ghuwayr حلَّsettled فيناamong us
حيّ خشف الغوير حلَّ فينا
شدَّtightened عقدthe knot النطاقof the girdle طفلاas a child غريراguileless
شدَّ عقد النطاق طفلا غريرا
Greet the fawn of al-Ghuwayr, who has settled among us,
He came to us lively, with the zeal of youth
a guileless child who tightened his girdle’s knot.
Binding as an innocent, playful child
إنif رمىcast نحوهtoward him الحسودthe envious man بطرفٍwith a glance
إن رمى نحوه الحسود بطرفٍ
ردّturned back طرفthe gaze الحسودof the envious man عنهaway from him حسيراexhausted
ردّ طرف الحسود عنه حسيرا
If the envious man casts a glance his way,
Should the envious gaze at him
he turns the envious man's gaze away from him, spent.
Their glances will return from him downcast
وغريرٍand a guileless child قدindeed جادbestowed generously فيهin him قديرٌan all-powerful one
وغريرٍ قد جاد فيه قديرٌ
قدindeed حمدناwe praised فيهfor him العزيزthe Mighty القديراthe All-Powerful
قد حمدنا فيه العزيز القديرا
And a guileless child upon whom the All-Powerful lavished bounty—
He is a gift of the Capable, the Worthy
for him we have praised the Mighty, the All-Powerful.
We praise the Almighty for him
طافwent around يسقيserving drink السلافchoice wine فيهin it or him مديراpassing it around
طاف يسقي السلاف فيه مديرا
ياah! فديناهmay we ransom him ساقياas a cupbearer ومديراand as a wine-passer
يا فديناه ساقيا ومديرا
He went round there, serving and passing choice wine;
He came passing drinks, serving generously
ah, may we be his ransom, cupbearer and passer of the wine!
Our sacrifice for the cupbearer and server
عطَّرperfumed الكونthe universe منهfrom him طيبsweetness أريجfragrance
عطَّر الكون منه طيب أريج
تحملcarries الريحthe wind منfrom شذاهhis fragrance عبيراperfume
تحمل الريح من شذاه عبيرا
Sweet fragrance from him perfumed the universe;
His sweet aroma has scented the world
the wind bears perfume from his scent.
The breeze carries his fragrance gently
شادناa young gazelle ساجيlanguid اللحاظthe glances نفوراًskittish
شادنا ساجي اللحاظ نفوراً
علّمtaught الشادنthe young gazelle الأغنَّnasal-voiced النفوراshying away
علّم الشادن الأغنَّ النفورا
A skittish young gazelle with languid glances,
We were averse, tired of being drank from
who taught the nasal-voiced gazelle to shy away.
He taught the tossing palm tree to bend
أطلقتهreleased him لناto us الحواضنthe nursemaids نصلاًas a blade
أطلقته لنا الحواضن نصلاً
مرهفkeen-edged المقربينthose brought close (unclear here) عضباًsharp طريراcutting
مرهف المقربين عضباً طريرا
The nursemaids loosed him upon us as a blade,
The wet nurses released him to us a sharp blade
keen-edged for those close to him, sharp and cutting.
One that pierces the vitals smoothly
إنماonly الابنthe son تجرةa trade لأبيهfor his father
إنما الابن تجرة لأبيه
حبذاhow excellent! منas a تجارةtrade لنwill not تبوراfail
حبذا من تجارة لن تبورا
A son is but a trade for his father:
A son is but merchandise for his father
what a fine trade, one that will never fail!
What a trade that will never fail
سوفwill ندعوهwe call him للفضائلto the virtues خدناًa companion
سوف ندعوه للفضائل خدناً
وسنرجوهand we will hope for him للعلومfor the sciences سميراa companion in nightly conversation
وسنرجوه للعلوم سميرا
We shall call him a companion to the virtues,
We will call him to moral virtues persistently
and hope he becomes learning’s companion in nightly talk.
And seek him for knowledge tirelessly
كيفhow لاnot وهوwhen he is منتمٍbelonging لكريمto a noble man
كيف لا وهو منتمٍ لكريم
أحرزwon الفضلdistinction سابقاًearlier وأخيراand later
أحرز الفضل سابقاً وأخيرا
How could we not, when he descends from a noble man
How not, when he belongs to the Benevolent
who won distinction, both earlier and later?
Who attained superiority, first and last
موسويMusawi النجارin lineage جدّاًby ancestry ولكنand yet
موسوي النجار جدّاً ولكن
عدَّcounted للفخرfor glory شبَّراShabbar وشبيراand Shubayr
عدَّ للفخر شبَّرا وشبيرا
Musawi in ancestral stock, yet
Of the carpenter lineage, but he counts
he counted Shabbar and Shubayr among his glories.
Among the proud - honored and esteemed
Sol 6.1