يَاO رُبَّmany a مُهْدٍa giver هَدِيَّةًa gift لَطُفَتْwas slight
يَا رُبَّ مُهْدٍ هَدِيَّةً لَطُفَتْ
قَدْرَاًin value وَلَكِنْand yet مَحَلُّهَاits standing جَلَلُgreat
قَدْرَاً وَلَكِنْ مَحَلُّهَا جَلَلُ
Ah, many a giver offers a gift that is slight
O Lord, a gift of guidance you have kindly sent
In value, yet great in esteem.
Of value, though unassuming in its elegance
إِنَّindeed هَدَايَاthe gifts الرِّجَالِof men مُخْبِرَةٌrevealing
إِنَّ هَدَايَا الرِّجَالِ مُخْبِرَةٌ
عَنْabout قَدْرِهِمْtheir worth قَلَّلُواthey gave little أَوِor احْتَفَلُواthey gave lavishly
عَنْ قَدْرِهِمْ قَلَّلُوا أَوِ احْتَفَلُوا
Indeed, men's gifts reveal
For gifts reveal the worth of those who give
Their worth, whether they give little or lavish much.
In measure of their pride or nonchalance
وَقَدْand indeed أَتَانَاcame to us الذِيwhat بَعَثْتَyou sent بِهِwith it
وَقَدْ أَتَانَا الذِي بَعَثْتَ بِهِ
لاَno أَوَدٌcrookedness شَابَهُmarred it وَلاَnor خَلَلُa flaw
لاَ أَوَدٌ شَابَهُ وَلاَ خَلَلُ
And what you sent us has indeed arrived,
This gift you’ve brought us bears no flaw within
Unmarred by crookedness or flaw.
No twist or warp its straightness to dispel
مُشْطٌa comb مِنَof العُودِaloeswood لَمْdid not تَعِبْهُmar it وَلاَnor
مُشْطٌ مِنَ العُودِ لَمْ تَعِبْهُ وَلاَ
مَالَتْtilted بِهِwith it خِفَّةٌlightness وَلاَnor ثِقَلُheaviness
مَالَتْ بِهِ خِفَّةٌ وَلاَ ثِقَلُ
A comb of aloeswood, neither marred nor
A comb of fragrant wood, unspoilt, unbent
Made to lean by lightness or heaviness.
By wanton lightness or unwieldy swell
يَخْبُوfades (probably intended: bestows) اللَّحَىbeards طِيْبَهُits fragrance وَزِيْنَتَهُand its adornment
يَخْبُو اللَّحَى طِيْبَهُ وَزِيْنَتَهُ
فَهْوَso it is عَلَىupon مَعْنَيَيْنِtwo qualities مُشْتَمِلُencompassing
فَهْوَ عَلَى مَعْنَيَيْنِ مُشْتَمِلُ
It bestows its fragrance and adornment on beards,
Concealing scent and beauty in its teeth
Thus combining two virtues.
Bearing a dual nature and parallel
وَمُسْتَقِيْمُand straight المَسِيْرِthe course عَادِلُهُeven in it
وَمُسْتَقِيْمُ المَسِيْرِ عَادِلُهُ
لَيْسَتْthere is no لَهُfor it عَثْرَةٌa stumble وَلاَnor زَلَلُslipping
لَيْسَتْ لَهُ عَثْرَةٌ وَلاَ زَلَلُ
And straight in its passage, even in its course,
Of balanced poise, equidistant each
It neither stumbles nor slips.
No stumble or misstep its strides befell
أَسْوَدُblack لاَnot تَسْتَبِيْنُis discernible نُقْبَتُهُits hue
أَسْوَدُ لاَ تَسْتَبِيْنُ نُقْبَتُهُ
حِيْنَwhen يُوَارِيْهِconceals it فَاحِمٌcoal-black رَجِلٌwavy
حِيْنَ يُوَارِيْهِ فَاحِمٌ رَجِلٌ
Black, its hue cannot be discerned
In blackness, undiscerning is its hue
When coal-black, wavy hair conceals it.
When gripped by one with hand and wrist so hale
كَأَنَّمَاas though الأَشْمَطُthe grizzled man الكَبِيْرُthe aged إِذَاwhen
كَأَنَّمَا الأَشْمَطُ الكَبِيْرُ إِذَا
خَالَطَmingled مِنْهُof him البَيَاضُthe white hair مُكْتَهِلُmiddle-aged
خَالَطَ مِنْهُ البَيَاضُ مُكْتَهِلُ
It is as though the aged, grizzled man, when
As if the mighty stallion, when imbued
His white hair mingles with it, were middle-aged.
With streaks of white, takes on a dappled veil
ظَرُرْتَunclear (probably intended: showed refinement) فِيْهِin it وَكُنْتَand you were مُتَّبِعَاًfollowing
ظَرُرْتَ فِيْهِ وَكُنْتَ مُتَّبِعَاً
فِيin الظَّرْفِrefinement وَاللُّطْفِand graciousness أَيُّهَاO you الرَّجُلُman
فِي الظَّرْفِ وَاللُّطْفِ أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ
You showed refinement in it, and followed the way
You’ve shown such taste and delicacy, O man
Of elegance and graciousness, O man.
I nearly lost composure in delight
لَكِدْتُindeed, I nearly مِنْfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity السُّرُورِof delight بِهِin it
لَكِدْتُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ السُّرُورِ بِهِ
آمَنُI feel safe أَنَّthat المَشِيْبَgray hair يَشْتَعِلُbursts into flame
آمَنُ أَنَّ المَشِيْبَ يَشْتَعِلُ
Indeed, so great was my joy in it that I nearly
Believing age itself could be outspanned
Felt safe from gray hair's bursting into flame.
So fiercely did my joy at it ignite
Sol 6.1