كَأَنَّماas though النَّارَنْجُthe bitter-orange tree لَمَّاwhen بَدَتْappeared
كَأَنَّما النَّارَنْجُ لَمَّا بَدَتْ
أَغْصَانُهُits branches فِيamid الوَرَقِthe leaves الخُضْرِgreen
أَغْصَانُهُ فِي الوَرَقِ الخُضْرِ
It is as though the bitter-orange tree, when there appeared
As if the fire were a narcissus
its branches amid the green leaves,
When its branches appeared in the green leaves,
زُمُرُّدٌan emerald أَبْدَىrevealed لَنَاto us أَنْجُمَاًstars
زُمُرُّدٌ أَبْدَى لَنَا أَنْجُمَاً
مَعْجُونَةًkneaded مِنْfrom خَالِصِpure التِّبْرِuncoined gold
مَعْجُونَةً مِنْ خَالِصِ التِّبْرِ
were an emerald revealing stars to us,
An emerald that showed us stars
kneaded from pure gold.
Kneaded with pure ambergris.
إَذَاwhen تَحَيَّيْنَاwe use as a greeting بِهِwith it خِلْتَنَاyou would think us
إَذَا تَحَيَّيْنَا بِهِ خِلْتَنَا
نَسْتَنْشِقُwe inhale المِسْكَmusk مِنَfrom الخَمْرِwine
نَسْتَنْشِقُ المِسْكَ مِنَ الخَمْرِ
When we use it as a greeting, you would think us
When we greet it in our gatherings
inhaling musk from wine.
We smell the musk in the wine.
آلَfamily الرَّسُولِthe Messenger فَضَلْتُمُyou have excelled
آلَ الرَّسُولِ فَضَلْتُمُ
فَضْلَexcellence النُّجُومِthe stars الزَّاهِرَهْradiant
فَضْلَ النُّجُومِ الزَّاهِرَهْ
O family of the Messenger, you have excelled
O family of the Messenger, you are superior
as the radiant stars excel.
To the shining stars,
وَبَهَرْتُمُand you have dazzled أَعْدَاءَكُمْyour enemies
وَبَهَرْتُمُ أَعْدَاءَكُمْ
بالمَأْثُرَاتِwith glorious deeds السَّائِرَهْwidely celebrated
بالمَأْثُرَاتِ السَّائِرَهْ
And you have dazzled your enemies
And you dazzled your enemies
with deeds famed far and wide.
With your flowing virtues,
وَلَكُمْand yours مَعَalong with الشَّرَفِnobility البَلاَeloquence (first fragment)
وَلَكُمْ مَعَ الشَّرَفِ البَلاَ
غَةُeloquence (final fragment) والحُلُومُand wisdom الوَافِرَهْabundant
غَةُ والحُلُومُ الوَافِرَهْ
And yours, along with nobility, is elo-
And along with nobility you have
quence and abundant wisdom.
Eloquence and abundant favors.
فَإِذَاso when تُفُوخِرَboasts are exchanged بالعُلاَof eminence
فَإِذَا تُفُوخِرَ بالعُلاَ
فَيِكُمْin you عُلاَكُمْyour eminence فَاخِرَهْboasting
فَيِكُمْ عُلاَكُمْ فَاخِرَهْ
So when people vie in boasting of eminence,
So if you take pride in your nobility,
your eminence itself boasts in you.
Then yours is a pride that makes you eminent.
هَذَاthis وَكَمْand how many أَطْفَأْتُمُyou have quenched
هَذَا وَكَمْ أَطْفَأْتُمُ
عَنْaway from أَحْمَدٍAhmad مِنْof نَائِرَهْa fire of strife
عَنْ أَحْمَدٍ مِنْ نَائِرَهْ
This—and how often you have quenched
And how many fires threatening Ahmad
a fire of strife threatening Ahmad,
You extinguished with spears,
بِالسُّمْرِwith tawny spears تخضبare dyed بالنجيعwith gore
بِالسُّمْرِ تخضب بالنجيع
وبالسيوفand with swords الباتدةcutting (probable intended reading)
وبالسيوف الباتدة
with tawny spears dyed in gore,
Which you dip in blood,
and with cutting swords.
And with bare blades
تشفىare healed بِهَاby them أَكْبَادُكُمْyour livers
تشفى بِهَا أَكْبَادُكُمْ
مِنْof كُلِّevery نَفْسٍsoul كَافِرَهْunbelieving
مِنْ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ كَافِرَهْ
Through them your livers are healed
With them your livers are healed
of every unbelieving soul.
From every infidel soul.
وَرَفَضْتُمُand you renounced الدُّنْيَاthis world لَدُنْwhen
وَرَفَضْتُمُ الدُّنْيَا لَدُنْ
فُزْتُمْyou won بِحَظِّwith a share الآخِرَهْthe Hereafter
فُزْتُمْ بِحَظِّ الآخِرَهْ
And you renounced this world when
And you spurned the world from of old
you won a share of the Hereafter.
And won the fortune of the hereafter.
Sol 6.1