جَنَّبَكَmay He spare you اللَّهُGod عَارِضَthe onset of العِلَلِailments
جَنَّبَكَ اللَّهُ عَارِضَ العِلَلِ
وَنِلْتَand may you attain مَاfor as long as عِشْتَyou live أَبْعَدَthe farthest reach of الأَمَلِhope
وَنِلْتَ مَا عِشْتَ أَبْعَدَ الأَمَلِ
May God spare you the onset of ailments,
May God spare you the onset of affliction,
and may you attain, throughout your life, the farthest hope.
And may you attain the most distant hope.
يَاO سَيِّدَاًa master كُلُّevery سَيِّدٍmaster تَبَعٌa follower
يَا سَيِّدَاً كُلُّ سَيِّدٍ تَبَعٌ
لَهُof him وَطَوْعٌand obedient فِيin الصَّرْفِdismissal وَالعَمَلِand official service
لَهُ وَطَوْعٌ فِي الصَّرْفِ وَالعَمَلِ
O master, every master is a follower
O master, every master is your subordinate,
of yours, obedient in dismissal and official service.
Obedient to your command in good and bad.
وَكَاتِبَاًand a secretary تَشْهَدُbears witness البَلاَغَةُeloquence
وَكَاتِبَاً تَشْهَدُ البَلاَغَةُ
بِالْفَضْلِto excellence لَهُfor him فِيin التَّفْصِيْلِdetail وَالجُمَلِand generalities
بِالْفَضْلِ لَهُ فِي التَّفْصِيْلِ وَالجُمَلِ
And O secretary, eloquence bears witness
And a scribe whose eloquence testifies
to your excellence, in detail and in sum.
To his excellence in detail and summary.
يُعْزَلُare dismissed قَوْمٌpeople فَيَيْقُصُونَand so they diminish (probable reading) وَلاَbut not
يُعْزَلُ قَوْمٌ فَيَيْقُصُونَ وَلاَ
تَنْقُصُyou diminish يَاO ذَpossessor of الجَلاَلِmajesty والمُثُلِand exemplary virtues
تَنْقُصُ يَا ذَ الجَلاَلِ والمُثُلِ
People are dismissed and diminish; but you do not
Some are dismissed and find themselves lacking, but
diminish, O possessor of majesty and exemplary virtues.
You, of majesty and exemplar, are never found wanting.
يَظْهَرُbecomes apparent بِالْعَزْلِthrough dismissal مَاwhat تَقَدَّمَpreceded مِنْof
يَظْهَرُ بِالْعَزْلِ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ
آثَارِكَyour achievements المُسْتَثِيْرَةِopening up السُّبُلِthe paths
آثَارِكَ المُسْتَثِيْرَةِ السُّبُلِ
Dismissal brings to light what came before:
Dismissal reveals what your past deeds have sown,
your achievements that opened up the paths.
Your rousing traces on the path.
تُتْعِبُyou weary واللَّهِby God صَارِفِيْكَthose who dismiss you كَمَاjust as
تُتْعِبُ واللَّهِ صَارِفِيْكَ كَمَا
يَفْضَحُputs to shame مَنْthe one who بَعْدَهُafter him بِذَاكَwith that بُلِيwas afflicted
يَفْضَحُ مَنْ بَعْدَهُ بِذَاكَ بُلِي
By God, you weary those who dismiss you, just as
By God, your dismissals exhaust successors,
a successor saddled with that task is put to shame
Just as the former’s faults shame his replacement.
مُسْتَدِْكٌone who restores (probable reading) مَاwhat أَضَاعَhe squandered ذَاكَthat one وَذَاand this one
مُسْتَدِْكٌ مَا أَضَاعَ ذَاكَ وَذَا
حَاوَلَhe sought مَاwhat نِلْتَهُyou attained it فَلَمْbut did not يَنَلِattain
حَاوَلَ مَا نِلْتَهُ فَلَمْ يَنَلِ
by one who restores what that man squandered; and this one
Assertive in recovering what the other lost
sought what you attained, but did not attain it.
And failed to attain what you grasped and held fast.
إِنِّيindeed I وَمَاand no سَيِّدٌmaster بمُحْتَشِمٍat all abashed
إِنِّي وَمَا سَيِّدٌ بمُحْتَشِمٍ
وَلاَnor وَلِيٌّa friend أَيْضَاًeither بِمُحَتَفِلِat all ceremonious
وَلاَ وَلِيٌّ أَيْضَاً بِمُحَتَفِلِ
I—and no master is bashful,
I am no master of humility or minister
nor is a friend ceremonious either—
Of joyous celebration.
حَضَرْتُI attended بِالأَمْسِyesterday مَاwhat أُشِيْرَwas suggested بِهِconcerning it
حَضَرْتُ بِالأَمْسِ مَا أُشِيْرَ بِهِ
مِنَof التَّغَذِّيdining بِمُخْلِفِon the successor of الحَجَلِthe partridge
مِنَ التَّغَذِّي بِمُخْلِفِ الحَجَلِ
attended yesterday what had been proposed
I came yesterday with what was hinted
of dining on the partridge's successor.
Of provision from the mountaineer’s den.
فَلَمْso did not أَزَلْI cease أَبْتغِيْهِI seek it مُجْتَهِدَاًdiligently
فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَبْتغِيْهِ مُجْتَهِدَاً
فِيin السَّهْلِthe plain مِنْof أَرْضِهِits land وَفِيand in الجَبَلِthe mountain
فِي السَّهْلِ مِنْ أَرْضِهِ وَفِي الجَبَلِ
So I kept seeking it diligently,
I strove tirelessly to seek it out
in the plains of its land and in the mountains,
On the flat land and in the hills.
حَتَّىuntil تَقَنَّصْنُI hunted down (probable reading) مَاwhat بَعَثْتُI sent بِهِit
حَتَّى تَقَنَّصْنُ مَا بَعَثْتُ بِهِ
وَالبَرُّand the generous man بَرٌّgenerous فِيin الدِّقِّsmall matters وَالجَلَلِand great matters
وَالبَرُّ بَرٌّ فِي الدِّقِّ وَالجَلَلِ
until I hunted down what I have sent,
Until I hunted down what I was sent to find,
and the generous man is generous in small things and great.
And duty is duty in famine or plenty.
تَفَاؤُلاًtaking a good omen فِيْهِin it بِالرِّيَاشِfrom plumage or finery وَبِالحَجِّand from pilgrimage
تَفَاؤُلاً فِيْهِ بِالرِّيَاشِ وَبِالحَجِّ
الَّذِيwhich بَرٌّa pious act فِيin حُرُوفِهِits letters الأُوَلِthe first
الَّذِي بَرٌّ فِي حُرُوفِهِ الأُوَلِ
Taking good omens from its plumage and from 'pilgrimage',
With hopeful omens in the winds and the pilgrimage
the pious act found in its opening letters.
Whose letters are auspicious in the beginning.
وَهَذِهِand this أُنْسَةٌfamiliarity سَلَكَتْI followed (probable vocalization) بِهَاthrough it
وَهَذِهِ أُنْسَةٌ سَلَكَتْ بِهَا
مَسَالِكَthe paths of الأَوْلِيَاءِfriends وَالخَوْلِand retainers
مَسَالِكَ الأَوْلِيَاءِ وَالخَوْلِ
And this is a friendly gesture, by which I followed
This is a familiarity that treads the path
the paths of friends and retainers.
Of saints and intimate friendship.
فَإِنْso if تَطَوَّلْتَyou show generosity فِيin القَبُولِacceptance لَهُof it
فَإِنْ تَطَوَّلْتَ فِي القَبُولِ لَهُ
فَهَذِهِthen this نِعْمَةٌa favor تُجَرَّدُis set apart لِيfor me
فَهَذِهِ نِعْمَةٌ تُجَرَّدُ لِي
So if you graciously favor me by accepting it,
If you are slow to accept it,
then this is a favor set apart for me.
Then this is a gift offered freely to me.
لِأَنَّbecause فِيin رَدِّهِrejecting it مُصَحَّفَةٌa mispointed word
لِأَنَّ فِي رَدِّهِ مُصَحَّفَةٌ
فَصُنْso protect رِسُولِيmy messenger عَنْfrom ذِلَّةِthe humiliation of الخَجَلِembarrassment
فَصُنْ رِسُولِي عَنْ ذِلَّةِ الخَجَلِ
For in rejecting it lies a mispointed word;
For refusing it carries disgrace,
so spare my messenger the humiliation of embarrassment.
So spare my messenger the shame of rejection.
Sol 6.1