فِيin مَعَالِيكَyour lofty virtues قَامَis established عُذْرُthe excuse القوَافِيthe rhymes
فِي مَعَالِيكَ قَامَ عُذْرُ القوَافِي
دُونَshort of مَاwhat تَقْتَضِيcall for مِنَof الأَوصافِdescriptions
دُونَ مَا تَقْتَضِي مِنَ الأَوصافِ
In your lofty virtues lies the rhymes' excuse
In your sublime qualities, rhyme is justified
for falling short of the praise you deserve.
Beyond what traits require of descriptions
هَلْwhether تَضُمُّcontain الطَّاقَاتُthe bouquets مَاwhat تَحْتوِيهِcontains it
هَلْ تَضُمُّ الطَّاقَاتُ مَا تَحْتوِيهِ
رَوْضةٌa garden مِنْof حِلىًadornments وَمِنْand of أَعْرَافِfragrances
رَوْضةٌ مِنْ حِلىً وَمِنْ أَعْرَافِ
Can bouquets contain all that is held
Can spaces contain what they hold
in a garden of adornments and fragrances?
Of a garden of adornments and manners?
بِأَبِيwith my father as ransom وَالعَزِيزِand what is dearest مِنْof ذَاتِthe very being نَفْسِيmy soul
بِأَبِي وَالعَزِيزِ مِنْ ذَاتِ نَفْسِي
ذَلِكthat النُّبلُnobility وَالوِدَادُand affection الصَّافِيpure
ذَلِك النُّبلُ وَالوِدَادُ الصَّافِي
May my father and my soul's dearest part be ransom for
By my father and the dear one, my very soul
that nobility and pure affection,
That nobility, that pure affection
وَالوَفاءُand loyalty المَصْدُوقُproven true قَوْلاًin word وَفِعْلاًand in deed
وَالوَفاءُ المَصْدُوقُ قَوْلاً وَفِعْلاً
لِلْحِمَىto the homeland إِذْwhen يَعِزُّis rare فِيamong القَوْمِthe people وَافِa faithful person
لِلْحِمَى إِذْ يَعِزُّ فِي القَوْمِ وَافِ
and loyalty proved true in word and deed
And truthful loyalty, in word and deed
to the homeland, when a faithful man is rare among the people;
To defend, when honored among all tribes
وَالقَضَاءُand judgment الرَّفِيعُnoble يَصْدُرُissues عَنْfrom رَأْيٍٍan opinion
وَالقَضَاءُ الرَّفِيعُ يَصْدُرُ عَنْ رَأْيٍٍ
حَصِيفٍdiscerning وَعَنْand from تقىًpiety وَعَفافِand purity
حَصِيفٍ وَعَنْ تقىً وَعَفافِ
and noble judgment, springing from counsel
And lofty judgment, stemming from wise
wise, and from piety and purity;
Discretion, piety and chastity
والبَيانُand eloquence الرِقيقُdelicate تَبْدُوappear المَعَانِيthe meanings
والبَيانُ الرِقيقُ تَبْدُو المَعَانِي
باهِرَاتٍdazzling فِيin ثَوْبِهِits robe الشَّفافِtransparent
باهِرَاتٍ فِي ثَوْبِهِ الشَّفافِ
and delicate eloquence, where meanings appear
And refined rhetoric, meanings shine
dazzling in its transparent robe;
Radiant in its diaphanous raiment
وَالحَدِيثُand conversation الرَّشِيقُgraceful يُعْطِيgives النَّدَامَىthe drinking companions
وَالحَدِيثُ الرَّشِيقُ يُعْطِي النَّدَامَى
شَهْوَةَdesire النَّفسِthe soul مِنْfrom خِلاَلِthe midst of السلاَفِthe choicest wine
شَهْوَةَ النَّفسِ مِنْ خِلاَلِ السلاَفِ
and graceful conversation, giving drinking companions
And elegant discourse gives consolation
the soul's delight amid the choicest wine;
To souls through generations of ancestors
وَسخاءُand generosity المِتْلاَفِthe lavish spender يُؤْمِنُbelieves إِيَماfaith (first fragment)
وَسخاءُ المِتْلاَفِ يُؤْمِنُ إِيَما
ناًfaith (final fragment) صَحِيحاًtrue بِالرَّازِقِin the Provider المِخْلاَفِthe replenisher
ناً صَحِيحاً بِالرَّازِقِ المِخْلاَفِ
and the generosity of the lavish giver, who believes
And accustomed generosity reassures
with true faith in the Provider who replenishes;
True faith in the Provider, the Eternal
والسَّماحُand liberality الَّذِيwhich تَنَزهَwas free عَنْfrom مَرْمىan aim
والسَّماحُ الَّذِي تَنَزهَ عَنْ مَرْمى
مُرِيبٍsuspicious وَجلَّand was exalted عَنْabove إِسْفَافِbaseness
مُرِيبٍ وَجلَّ عَنْ إِسْفَافِ
and liberality, untainted by any aim
And magnanimity, aloof from suspicion’s
that invites suspicion, and exalted above baseness.
Range, transcending profligacy
يَاO أَرَقَّmost tender الوَرَىhumankind فُؤاداًin heart وَأَنْدَاand most generous
يَا أَرَقَّ الوَرَى فُؤاداً وَأَنْدَا
هُمْof them يَداًin hand بِالصِّلاَتِwith gifts وَالأَلْطافِand kindnesses
هُمْ يَداً بِالصِّلاَتِ وَالأَلْطافِ
O tenderest of mortals in heart, and most generous
O most gentle of heart and open of hand
of them in hand, with gifts and kindnesses!
With prayers and blessings among mortals
كمْhow many لِسَانٍa tongue يُثْنِيpraises عَلَيْكof you وَقَلْبٍand a heart
كمْ لِسَانٍ يُثْنِي عَلَيْك وَقَلْبٍ
أَنْتَyou مِنهof it مصَوَّرٌpictured فِيin الشَّغافِthe heart's core
أَنْتَ مِنه مصَوَّرٌ فِي الشَّغافِ
How many a tongue praises you, and how many a heart
How many tongues praise you, how many hearts
bears your image in its innermost depths!
Paint your image on their tablets
هَذِهِthis حَفْلَةٌa celebration أُقِيمَتْwas held لإِقْرارٍto acknowledge
هَذِهِ حَفْلَةٌ أُقِيمَتْ لإِقْرارٍ
بِفَضْلٍof merit ولمand not تُقَمْbe held لاِزْدِلاَفِto curry favor
بِفَضْلٍ ولم تُقَمْ لاِزْدِلاَفِ
This is a celebration held in recognition
This is a gathering held to acknowledge
of merit, not convened to curry favor,
Merit, not staged for showmanship
فِيin مَكَانٍa place بِهِin it يدُthe hand البِرِّcharity تَجْلُوreveals
فِي مَكَانٍ بِهِ يدُ البِرِّ تَجْلُو
رأْفَةَcompassion اللهِGod بِالمِرَاضِfor the sick الضِّعافِthe frail
رأْفَةَ اللهِ بِالمِرَاضِ الضِّعافِ
in a place where the hand of charity reveals
In a place where the hand of righteousness
God's compassion for the sick and frail.
Reveals God's mercy for the weak
بَارَكَmay bless اللهُGod فِيin نَوَابِغِluminaries طِبٍّmedicine
بَارَكَ اللهُ فِي نَوَابِغِ طِبٍّ
شَأْنُهُمْtheir work فِيهِin it لَيْسَis not شَأْنَa matter of احْتِرافِprofessional practice
شَأْنُهُمْ فِيهِ لَيْسَ شَأْنَ احْتِرافِ
May God bless the luminaries of medicine,
God bless the stars of medicine
whose work in it is no mere trade.
Their status in it is no mere craft
نَظَّموهَاthey arranged it وَلَيْسَand there is not فِيin النَّظمِthe arrangement بِدْعa novelty
نَظَّموهَا وَلَيْسَ فِي النَّظمِ بِدْع
وَعَلَىand at رَأْسِهِمْtheir head أَمِيرُa prince قَوَافِrhymes
وَعَلَى رَأْسِهِمْ أَمِيرُ قَوَافِ
They arranged it—no surprise in such arrangement—
They composed it, nothing novel in the verse
with a prince of rhymes at their head,
With the Emir of Endowment at the helm
مُتْرَعُbrimming الأَصْغَرَيْنِthe heart and tongue عِلْماًwith knowledge وَفَناًand with art
مُتْرَعُ الأَصْغَرَيْنِ عِلْماً وَفَناً
وَكِلاَand both المَشْرَعَيْنِthe two watering places عذْبٌsweet وَشافِand healing
وَكِلاَ المَشْرَعَيْنِ عذْبٌ وَشافِ
his heart and tongue brimming with knowledge and art,
Youngest in knowledge and art of the two noble streams
and both watering places are sweet and healing.
Both fresh and sweet water springs
يَاO وَزِيرَMinister الأَوْقَافِthe endowments منْwho كَانَwas أَوْلَىmore deserving
يَا وَزِيرَ الأَوْقَافِ منْ كَانَ أَوْلَى
أَنْto يُولَّىbe entrusted with وِزَارةَthe ministry الأَوْقَافِthe endowments
أَنْ يُولَّى وِزَارةَ الأَوْقَافِ
O Minister of Endowments, who was more deserving
O Minister of Endowments, who could be more deserving
to be entrusted with the Ministry of Endowments
To hold the post of Endowments Minister
مِنْthan فَتىًa young man عاشlived وَهْوَwhile he فِيin كُلِّevery حَالٍcircumstance
مِنْ فَتىً عاش وَهْوَ فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ
كافِلٌa provider for حَاجَةَthe need الفقِيرِthe poor person وكَافِand sufficient
كافِلٌ حَاجَةَ الفقِيرِ وكَافِ
than a man who has lived, in every circumstance,
Than one who lived bestowing in every state
providing for the poor man's need and meeting it?
Sustenance to the needy and helpless
وَإلىand to بابِهِhis door سَعَىcame seeking قَبْلَbefore أَنْthat يَسْعَىcome seeking
وَإلى بابِهِ سَعَى قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْعَى
إِلىto بابِهَاits door حرِيبٌa dispossessed person وَعَافِand a supplicant
إِلى بابِهَا حرِيبٌ وَعَافِ
And to his door came, before coming
And sought his door before the greedy arrived
to the ministry's door, the dispossessed and the supplicant.
At it, or the indifferent and aloof
ذاكَthat one قَاضِيa judge الحُقُوقِthe rights فِيin مَعْنَييْهَاtheir two senses
ذاكَ قَاضِي الحُقُوقِ فِي مَعْنَييْهَا
بِالنَّدىthrough bounty تَارَةًat times وَبِالإْنصَافِand through justice
بِالنَّدى تَارَةً وَبِالإْنصَافِ
Such is the dispenser of rights in both their senses:
He is the judge of rights, at times with benevolence
through bounty at times, and through justice.
At other times with equity
فهنِيئاًso congratulations لَكto you المَقَامُthe office الَّذِيwhich كُنْتَyou were
فهنِيئاً لَك المَقَامُ الَّذِي كُنْتَ
لَهُfor it صَالِحاًfit بِغيْرِwithout خِلاَفِdispute
لَهُ صَالِحاً بِغيْرِ خِلاَفِ
So joy to you in the office for which you were
So congratulations on the position you held
fit beyond dispute;
Worthily, without contention
وَهَنِيئاًand congratulations لكto you احْتِفَاءُthe homage كِرَامٍnoble people
وَهَنِيئاً لك احْتِفَاءُ كِرَامٍ
جَمعتْهمْgathered them رِحَابُspacious expanses هذَاthis الطِّرافِthe leather tent
جَمعتْهمْ رِحَابُ هذَا الطِّرافِ
and joy to you in the homage of noble people,
And congratulations on the honor of nobles
gathered in the spacious expanse of this leather tent.
Brought together in the halls of this manor
Sol 6.1