أَعْظِمْhow great بِهِhe is إِذْwhen تَوَلَّىtook charge of الأَمْرَaffairs أَجْمَعُهُall of it
أَعْظِمْ بِهِ إِذْ تَوَلَّى الأَمْرَ أَجْمَعُهُ
وَرَأْيُهُand his judgment فِيهِin it مَاضٍdecisive مَاnot بِهِin it ثُلَمُflaws
وَرَأْيُهُ فِيهِ مَاضٍ مَا بِهِ ثُلَمُ
How great he was when he took charge of all affairs,
He accomplished it with excellence when he took on the matter wholly,
and his judgment in them was decisive, without a flaw.
And his view on it was decisive, containing no defects.
وَيَوْمَand on the day رُدَّتْwas restored عَلَىto الدُّسُتُورِthe constitution هَيْبَتُهُits prestige
وَيَوْمَ رُدَّتْ عَلَى الدُّسُتُورِ هَيْبَتُهُ
بِفَضْلِهِthanks to him وَاسْتَعَادَتْand regained شَأْنَهَاtheir standing النُّظُمُthe institutions
بِفَضْلِهِ وَاسْتَعَادَتْ شَأْنَهَا النُّظُمُ
And on the day the constitution's prestige was restored
And the day the constitution regained its prestige through him,
thanks to him, and institutions regained their standing,
Order was restored to its proper place.
دَعَاهُcalled him دَاعِيهِthe one hailing him بِالشَّيْخِas the elder الْجَلِيلِvenerable وَمَاand not
دَعَاهُ دَاعِيهِ بِالشَّيْخِ الْجَلِيلِ وَمَا
وَاللهِby God أَدْرَكَهُovertook him فِيin الْهِمَّةِresolve الْهَرَمُold age
وَاللهِ أَدْرَكَهُ فِي الْهِمَّةِ الْهَرَمُ
he who hailed him called him 'the venerable elder'; yet
They called him the esteemed Sheikh, and by God,
by God, old age had not overtaken his resolve.
Old age did not hinder his determination.
أَغْلَىmade more valuable النيَابَةَparliament سَعُدُSa'd أنَto يَرْأَسُهَاpreside over it
أَغْلَى النيَابَةَ سَعُدُ أنَ يَرْأَسُهَا
وَشَرَّفَand ennobled الْحُكْمَgovernment سَعْدٌSa'd حِينَwhen يَحْتَكِمُrules
وَشَرَّفَ الْحُكْمَ سَعْدٌ حِينَ يَحْتَكِمُ
Sa'd raised parliament's worth by presiding over it,
Saad esteemed leading the council,
and Sa'd brought honor to government when he ruled.
And Saad honored governance when he was entrusted.
بَيْنَاwhile بِهِin him سَقَمٌillness يوهِيweakens عَزِيمَتَهُhis resolve
بَيْنَا بِهِ سَقَمٌ يوهِي عَزِيمَتَهُ
إِذَاsuddenly العَزِيمَةُresolve صَحَّتْgrew sound وانْتَفَىand vanished السَّقَمُthe illness
إِذَا العَزِيمَةُ صَحَّتْ وانْتَفَى السَّقَمُ
While illness was weakening his resolve,
While he was ill, weakness overcame his resolve,
suddenly his resolve recovered and the illness vanished.
But when his health returned, the weakness left.
فَيَنْبَرِيthen he springs forward وَإِذَاand behold الرَّهْلُthe flabby man المُسِنُّelderly فَتًىa youth
فَيَنْبَرِي وَإِذَا الرَّهْلُ المُسِنُّ فَتًى
يُطِيقُcan do مَاwhat لاnot يُطِيقُcan do الفِتْيَةُthe young men الْهُضُمُslender-bodied
يُطِيقُ مَا لا يُطِيقُ الفِتْيَةُ الْهُضُمُ
Then he springs forward—and behold, the flabby elder is a youth,
So he rose up, and though the aged man seemed bent over,
able to do what slender young men cannot.
He accomplished what the young men could not.
قَدْmay يَخْدُرُlies in his lair اللَّيْثُthe lion حَتَّىuntil لاnot يُخَالُis thought بِهِin him
قَدْ يَخْدُرُ اللَّيْثُ حَتَّى لا يُخَالُ بِهِ
بَأْسٌmight وَيَحْفِزُهُand spurs him جَرْسٌa sound فَيَقْتَحِمُso he charges
بَأْسٌ وَيَحْفِزُهُ جَرْسٌ فَيَقْتَحِمُ
A lion may lie in his lair until no one thinks he has
The lion may become sluggish, no longer thought fierce,
any might; a sound spurs him, and he charges.
But the clanging of a bell stirs him to charge ahead.
Sol 6.1