رُبَّmany a حَكِيمٍsage مُرْسِلٍletting grow لِحْيَةًa beard
رُبَّ حَكِيمٍ مُرْسِلٍ لِحْيَةً
أَوْقرَmore solemn مِنْthan مُسْتَثْقلِone who finds burdensome الضَّيفِthe guest
أَوْقرَ مِنْ مُسْتَثْقلِ الضَّيفِ
Many a sage lets his beard grow,
More solemn than one who finds a guest burdensome.
لاَnot فِيin ربِيعِthe spring of الخَيْرbounty تُرْجَىis hoped for وَلاَnor
لاَ فِي ربِيعِ الخَيْر تُرْجَى وَلاَ
تَقْشَعُهَاdisperses it قاشِعَةُthe clearing wind of الصَّيفِsummer
تَقْشَعُهَا قاشِعَةُ الصَّيفِ
It is not hoped for in bountiful spring, nor
Does summer's clearing wind disperse it.
لاَno طُبَّcure فِيin رَأُسٍa head بِهِto it اعْلَوْلَقتْit has clung
لاَ طُبَّ فِي رَأُسٍ بِهِ اعْلَوْلَقتْ
كَأَخْذِlike taking ذَاكَthat الرَّأُسِhead بِالسَّيفِwith the sword
كَأَخْذِ ذَاكَ الرَّأُسِ بِالسَّيفِ
No cure for a head to which it has clung
Equals severing that head with the sword.
أَكْرِمْhow noble بِهِit is مِنْas مُلْتقىًa gathering لَمْdid not يَغْشَهُattend it
أَكْرِمْ بِهِ مِنْ مُلْتقىً لَمْ يَغْشَهُ
إِلاexcept كِرَامُnoble people طَبَائِعٍnatures وَعَنَاصِرِand origins
إِلا كِرَامُ طَبَائِعٍ وَعَنَاصِرِ
How noble a gathering, which none attended
But those of noble nature and stock!
بِزَفَافِat the wedding of عَبْدِAbd (servant of) اللّهِAllah (God) كَمْhow many مِنْof غَافِرٍone who forgives
بِزَفَافِ عَبْدِ اللّهِ كَمْ مِنْ غَافِرٍ
لِزَمَانِهِfor his age ذَنْباًa sin وَكمْand how many مِنْof شَاكِرِone who gives thanks
لِزَمَانِهِ ذَنْباً وَكمْ مِنْ شَاكِرِ
At Abd Allah's wedding, how many forgive
Their age a sin, and how many give thanks!
أُمْنِيةٌa wish لِلْوَالِدَيْنِfor the two parents تَحَقَّقتْcame true
أُمْنِيةٌ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ تَحَقَّقتْ
بَعْدَafter الدَّعَاءِthe prayer الصادِقِsincere الْمُتَوَاتِرِrepeated
بَعْدَ الدَّعَاءِ الصادِقِ الْمُتَوَاتِرِ
A wish of the parents has come true
After sincere, repeated prayer.
يَرَيَانِthey both believe وَالْمَأْثُورُand the received tradition مَاwhat يَرَيَانِهِthey both believe it
يَرَيَانِ وَالْمَأْثُورُ مَا يَرَيَانِهِ
إِنthat السَّعادَةhappiness فِيin الْقِرَانِmarriage البَاكِرِearly
إِن السَّعادَة فِي الْقِرَانِ البَاكِرِ
They both believe—and their belief is time-honored—
That happiness lies in early marriage.
زَيْنُthe ornament of الشَّبابِthe young men النابِهِينَdistinguished فَتَاهُمَاtheir son
زَيْنُ الشَّبابِ النابِهِينَ فَتَاهُمَا
لُطْفاًin graciousness وَإِيْناساًand friendliness وَظَرْفَand the wit of بَوَادِرِspontaneous remarks
لُطْفاً وَإِيْناساً وَظَرْفَ بَوَادِرِ
Their son is the ornament of distinguished youth,
In graciousness, friendliness, and spontaneous wit,
وَتَأَلُّقاًand radiance فِيin الْوَجِهِthe face تَمَّاماًfully بِمَاby what
وَتَأَلُّقاً فِي الْوَجِهِ تَمَّاماً بِمَا
تُخْفِيconceals الطَّوِيةُthe inner nature مِنْof نَقِيَّpure سَرَائِرِinner thoughts
تُخْفِي الطَّوِيةُ مِنْ نَقِيَّ سَرَائِرِ
And radiance in his face, made complete by the
Pure thoughts his inner nature conceals,
وَذَكَاءِand the intelligence of فَنَّانٍan artist مُجِيدٍaccomplished بَارِعٍbrilliant
وَذَكَاءِ فَنَّانٍ مُجِيدٍ بَارِعٍ
وَبَيَانِand the eloquence of نِحْرِيرٍa learned master وفِطْنَةِand the acumen of تاجِرِa merchant
وَبَيَانِ نِحْرِيرٍ وفِطْنَةِ تاجِرِ
And the intelligence of an accomplished, brilliant artist,
And a learned master's eloquence and a merchant's acumen.
كَفِلتْassured لَهُfor him عُقْبَىthe ultimate outcome of النَّجَاحِsuccess المُرْتَجَىhoped for
كَفِلتْ لَهُ عُقْبَى النَّجَاحِ المُرْتَجَى
أُولىthe earliest التَّجَارِبِtrials فِيin الشَّبَابِyouth النَّاضِرِblooming
أُولى التَّجَارِبِ فِي الشَّبَابِ النَّاضِرِ
His eventual, hoped-for success was assured
By his earliest trials in the bloom of youth.
أَمَّاas for الْعَرُوسُthe bride ففِيthen in حُلاَهhis charms زِينَةan adornment
أَمَّا الْعَرُوسُ ففِي حُلاَه زِينَة
توحِيinspires فيَأْتِيso comes الوَصْفُdescription عَفْوَfreely from الخَاطِرِthe mind
توحِي فيَأْتِي الوَصْفُ عَفْوَ الخَاطِرِ
As for the bride, among his charms is an adornment
That inspires, so description comes unbidden to mind.
وَيَكَادُand almost شَاهِدُone who beholds حُسْنِهَاher beauty وَكَمَالِهَاand her perfection
وَيَكَادُ شَاهِدُ حُسْنِهَا وَكَمَالِهَا
بِالشِّعرِin verse يَنْطُقُspeaks وَهْوَthough he لَيْسَis not بِشَاعِرِa poet
بِالشِّعرِ يَنْطُقُ وَهْوَ لَيْسَ بِشَاعِرِ
And one who beholds her beauty and perfection almost
Speaks in verse, though he is no poet.
زَكَّىattested to سَجَايَاهَاher character traits الجَمِيلَةَbeautiful مَاwhat تُرَىis seen
زَكَّى سَجَايَاهَا الجَمِيلَةَ مَا تُرَى
مِنْof ذِلكَthat الأَدَبِrefinement الجَمِيلِgracious الوَافِرِabundant
مِنْ ذِلكَ الأَدَبِ الجَمِيلِ الوَافِرِ
Her lovely qualities are attested by what is seen
Of that abundant, gracious refinement.
أَصْلاَنِtwo roots مُفْتَرِقَانِseparate فِيin رَوْضِthe garden of العُلَىnobility
أَصْلاَنِ مُفْتَرِقَانِ فِي رَوْضِ العُلَى
وَصَلَjoined الْهَوَىlove فرْعَيْهِماtheir two branches بِأَوَاصِرِwith bonds
وَصَلَ الْهَوَى فرْعَيْهِما بِأَوَاصِرِ
Two separate roots in the garden of nobility—
Love has joined their two branches with bonds.
سُبْحَانَglory be to مَنْHim who بَرَأَfashioned النَّفوسَsouls وَمَنْand Him who لهto Him belongs
سُبْحَانَ مَنْ بَرَأَ النَّفوسَ وَمَنْ له
فِيover الْخلقِcreation تَصرِيفِthe governance of العَزِيزِthe Mighty القَادِرِthe Powerful
فِي الْخلقِ تَصرِيفِ العَزِيزِ القَادِرِ
Glory to Him who fashioned souls, and to Him who wields
Over creation the sway of the Mighty, the Powerful.
مَاhow أَكْرَمَnoble النَّسبَيْنِthe two lineages حَينَat the time of الْمُلْتَقَىthe meeting
مَا أَكْرَمَ النَّسبَيْنِ حَينَ الْمُلْتَقَى
وَهُمَاand they both are مآثِرُnoble deeds تَلْتقِيmeet بِمَآثِرِwith noble deeds
وَهُمَا مآثِرُ تَلْتقِي بِمَآثِرِ
How noble the two lineages when they meet!
And both are noble legacies meeting noble legacies.
فلْيهْنَإso may they rejoice الْمُتَعَاقِدَانِthe wedded pair وَيُرْزَقَاand may they both be granted
فلْيهْنَإ الْمُتَعَاقِدَانِ وَيُرْزَقَا
حَظّاًa share يَدُومُthat lasts مِنof السرُورِjoy الْحَاضِرِpresent
حَظّاً يَدُومُ مِن السرُورِ الْحَاضِرِ
So may the wedded pair rejoice, and may they be granted
A lasting share of the present joy.
Sol 6.1