بَعْدَafter أَلفٍa thousand وَبَعْدَand after بِضْعٍa few مِئَاتٍhundreds
بَعْدَ أَلفٍ وَبَعْدَ بِضْعٍ مِئَاتٍ
أُنْصَفَتْwas given its due عَبْقَرِيَّةgenius الضَّليلِthe Errant One
أُنْصَفَتْ عَبْقَرِيَّة الضَّليلِ
After a thousand years, and a few centuries more,
After a thousand, and after a few hundred more,
the genius of the Wandering King was given its due.
the genius of the Errant One was given its due.
نَضَىfell away السِّترُthe veil عَنْfrom جَلاَلِmajesty امْرِىءِImru’
نَضَى السِّترُ عَنْ جَلاَلِ امْرِىءِ
القَيْسِal-Qays بِسِفْرٍthrough a volume مِنَof البَيَانِeloquence جَليلِsplendid
القَيْسِ بِسِفْرٍ مِنَ البَيَانِ جَليلِ
The veil was stripped away from the majesty of Imru’
The veil fell away from the majesty of Imru’
al-Qays through a splendid tome of eloquent exposition.
al-Qays through a splendid volume of eloquence.
رَدَّrestored صَبْرِيSabri أَلوَاحَهُhis tablets فَتَجَلَّتْand so appeared
رَدَّ صَبْرِي أَلوَاحَهُ فَتَجَلَّتْ
مِنْfrom خَفَاءِobscurity آيَاتِwonders فَنٍart جَمِيلِbeautiful
مِنْ خَفَاءِ آيَاتِ فَنٍ جَمِيلِ
Ṣabrī restored his tablets, and they shone forth
Sabri restored his tablets, and so there emerged
from obscurity—marvels of a beautiful art.
from obscurity the wonders of a beautiful art.
وَإِذَاand when الحُسْنُbeauty نَدَّstrayed عَنْهُfrom it حَدِيثٌsomething new
وَإِذَا الحُسْنُ نَدَّ عَنْهُ حَدِيثٌ
طُلِبَwas sought الحُسْنُbeauty فِيin العَتِيقِthe old الأَصِيلِthe authentic
طُلِبَ الحُسْنُ فِي العَتِيقِ الأَصِيلِ
And if something new strays from beauty,
And when something new strays from beauty,
beauty is sought in the time-honored and authentic.
beauty is sought in the old and authentic.
آفَةُbane الفَنِّart جَهْلُهُignorance of it كَيْفَhow
آفَةُ الفَنِّ جَهْلُهُ كَيْفَ
وَالأَعْلاَمُand the great names تُطْوَىare folded away مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween جِيلِa generation فَجِيلِthen another generation
وَالأَعْلاَمُ تُطْوَى مَا بَيْنَ جِيلِ فَجِيلِ
The bane of art is ignorance of it—how could that be,
Art’s bane is ignorance of it—how could it be otherwise,
when the great masters bridge the span from generation to generation?
when great names are folded away between one generation and the next?
إِنَّماonly الرَّأْيُjudgment مَاwhat أَبَنْتَyou made clear وَهَلْand is there
إِنَّما الرَّأْيُ مَا أَبَنْتَ وَهَلْ
أَبْلَغُmore eloquent مِمَّاthan what أَقَمْتَهْyou established it مِنْof دلِيلِproof
أَبْلَغُ مِمَّا أَقَمْتَهْ مِنْ دلِيلِ
True judgment lies in what you have made clear—and is there
Judgment is only what you have made clear; and is anything
anything more eloquent than the proof you have set forth?
more eloquent than the proof you have established?
Sol 6.1