يَاO ابْنَةَdaughter of العَمِّthe paternal uncle إِنَّindeed ذَاكَthat man الَّذِيwhose
يَا ابْنَةَ العَمِّ إِنَّ ذَاكَ الَّذِي
أَكْبَرْتِyou esteemed آيَاتِهِhis verses وَأَعْظَمْتِand you exalted فَنَّهْhis art
أَكْبَرْتِ آيَاتِهِ وَأَعْظَمْتِ فَنَّهْ
O daughter of my uncle, indeed, that man whose
O daughter of my uncle, verily the one
verses you admired and whose art you exalted
Whose verses you extolled and art you deemed sublime
لَيْسَis not بِالشَّاعِرِthe poet الَّذِيwhom خِلْتِyou imagined إِلاَّexcept
لَيْسَ بِالشَّاعِرِ الَّذِي خِلْتِ إِلاَّ
عَبْرَةًa tear قَدْmay يَصُوغُهَاhe fashions it أَوْor أَنَّهْa moan
عَبْرَةً قَدْ يَصُوغُهَا أَوْ أَنَّهْ
is not the poet you imagined, save for
Is no mere poet with whom you were alone
a tear he may fashion, or a moan.
Except with sorrow he may sometimes rhyme
أَنْتِyou (feminine) أَقْرَضْتِهِyou lent him الثَّنَاءَpraise فَلَمْbut did not يَرْrepay (first part)
أَنْتِ أَقْرَضْتِهِ الثَّنَاءَ فَلَمْ يَرْ
دُدْrepay (completion) وَمَاand not كَانَhe was جَاحِداًungrateful لِلْمِنَّهْfor the favor
دُدْ وَمَا كَانَ جَاحِداً لِلْمِنَّهْ
You lent him praise, but he did not
You lent him praise which he did not disown
repay it; nor was he ungrateful for the favor.
Nor was he ever thankless for your time
قَلْبُهُhis heart يَعْرفُacknowledges الجَمِيلَkindness وَيَرْعَىand cherishes
قَلْبُهُ يَعْرفُ الجَمِيلَ وَيَرْعَى
كُلَّevery حُسْنَىgood deed أَعَارَهَاlent it اللُّطْفُgraciousness حُسْنَهْits beauty
كُلَّ حُسْنَى أَعَارَهَا اللُّطْفُ حُسْنَهْ
His heart acknowledges kindness and cherishes
His heart knows virtue and tends
every good deed to which graciousness has lent its beauty.
To every grace by kindness refined
لَمْdid not يُطِعْهُobey him البَيَانُeloquence أَطْوَعَmost readily مَاas كَاwas (first part)
لَمْ يُطِعْهُ البَيَانُ أَطْوَعَ مَا كَا
نَwas (completion) مَدِيحٌpraise لِوَالِدٍfor a father يَصِفُhe describes ابْنَهْhis son
نَ مَدِيحٌ لِوَالِدٍ يَصِفُ ابْنَهْ
Eloquence did not obey him as readily as
Eloquence obeyed him best whene’er
praise serves a father describing his son.
He praised a father in depicting his son
وَلِسَانُand the tongue of المِنْطِيقِthe eloquent speaker آناًsometimes لَهُit has جَرflow (first part)
وَلِسَانُ المِنْطِيقِ آناً لَهُ جَر
يٌflow (completion) وَآناًand sometimes يَعْرُوهُovertakes it عِيٌّinarticulacy وَلُكْنَهْand halting speech
يٌ وَآناً يَعْرُوهُ عِيٌّ وَلُكْنَهْ
And an eloquent man's tongue at times flows,
And rhetoric itself would flow or err
and at times inarticulacy and halting speech overtake it.
Now easy, now halting—such habits it won
غَيْرَexcept أَنَّthat السُّرُورَjoy قَدْindeed أَسْعَدَhas aided اليـtoday (first part)
غَيْرَ أَنَّ السُّرُورَ قَدْ أَسْعَدَ اليـ
ـومَtoday (completion) بَيَانِيmy eloquence وَخَلَّىand let فِكْرِيmy thought يَسِيرُproceed وَشَأْنَهْalong its own course
ـومَ بَيَانِي وَخَلَّى فِكْرِي يَسِيرُ وَشَأْنَهْ
Yet joy has today aided
But joy has gladdened this day in me
my eloquence, and let my thought pursue its own course.
My words flow freely, my task is simple and free
فَاهْنَئِيso rejoice أَيُّهَاO العَرُوسُthe bride وَيَاand O ابْنَson of
فَاهْنَئِي أَيُّهَا العَرُوسُ وَيَا ابْنَ
العَمِّthe paternal uncle فَاغْنَمْso enjoy سَعْدَthe happiness of القِرَانِwedlock وَيُمْنَهْand its blessing
العَمِّ فَاغْنَمْ سَعْدَ القِرَانِ وَيُمْنَهْ
So rejoice, O bride; and you, son of
So congratulations, O bride, and O
my uncle, enjoy wedlock's happiness and blessing.
My uncle’s son, enjoy the wedding’s boon
أَنْتَyou (masculine) أَرْقَىthe finest of الشَّبَابِyoung men خَلْقاًin form وَخُلْقاًand in character
أَنْتَ أَرْقَى الشَّبَابِ خَلْقاً وَخُلْقاً
وَأَرَقُّand the most refined of الأَتْرَابِpeers حِذْقاًin skill وَفِطْنَهْand in discernment
وَأَرَقُّ الأَتْرَابِ حِذْقاً وَفِطْنَهْ
You are the finest of young men in form and character,
You are the finest of youths in nature and nurture
and the most refined of your peers in skill and discernment.
And keenest of kin in wisdom and prudence
وَهْيَand she وَجْهُthe face of العَفَافِchastity يَنْظُرُهَاbeholds her الطَّرْthe eye (first part)
وَهْيَ وَجْهُ العَفَافِ يَنْظُرُهَا الطَّرْ
فُthe eye (completion) قَريراًcontentedly وَإِنْand even if دَعَوْهَاthey call her بِفِتْنَهْa temptation
فُ قَريراً وَإِنْ دَعَوْهَا بِفِتْنَهْ
And she is the face of chastity; the eye beholds her
Blessed by modesty, your face the beholder
contentedly, even if they call her a temptation.
Views joyfully, though invited to temptation
بَارَكَmay bless اللهُGod فِيكُمَاyou both فَارْغَدَاso live in ease, both of you عَيْشـa life (first part)
بَارَكَ اللهُ فِيكُمَا فَارْغَدَا عَيْشـ
ـاًaccusative ending of 'life' وَذُوقَاand taste, both of you صَفْوَthe serenity of الزَّمَانtime وَأَمْنَهْand its safety
ـاً وَذُوقَا صَفْوَ الزَّمَان وَأَمْنَهْ
May God bless you both; live a life of ease,
May God bless you both and grace
and taste time's serenity and safety.
Your life with joy and safety’s foundation
Sol 6.1