ياO منyou whom يخاطبهaddresses him ويمـand praises (word begins)
يا من يخاطبه ويمـ
ـدحهpraises him (word completes) القياصرةthe emperors العظامthe mighty
ـدحه القياصرة العظام
O you who are addressed and
O you whom great emperors address
praised by the mighty emperors,
And praise, O noble one
ماwhat جرأتيmy boldness منfrom بعدafter ذاthat (word begins)
ما جرأتي من بعد ذا
كcompletion of ‘that’ علىto خطابكaddressing you ياO همامnoble one
ك على خطابك يا همام
how dare I, after that,
After you, I dare not
address you, O noble one?
Speak to you, O eminent one
لكنbut ذكرتI remembered ونعمتand how sweet is الذكـthe remembrance (word begins)
لكن ذكرت ونعمت الذكـ
ـرىcompletion of ‘remembrance’ لقلبٍfor a heart مستهامenthralled by love
ـرى لقلبٍ مستهام
Yet I remembered—and sweet is remembrance
But I recalled, and memory is a blessing,
for a heart enthralled by love—
For an aspiring heart
إنthat الندىgenerosity هوit ماwhat رقيـrose (word begins)
إن الندى هو ما رقيـ
ـتcompletion of ‘you rose’ بفضلهthrough its grace هذاthis المقامthe station
ـت بفضله هذا المقام
that generosity is what raised you
Indeed, it is the dew by which
by its grace to this station.
I have attained this high position
أناI لمdid not أزلcease فيat الثغرthe port بيـbetween (word begins)
أنا لم أزل في الثغر بيـ
ـنcompletion of ‘between’ صفاءserenity نفسٍa soul وابتسامand smiling
ـن صفاء نفسٍ وابتسام
I am still at the port, between
I have always been at the frontier
serenity of soul and smiles,
With a serene soul and a smile
مستشفياًseeking healing متمنعاًkeeping oneself aloof
مستشفياً متمنعاً
عماfrom what يضرharms منof الكلامspeech
عما يضر من الكلام
seeking healing, keeping myself aloof
Seeking cure, abstaining
from harmful talk,
From what harms in speech
فيin عشيشةlittle nest الرهبانthe monks لكنbut
في عشيشة الرهبان لكن
لاno صلاةprayer ولاand no صيامfasting
لا صلاة ولا صيام
in the monks’ little nest, but
In the hermits’ huts, though
with neither prayer nor fasting.
Without prayer or fasting
أجدI find الصحائفthe newspapers سلوةًsolace
أجد الصحائف سلوةً
ليfor me فيin الجلوسsitting وفيand in القيامstanding
لي في الجلوس وفي القيام
I find the newspapers a solace
I find the pages a solace
for me, as I sit and as I stand.
For me while sitting or standing
منهاfrom them علمتI learned بماof what أجدbrought about (word begins)
منها علمت بما أجد
تهbrought it about (word completes) مساعيكyour endeavors الجسامthe mighty
ته مساعيك الجسام
From them I learned what had been brought about
From them I learned of what
by your mighty endeavors.
Your great efforts have achieved
فكتبتso I wrote أحمدهاI praise them إليكto you
فكتبت أحمدها إليك
عنon behalf of المروءةchivalry والسلامand peace
عن المروءة والسلام
So I wrote to you in praise of them,
So I wrote to praise them to you
on behalf of chivalry and peace.
With chivalry and peace
Sol 6.1