أتانِىcame to me كتابٌa letter منكfrom you فاسترَّand so rejoiced خاطرىmy heart
أتانِى كتابٌ منك فاسترَّ خاطرى
ونارَand shone برؤياat the sight of رسمهits script نورُthe light of ناظرِىmy eye
ونارَ برؤيا رسمه نورُ ناظرِى
A letter came to me from you, and my heart rejoiced;
A letter came to me from you, and my heart rejoiced.
the sight of its script was light to my eyes.
And the light of my eye shone at the sight of its script.
وفرجَand relieved عنىfrom me كربةًdistress وكآبةًand sadness
وفرجَ عنى كربةً وكآبةً
وأطفأَand extinguished ناراًa fire أضرمتْwas kindled فيin ضمائرِىmy innermost thoughts
وأطفأَ ناراً أضرمتْ في ضمائرِى
It released me from anguish and melancholy,
And it relieved me of distress and sadness,
and quenched a fire kindled deep within me.
And quenched a fire kindled in my innermost thoughts.
معانٍmeanings بهwithin it مثلlike الجواهرٍthe jewels رصعتْwere set
معانٍ به مثل الجواهرٍ رصعتْ
لآلىءَpearls دُرٍّfine pearl كالنجومِlike the stars الزواهرِthe radiant ones
لآلىءَ دُرٍّ كالنجومِ الزواهرِ
Meanings were set within it like jewels—
Meanings within it, like jewels, are set—
lustrous pearls, like radiant stars.
Precious pearls, like the radiant stars.
تلوحُgleam بأسطارٍin lines of writing ترآىappear كأنهاas though they were
تلوحُ بأسطارٍ ترآى كأنها
وجوهُfaces حسانٍbeautiful women ناعماتٍtender سوافرِunveiled
وجوهُ حسانٍ ناعماتٍ سوافرِ
They gleam along its lines, until you imagine them
They gleam in lines that appear as though they were
the unveiled faces of tender beauties,
The unveiled faces of lovely, tender women.
بِطرسٍon a page يَسُرُّdelights الناظرينَthe beholders ملاحةًbeauty
بِطرسٍ يَسُرُّ الناظرينَ ملاحةً
وتبصرهand contemplating it فيهاin them جلاءclarity البصائرِinward perceptions
وتبصره فيها جلاء البصائرِ
upon a page whose loveliness delights beholders;
On a page that delights beholders with its beauty,
and in it you perceive the clarity of inner vision.
And contemplating it there brings clarity to inward vision.
علىdespite أنهاthe fact that they تشفىheal القلوبَthe hearts منof الأسىsorrow
على أنها تشفى القلوبَ من الأسى
وتبقىand remain برؤياهاat the sight of them همومُthe cares of الخواطرِthe minds
وتبقى برؤياها همومُ الخواطرِ
It heals hearts of sorrow,
Though they heal hearts of sorrow,
and at the sight of it the mind’s cares remain.
And at their sight, the cares of the mind remain.
إذاwhen قُرِئَتْthey are read يَعْنُوbows لهاbefore them كلُّevery مِصْقَعٍeloquent
إذا قُرِئَتْ يَعْنُو لها كلُّ مِصْقَعٍ
خَطيبٍorator ويُصْغِىand listens intently عندهاin their presence كلُّevery ماهرٍmaster
خَطيبٍ ويُصْغِى عندها كلُّ ماهرٍ
When it is read, every consummate speaker
When they are read, before them bows every eloquent
bows before it, and every master listens closely.
Orator, and every master listens intently in their presence.
أتتthey came منfrom فصيحٍan eloquent man عالمٍa learned man ذيpossessing نباهةdistinction
أتت من فصيحٍ عالمٍ ذي نباهة
يقرُّconcedes لهto him إنْif خالهhe considers him كلُّevery شاعرِpoet
يقرُّ له إنْ خاله كلُّ شاعرِ
It came from an eloquent, learned man of distinction,
They came from an eloquent, learned man of distinction,
to whom every poet who takes his measure concedes.
To whom every poet concedes, should he consider him.
يسرّكَdelights you مرآهُthe sight of him ومَنظرُand the appearance of وجههhis face
يسرّكَ مرآهُ ومَنظرُ وجهه
بواطنُهhis inner qualities محمودةٌpraiseworthy كالظواهرِlike the outward qualities
بواطنُه محمودةٌ كالظواهرِ
The sight of him, his appearance, and his face delight you;
The sight of him and the appearance of his face delight you;
his inward qualities are as praiseworthy as the outward.
His inner qualities are praiseworthy, like his outward ones.
ولاand no عيبَfault فيهin him يرتجَىis to be expected غيرَexcept أنّهthat he
ولا عيبَ فيه يرتجَى غيرَ أنّه
يُسَلِّيكَmakes you forget عنabout وصلِunion with الحبيبِthe beloved المهاجرِthe estranged one
يُسَلِّيكَ عن وصلِ الحبيبِ المهاجرِ
No fault can be found in him, except that
Nor is any fault to be expected in him, except that he
he makes you forget union with the beloved who has gone away.
Makes you forget union with the estranged beloved.
هوhe المرتضَىal-Murtada, the chosen one الزاكِىthe pure سلالةُa descendant of حَرْمَلٍHarmal
هو المرتضَى الزاكِى سلالةُ حَرْمَلٍ
بهin him سرعةٌswiftness أعنىI mean محبِّيthe one who loves me وناصِرِىand my supporter
به سرعةٌ أعنى محبِّي وناصِرِى
He is the approved, the pure, a scion of Ḥarmal;
He is al-Murtada, the pure, a descendant of Harmal;
in him is promptness—I mean my beloved and my supporter.
In him is swiftness—I mean my loving friend and supporter.
عليهupon him سلامِىmy greetings كلماwhenever لاحَappeared بارقٌa lightning flash
عليه سلامِى كلما لاحَ بارقٌ
ولاحتْand gleamed بروقٌflashes of lightning فيin السحابِthe clouds المواطرِthe rain-bearing ones
ولاحتْ بروقٌ في السحابِ المواطرِ
Upon him be my greetings whenever lightning flashes,
Upon him be my greetings whenever lightning appears,
and lightning gleams among rain-laden clouds.
And flashes of lightning gleam in the rain-bearing clouds.
وخصواand single out جميعَall الأقربينَthe close relatives سلامنَاour greetings
وخصوا جميعَ الأقربينَ سلامنَا
وأولادكمand your children منfrom كابرٍan older one وأصاغرِand younger ones
وأولادكم من كابرٍ وأصاغرِ
And favor all your close kin with our greetings,
And convey our greetings especially to all close kin,
and your children, from eldest to youngest.
And your children, both older and younger.
يخصكمُsingle you out أشياخُناour elders وولاتُناand our governors
يخصكمُ أشياخُنا وولاتُنا
بِأَزكىwith the purest سلامgreetings بالثناwith praise مُتواترِrepeated continually
بِأَزكى سلام بالثنا مُتواترِ
Our sheikhs and our governors single you out
Our elders and our governors single you out
with the purest greetings, continually joined with praise.
With the purest greetings, repeated continually with praise.
وصلِّand send blessings علىupon خيرِthe best of الأنامhumankind محمدٍMuhammad
وصلِّ على خيرِ الأنام محمدٍ
إلهO God of البرايَاcreated beings مَاas long as هَمَىpoured down كلُّevery ماطِرِrain-bearing cloud
إله البرايَا مَا هَمَى كلُّ ماطِرِ
And bless Muhammad, the best of humankind,
And send blessings upon the best of humankind, Muhammad,
O God of all creation, as long as every raincloud pours.
O God of creation, as long as every rain cloud pours.
Sol 6.1