أَشَدْتَyou extolled بِذِكْرِيof my name بَادِئاًat first وَمُعَقِّبَاًand following up
أَشَدْتَ بِذِكْرِي بَادِئاً وَمُعَقِّبَاً
وَأَمْسَكْتُand I held back لَمْdid not أَهْمِسْI whisper وَلَمْand did not أَتَكَلَّمِI speak
وَأَمْسَكْتُ لَمْ أَهْمِسْ وَلَمْ أَتَكَلَّمِ
You extolled my name, first and then again,
You started by mentioning me, and kept at it,
And I held back: I neither whispered nor spoke.
While I stayed silent, neither whispering nor speaking.
وَمَاand not ذَاكَthat ضَنّاًwithholding بِالْوِدَادِof affection عَلَىfrom امْرِئٍa man
وَمَا ذَاكَ ضَنّاً بِالْوِدَادِ عَلَى امْرِئٍ
حَبَانِيhe favored me بِهِwith it لَكِنْbut تَهَيَّبْتُI feared مَقْدَمِيmy coming forward
حَبَانِي بِهِ لَكِنْ تَهَيَّبْتُ مَقْدَمِي
And that was not from withholding affection from a man
And that was not out of stinginess with affection for a man
Who had bestowed it on me; rather, I feared to come forward.
Who gifted me with it, but out of shyness before him.
فَأَمَّاbut as for وَقَدْand indeed حَقَّbecame due الْجَزَاءُrequital فَلَمْso did not أَكُنْI was
فَأَمَّا وَقَدْ حَقَّ الْجَزَاءُ فَلَمْ أَكُنْ
لأَنْطِقَfor me to speak إِلَّاexcept بِالثَّنَاءِwith praise الْمُنَمْنَمِfinely wrought
لأَنْطِقَ إِلَّا بِالثَّنَاءِ الْمُنَمْنَمِ
But now that requital is due, I would not
Now that it's right to repay, I could not
Speak save in finely wrought praise.
Speak anything but the most splendid praise.
وَكَيْفَand how أَذُودُI drive away الْفَضْلَmerit عَنْfrom مُسْتَقَرِّهِits dwelling
وَكَيْفَ أَذُودُ الْفَضْلَ عَنْ مُسْتَقَرِّهِ
وَأُنْكِرُand I deny ضَوْءَlight الشَّمْسِthe sun بَعْدَafter تَوَسُّمِcareful observation
وَأُنْكِرُ ضَوْءَ الشَّمْسِ بَعْدَ تَوَسُّمِ
And how could I drive merit from its dwelling,
How could I deny virtue its proper place,
And deny the sun's light after seeing it clearly?
Or ignore the sun's light after basking in its glow?
وَأَنْتَand you الَّذِيthe one who نَوَّهْتَyou extolled بِاسْمِيof my name وَرِشْتَنِيand you gave me plumage
وَأَنْتَ الَّذِي نَوَّهْتَ بِاسْمِي وَرِشْتَنِي
بِقَوْلٍwith words سَرَاlifted عَنِّيfrom me قِنَاعَthe veil التَّوَهُّمِdoubt
بِقَوْلٍ سَرَا عَنِّي قِنَاعَ التَّوَهُّمِ
And you are the one who extolled my name and gave me plumage,
It was you who brought honor to my name and anointed me
With words that lifted from me the veil of doubt.
With words that slipped the muzzle of illusion off me.
لَكَyours السَّبْقُprecedence دُونِيrather than me فِيin الْفَضِيلَةِvirtue فَاشْتَمِلْso wrap yourself
لَكَ السَّبْقُ دُونِي فِي الْفَضِيلَةِ فَاشْتَمِلْ
بِحُلَّتِهَاin its robe فَالْفَضْلُfor merit لِلْمُتَقَدِّمِto whoever comes first
بِحُلَّتِهَا فَالْفَضْلُ لِلْمُتَقَدِّمِ
Yours, not mine, is precedence in virtue; so wrap yourself
The precedence is yours over me in merit, so don
In its robe, for merit belongs to whoever comes first.
The garment of it, for the merit goes to the first to come forward.
وَدُونَكَهَاand take it يَاO بْنَson of الْكِرَامِthe noble حَبِيرَةًa patterned cloth
وَدُونَكَهَا يَا بْنَ الْكِرَامِ حَبِيرَةً
مِنَof النَّظْمِverse سَدَّاهَاlaid its warp بِمَدْحِwith praise of الْعُلاgreatness فَمِيmy mouth
مِنَ النَّظْمِ سَدَّاهَا بِمَدْحِ الْعُلا فَمِي
And take it, O son of the noble, a richly patterned cloth
And below it, O son of noblemen, is a poem
Of verse, whose warp my mouth has laid with praise of greatness.
Of verse whose excellence has veiled it with your praise.
Sol 6.1