ماnot الفَصلُal-Fasl (apparently intended: al-Fadl) إِلّاbut شِهابٌa meteor لاno أُفولَfading; setting لَهُfor it
ما الفَصلُ إِلّا شِهابٌ لا أُفولَ لَهُ
عِندَduring الحُروبِwars إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَأفُلُfade; set الشُهُبُthe meteors
عِندَ الحُروبِ إِذا ما تَأفُلُ الشُهُبُ
Al-Fadl is but a meteor that never fades,
No dawn but a shooting star with endless light
amid wars, when meteors fade away.
When stars set amidst wars, it shines bright
حامٍa guardian عَلىover مُلكِthe realm of قَومٍa people عَزَّis exalted سَهمُهُمُtheir share
حامٍ عَلى مُلكِ قَومٍ عَزَّ سَهمُهُمُ
مِنَof الوِراثَةِinheritance فيin أَيديهِمtheir hands سَبَبُa bond; a cord
مِنَ الوِراثَةِ في أَيديهِم سَبَبُ
He guards the realm of a people whose share is exalted
Protecting a people whose arrows never miss
in inheritance, with a bond held in their hands.
An inherited rule, destiny’s promise
أَمسَتhas come to be يَدٌa hand; support لِبَنيfor the sons of ساقيthe water-giver to الحَجيجthe pilgrims بِهاwith it
أَمسَت يَدٌ لِبَني ساقي الحَجيج بِها
كَتائِبٌbattalions ماnot لَهاfor them فيin غَيرِهِمanyone other than them أَرَبُdesire; need
كَتائِبٌ ما لَها في غَيرِهِم أَرَبُ
The sons of the pilgrims' water-giver now have a supporting hand, with
A hand for Abbasid sons, their proud stance
battalions that desire no one but them.
Battalions with no match, their sole chance
كَتائِبٌbattalions لِبَنيfor the sons of العَبّاسِal-Abbas قَدalready عَرَفَتhave recognized
كَتائِبٌ لِبَني العَبّاسِ قَد عَرَفَت
ماwhat أَلَّفَassembled; united الفَضلُal-Fadl مِنهاof them العُجمُthe non-Arabs وَالعَرَبُand the Arabs
ما أَلَّفَ الفَضلُ مِنها العُجمُ وَالعَرَبُ
Battalions for the sons of al-Abbas: well known is
Abbasid battalions, friend and foe know
what al-Fadl has mustered of them, to non-Arabs and Arabs.
What excellence has joined, Arab and non-Arab foes
أَثَبتَhe enrolled خَمسَfive مِئينَhundreds فيin عِدادِهِمtheir muster
أَثَبتَ خَمسَ مِئينَ في عِدادِهِم
مِنَof الأُلوفِthe thousands الَّتيthat أَحصَتcounted لَكَfor you الكُتُبُthe registers
مِنَ الأُلوفِ الَّتي أَحصَت لَكَ الكُتُبُ
He enrolled five hundred in their muster,
Five hundred thousand, their count precise
reckoned in thousands, as the registers counted for you.
From books of numbers that你好 organized
يُقارِعونَthey battle عِنِon behalf of القَومِthe people الَّذينَwho هُمُthey
يُقارِعونَ عِنِ القَومِ الَّذينَ هُمُ
أَولىmost entitled بِأَحمَدَto Ahmad فيin الفُرقانِthe Criterion (the Qur'an) إِنif نُبِسواthey are spoken of
أَولى بِأَحمَدَ في الفُرقانِ إِن نُبِسوا
They battle for the people who are
To defend Ahmad’s kin, if they fall
most entitled to Ahmad in the Criterion, if they are spoken of.
As Firqan's foremost, before all
إِنَّindeed الجَوادَthe generous man اِبنَson of يَحيىYahya الفَضلَal-Fadl لاno وَرِقٌsilver
إِنَّ الجَوادَ اِبنَ يَحيى الفَضلَ لا وَرِقٌ
يَبقىremains عَلىdespite جودِthe generosity of كَفَّيهِhis two palms وَلاnor ذَهَبُgold
يَبقى عَلى جودِ كَفَّيهِ وَلا ذَهَبُ
Indeed, for generous al-Fadl, son of Yahya, no silver
Yahya's son no leaf nor gold remains
survives the bounty of his two palms, nor gold.
From his palms' largesse, no wealth sustains
ماnot مَرَّpassed يَومٌa day لَهُfor him مُذsince شَذَّstrayed (apparently intended: girded) مِئزَرَهُhis waistcloth
ما مَرَّ يَومٌ لَهُ مُذ شَذَّ مِئزَرَهُ
إِلّاexcept that تَمَوَّلَgrew wealthy أَقوامٌgroups of people بِماthrough what يَهَبُhe gives
إِلّا تَمَوَّلَ أَقوامٌ بِما يَهَبُ
Not a day has passed for him since he girded his waistcloth,
Since first he marched, day hasn't passed
without groups of people growing wealthy through what he gives.
Without new allies, rewards amassed
كَمhow many غايةٍa summit; goal فيin النَدىgenerosity وَالبَأسِand valor أَحرَزَهاhe attained it
كَم غايةٍ في النَدى وَالبَأسِ أَحرَزَها
لِلطّالِبينَfor those seeking مَداهاits utmost reach دونَهاbefore reaching it تَعَبُtoil
لِلطّالِبينَ مَداها دونَها تَعَبُ
How many a summit of generosity and valor he has reached—
What feats of munificence and courage gained
those seeking its height face toil before reaching it.
For seekers, though chasing left them drained
يُعطىis given (context suggests: gives) اللُهاlavish gifts حينَwhen لاnot يُعطىis given (context suggests: gives) الجَوادُthe generous man وَلاnor
يُعطى اللُها حينَ لا يُعطى الجَوادُ وَلا
يَنبُوfalters إِذاwhen سُلَّتِare drawn الهِندِيَّةُthe Indian القَضُبُkeen swords
يَنبُو إِذا سُلَّتِ الهِندِيَّةُ القَضُبُ
He gives lavish gifts when the generous man gives none, nor
Gifts come from God, the Generous fails
does he falter when the keen Indian swords are drawn.
When elbows thrust, and the staff assails
وَلاnor الرِضاsatisfaction وَالرِضاand satisfaction لِلَّهِfor God غايَتُهُhis aim
وَلا الرِضا وَالرِضا لِلَّهِ غايَتُهُ
إِلىto سِوىother than الحَقِّwhat is right يَدعوهُcalls him وَلاnor الغَضَبُanger
إِلى سِوى الحَقِّ يَدعوهُ وَلا الغَضَبُ
Neither satisfaction—and pleasing God is his aim—
Contentment is his goal, and God's wish
calls him to anything but what is right, nor does anger.
No rancor sways him, nor riches enrish
قَدindeed فاضَhas overflowed عُرفُكَyour bounty حَتّىto the point that ماnot يُعادِلُهُequals it
قَد فاضَ عُرفُكَ حَتّى ما يُعادِلُهُ
غَيثٌrain مُغيثٌbringing relief وَلاnor بَحرٌa sea لَهُit has حَدَبُswelling billows
غَيثٌ مُغيثٌ وَلا بَحرٌ لَهُ حَدَبُ
Your bounty has overflowed, so that nothing equals it—
Your repute flows boundless as a sea
neither succoring rain nor a sea with swelling billows.
No match to your clouds' generosity
Sol 6.1