أتانيcame to me كتابٌa letter منfrom سليلِa descendant of محمدِMuhammad
أتاني كتابٌ من سليلِ محمدِ
حليفِan ally of الودادِaffection العذْبِsweet أهلone given to التوددِloving kindness
حليفِ الودادِ العذْبِ أهل التوددِ
A letter came to me from a descendant of Muhammad,
A letter came to me from a descendant of Muhammad
an ally of sweet affection, a man of loving kindness.
The sweet ally of affection, the people of affection
فتىa young man ذُوندًىpossessed of generosity نسلُoffspring of الكريمِthe noble بلعربِBalʿarab
فتى ذُوندًى نسلُ الكريمِ بلعربِ
سلالةُa descendant of عبدِʿAbd (servant of) اللهAllah (God) أهلone devoted to التهجُّدِnight prayer
سلالةُ عبدِ الله أهل التهجُّدِ
A generous youth, offspring of the noble Balʿarab,
A young man from a generous Arab race
a scion of ʿAbd Allah, devoted to night prayer.
The lineage of Abdullah, the people of devotion
أتانيcame to me كتابٌa letter منكfrom you ياO ابنَson of محمدٍMuhammad
أتاني كتابٌ منك يا ابنَ محمدٍ
فكانَso it was لقلبيto my heart كالزُّلالِlike clear water المبرَّدِchilled
فكانَ لقلبي كالزُّلالِ المبرَّدِ
A letter came to me from you, O son of Muhammad,
A letter came to me from you, O son of Muhammad
and to my heart it was like chilled, clear water.
It was like cool refreshing water to my heart
ولماand when أتانيcame to me غدوةًearly in the morning وقرأتُهand I read it
ولما أتاني غدوةً وقرأتُه
سلاforgot القلبthe heart عنabout ذكرىthe memory of طلولٍruined dwellings ومعهدِand a familiar haunt
سلا القلب عن ذكرى طلولٍ ومعهدِ
And when it came to me early one morning and I read it,
When it came to me one morning and I read it
my heart forgot the memory of ruined dwellings and a familiar haunt,
My heart flowed with memories of past friends and places
وعنand of جيرةٍneighbors بالمنحنىat the bend وملاعبِand places of play
وعن جيرةٍ بالمنحنى وملاعبِ
بحُزْوَىat Ḥuzwā وعنand of زيدٍZayd وعمروand ʿAmr ومَزْيَدِand Mazyad
بحُزْوَى وعن زيدٍ وعمرو ومَزْيَدِ
and of neighbors at the bend and places of play
Of a neighborhood on the slope and playing fields
at Ḥuzwā, and of Zayd, ʿAmr, and Mazyad.
In Hoza and of Zaid, Amr and Mazid
ولمand did not أنسَI forget أياماًdays لنَاours وليالياًand nights
ولم أنسَ أياماً لنَا وليالياً
حساناًbeautiful نقضِّيهاwe spend them علىin رَغمspite of حُسَّدِthe envious
حساناً نقضِّيها على رَغم حُسَّدِ
And I have not forgotten our days and nights,
I cannot forget the beautiful days and nights we had
lovely ones we spent in defiance of the envious.
Despite the envy of foes
صناعةa creation of فكرthought كالجواهرِlike jewels رُصِّعَتْwere inlaid
صناعة فكر كالجواهرِ رُصِّعَتْ
تماثيلهits images منwith لُؤْلُؤٍpearls وزَبَرْجَدِand peridot
تماثيله من لُؤْلُؤٍ وزَبَرْجَدِ
A creation of thought, like jewels; inlaid are
Thoughts were crafted like precious gems
its images with pearls and peridot.
Its images made of pearls and emeralds
أتىcame صادراًissuing forth نظماًin verse ونثراًand in prose سطورُهُits lines
أتى صادراً نظماً ونثراً سطورُهُ
ضمينةcontained in طِرسٍa sheet كالجُمانِlike pearls المنضَّدِstrung in order
ضمينة طِرسٍ كالجُمانِ المنضَّدِ
It came forth in verse and prose, its lines
It came with prose and verse, its lines
contained on a sheet like pearls strung in order.
Filled with images like well-arranged necklaces
تَرَىyou see فيهin it أبكارَvirgin forms of المعانِيmeanings كأنَّهَاas though they were
تَرَى فيه أبكارَ المعانِي كأنَّهَا
قلائدُnecklaces of عقيانٍpure gold بأجيادِon the necks of خُرَّدِbashful maidens
قلائدُ عقيانٍ بأجيادِ خُرَّدِ
In it you see virgin meanings, as though they were
You see in it the first fruits of meanings as though
necklaces of pure gold on the necks of bashful maidens.
Strands of pearls on the necks of maidens
تفاوحَwafted ريحُthe scent of المسْكِmusk منfrom نشْرthe spreading of طيبهِits fragrance
تفاوحَ ريحُ المسْكِ من نشْر طيبهِ
تَفاوُحَthe wafting of ماءwater of الوردِroses فيon خدthe cheek of أغيدِa graceful youth
تَفاوُحَ ماء الوردِ في خد أغيدِ
The scent of musk wafted from its spreading fragrance,
The scent of musk diffuses when its perfume is spilled
like rosewater wafting on a graceful youth's cheek.
Like the scent of roses on the cheeks of young women
وحسنُand fine ثناءpraise معwith سلامِa greeting منمَّقِelegantly worded
وحسنُ ثناء مع سلامِ منمَّقِ
أتَىcame وارداًarriving منfrom سيِّدa lord لِمسوَّدِto one honored as a lord
أتَى وارداً من سيِّد لِمسوَّدِ
And fine praise, with an elegantly worded greeting,
Eloquent praise and polished greetings
came from a lord to one honored as a lord.
Came from the master of the blackened tents
ولماand when قَرأْتُI read النظمَthe verse جاشَتْsurged قريحتِيmy poetic gift
ولما قَرأْتُ النظمَ جاشَتْ قريحتِي
كآذىِّlike the surf of بحْرِa sea بالفصاحةٍwith eloquence مُزْبِدِfoaming
كآذىِّ بحْرِ بالفصاحةٍ مُزْبِدِ
And when I read the verse, my poetic gift surged,
When I read the verse, my intellect boiled
like the surf of a sea foaming with eloquence.
With eloquence, like a sea whipped into waves
فلاso do not تَحسبنَّever think البعدَdistance يُسلىmakes forget أخَاone devoted to الهوىlove
فلا تَحسبنَّ البعدَ يُسلى أخَا الهوى
كريماًa noble person وإنand even if كانواthey were بأبعدat the farthest مَقْعدِabode
كريماً وإن كانوا بأبعد مَقْعدِ
So never think that distance makes a lover forget
Do not think distance consoles the heart's friend
a noble person, even if they dwell in the remotest abode.
Even if they are in the furthest seat
سولاand do not (apparent typo) تحسبَنَّever think المُعْوَليَّal-Muʿwalī محمداMuhammad
سولا تحسبَنَّ المُعْوَليَّ محمدا
يُضَعْضِعُهshakes him زلزالُthe earthquake of واشa slanderer وحُسَّدِand the envious
يُضَعْضِعُه زلزالُ واش وحُسَّدِ
And never think that Muhammad al-Muʿwalī
Do not think troubles shake Muhammad
can be shaken by the earthquake of a slanderer and the envious.
With the quakes and hatred of foes
وعِشْand live فيin سرورjoy وابقَand remain فيamid نِعَمِblessings ودُمْand continue
وعِشْ في سرور وابقَ في نِعَمِ ودُمْ
بخيرin well-being وفيand in نُعْمَىbliss وَعزٍّand glory مُخَلّدِeverlasting
بخير وفي نُعْمَى وَعزٍّ مُخَلّدِ
And live in joy, remain amid blessings, and continue
Live in joy and stay in blessings
in well-being, in bliss, and in everlasting glory.
In prosperity, honor and eternal bliss
Sol 6.1