تَهَنّيrejoice دِمشقDamascus الشّامal-Sham فيin عدلِthe justice of حاكمٍa ruler
تَهَنّي دِمشق الشّام في عدلِ حاكمٍ
حَوىpossessed الحسنَbeauty فيin خُلُقٍcharacter وَخَلقٍand physical form ومنظرِand appearance
حَوى الحسنَ في خُلُقٍ وَخَلقٍ ومنظرِ
Rejoice, Damascus of al-Sham, in the justice of a ruler
Damascus rejoices in the justice of its ruler
Who possesses beauty in character, form, and appearance.
He encompasses beauty in character, nature and appearance
إِمامٌan imam مَعَwith المَعقولِrational knowledge لِلنَّقلِof transmitted learning جامِعٌone who unites
إِمامٌ مَعَ المَعقولِ لِلنَّقلِ جامِعٌ
خَطيبٌa preacher لَهُfor him العَلياءُthe heights of glory أرفعُthe loftiest منبرِpulpit
خَطيبٌ لَهُ العَلياءُ أرفعُ منبرِ
An imam who unites transmitted learning with rational knowledge,
A leader, combining tradition and reason
A preacher for whom the heights of glory are the loftiest pulpit.
An orator, his pulpit higher than the highest
هوَhe البحرُthe sea بَحرُa sea of العلمِknowledge وَالفَضلِand excellence كالنّدىas with bounty
هوَ البحرُ بَحرُ العلمِ وَالفَضلِ كالنّدى
وَمَنand one who هوَhe بِالتّحقيقِin rigorous inquiry أَذكىthe keenest محرِّرِa meticulous scholar
وَمَن هوَ بِالتّحقيقِ أَذكى محرِّرِ
He is the sea—a sea of knowledge and excellence, as of bounty—
He is the sea, the sea of knowledge and excellence, like the dew
And one who, in rigorous inquiry, is the keenest scholar.
And who in truth is more astute a composer?
وَماand not إِنat all (emphasizing negation) تَرىyou see بَحراًa sea يُشابِهُresembles جَعفَراًJa‘far
وَما إِن تَرى بَحراً يُشابِهُ جَعفَراً
وَكَمand how many قَدmay تَرىyou see بَحراًa sea بَداappeared دونَinferior to جَعفرِJa‘far
وَكَم قَد تَرى بَحراً بَدا دونَ جَعفرِ
And you will see no sea at all that resembles Ja‘far,
You will never see a sea to rival Ja'far
And how many a sea you may see that proves inferior to Ja‘far!
Though you may see many seas beneath Ja'far
Sol 6.1