إذاif رُمتَyou seek نظمَcomposing الشِّعرِpoetry فيin مدحِpraise ذيone possessing الرُّشدِsound judgment
إذا رُمتَ نظمَ الشِّعرِ في مدحِ ذي الرُّشدِ
فدَعْthen leave aside ذِكرَmention سُلمَىSulma والتغزُّلَand love verse فيabout هِنْدِHind
فدَعْ ذِكرَ سُلمَى والتغزُّلَ في هِنْدِ
If you seek to compose verse in praise of a man of sound judgment,
If you compose poetry in praise of the rightly-guided one,
Then leave aside mention of Sulma and love verse about Hind.
Then leave mention of Sulma and amorous verse.
لقدindeed وَسِعتْencompassed كلَّall القريضِpoetry صفاتُهُhis qualities
لقد وَسِعتْ كلَّ القريضِ صفاتُهُ
فلاso no فضلةٌremainder عنهاbeyond them لجيدٍfor a neck ولاnor نَهْدِa breast
فلا فضلةٌ عنها لجيدٍ ولا نَهْدِ
Indeed, his qualities encompass all poetry,
His attributes have encompassed every ode,
So no room remains beyond them for a neck or breast.
So there is no excellence beyond them for any poem or breast.
كريمٌgenerous جميلُbeautiful الخَلْقِphysical form والخُلْقِand character والثَّناand praise
كريمٌ جميلُ الخَلْقِ والخُلْقِ والثَّنا
حميدُpraiseworthy السَّجاياdispositions حافظُpreserving الوُدِّaffection والعهدِand the pledge
حميدُ السَّجايا حافظُ الوُدِّ والعهدِ
Generous, beautiful in form, character, and repute,
He is generous, beautiful in character and deed,
Praiseworthy in disposition, preserving affection and pledges.
Praiseworthy, keeper of affection and covenant.
علىupon وجههِhis face المسعودِblessed ألفُa thousand تحيَّةٍgreetings
على وجههِ المسعودِ ألفُ تحيَّةٍ
منfrom اللهِGod تأتيcome بالسَّلامِwith peace وبالبَرْدِand with coolness
من اللهِ تأتي بالسَّلامِ وبالبَرْدِ
Upon his blessed face be a thousand greetings
On his auspicious face are a thousand greetings
From God, bearing peace and coolness.
From God, bringing peace and coolness.
تفقَّدَinspected مولاناour lord الوزيرُthe minister بِلادَهُhis lands
تفقَّدَ مولانا الوزيرُ بِلادَهُ
فكانso he was كصَوْبِlike a downpour of الغَيْثِrain فيin زَمَنa time of الجَهدِhardship
فكان كصَوْبِ الغَيْثِ في زَمَن الجَهدِ
Our lord the minister inspected his lands,
Our Lord inspected his lands,
So he was like pouring rain in a time of hardship.
And was like rain in time of drought.
وعادَand he returned إلىto بيروتَBeirut عَوْدةَthe return of صِحةٍhealth
وعادَ إلى بيروتَ عَوْدةَ صِحةٍ
إلىto ذيone afflicted with سَقامٍillness كادَnearly يَهويfalls إلىinto اللَّحدِthe grave
إلى ذي سَقامٍ كادَ يَهوي إلى اللَّحدِ
And he returned to Beirut as health returns
He returned to Beirut in good health,
To an ailing man who nearly fell into the grave.
To one sick, who almost fell into the grave.
حَسَدناwe envied عليهِon his account مثلَlike إخوةِthe brothers of يوسفٍJoseph
حَسَدنا عليهِ مثلَ إخوةِ يوسفٍ
دِمَشْقَDamascus وماذاand what الجِدُّearnestness فيin حَسدٍenvy يُجديavails
دِمَشْقَ وماذا الجِدُّ في حَسدٍ يُجدي
Because of him, like Joseph's brothers, we envied
We envied him like the brothers of Joseph envied him.
Damascus—but what good does earnest envy do?
What use is envy, which avails naught?
زيارتهُhis visit الإكسيرُthe elixir تُغنيenriches بنُقطةٍwith a drop
زيارتهُ الإكسيرُ تُغني بنُقطةٍ
وساعتُهاand its hour منof عامِناour year مُدَّةَthe duration of الوَردِroses
وساعتُها من عامِنا مُدَّةَ الوَردِ
His visit is the elixir: it enriches with a drop,
His visit is the elixir that enriches with a drop,
And its hour, within our year, is the roses' season.
And it lasted a flower's time from our year.
ورُؤْيتهُand seeing him كُحلٌkohl لأَعْيُنِfor the eyes of قومناour people
ورُؤْيتهُ كُحلٌ لأَعْيُنِ قومنا
ويكفيand suffices قليلُa little of الكُحلِkohl فيin الأعينِthe eyes الرُّمْدِinflamed
ويكفي قليلُ الكُحلِ في الأعينِ الرُّمْدِ
And seeing him is kohl for our people's eyes,
Seeing him is kohl for our people's eyes,
And a little kohl suffices for inflamed eyes.
And a little kohl suffices eyes with cataracts.
إذاif صحَّcomes true ماwhat نبغيwe seek فذلكَthen that نعمةٌa blessing
إذا صحَّ ما نبغي فذلكَ نعمةٌ
منfrom اللهِGod تُعطَىis given واجبَdue الشُّكرِthanks والحَمْدِand praise
من اللهِ تُعطَى واجبَ الشُّكرِ والحَمْدِ
If what we seek comes true, that is a blessing
If what we wish for is fulfilled, that is a blessing
From God, accorded its due of thanks and praise.
From God, deserving thanks and praise.
وإلاand if not فكمthen how many منof مَطلَبٍa goal عَزَّwas hard نيلُهُits attainment
وإلا فكم من مَطلَبٍ عَزَّ نيلُهُ
علىfor سيِّدٍa master يبغيهِhe seeks it فضلاًto say nothing عنof العبدِthe servant
على سيِّدٍ يبغيهِ فضلاً عن العبدِ
And if not, how many a goal has proved hard to attain
Otherwise, how many hopes fail to be achieved
For a master who seeks it, let alone a servant.
By a master who seeks them, let alone a servant.
Sol 6.1