ورداًa rose علىupon الخدِّthe cheek لاnot ورداًa rose ببُستانِin a garden
ورداً على الخدِّ لا ورداً ببُستانِ
يليقُit is fitting بالزَّهرِfor the flowers أنto يدعوcall بسلطانِas a sultan
يليقُ بالزَّهرِ أن يدعو بسلطانِ
A rose upon the cheek, not a rose in a garden—
A rose on the cheek, not a rose in the garden
It befits the flowers to call it their sultan.
It suits the flower to call with authority
كمhow much بينَbetween وردٍa rose يدومُlasts الدَّهرَfor all time مُبتسماًsmiling
كم بينَ وردٍ يدومُ الدَّهرَ مُبتسماً
ووردةٍand a rose ليسَdoes not تعدوoutlast شهرthe month نَيْسانِApril
ووردةٍ ليسَ تعدو شهر نَيْسانِ
How great the difference between a rose that smiles forever
How many roses last forever smiling
And a rose that never outlasts the month of April!
While a rose does not exceed the month of April
وردٌa rose قطفناهُwe plucked it بالأبصارِwith our eyes واعَجَباoh, what wonder!
وردٌ قطفناهُ بالأبصارِ واعَجَبا
منof وجنةٍa cheek ذاتِpossessing أمواهٍwaters ونيرانِand fires
من وجنةٍ ذاتِ أمواهٍ ونيرانِ
A rose we plucked with our eyes—oh, the wonder
A rose we plucked with sights and amazed
Of a cheek endowed with waters and fires!
From a cheek of waters and fires
حيَّاgreeted بهاwith it رشأٌa young gazelle تُحييgives life تحيَّتهُhis greeting
حيَّا بها رشأٌ تُحيي تحيَّتهُ
ويَفتِنُand enchants اللَّحظُthe glance منهُfrom him كلَّevery فَتَّانِenchanter
ويَفتِنُ اللَّحظُ منهُ كلَّ فَتَّانِ
A young gazelle greeted me with it; his greeting gives life,
It greeted an infant, greeting revives
And his glance enchants every enchanter.
And glance is tempted by it every coquette
رَيَّانُfresh and well-watered يأنَفُdisdains منfrom تَشبيهِlikening قامتهِhis stature
رَيَّانُ يأنَفُ من تَشبيهِ قامتهِ
جَهلاًignorantly بعُودِto the shaft القَناof spears فضلاًto say nothing عنof البانِthe ban tree
جَهلاً بعُودِ القَنا فضلاً عن البانِ
Fresh and flourishing, he scorns having his stature likened
A gazelle disdains likening its stature
In ignorance to a spear-shaft, let alone a ban tree.
Ignorantly preferring cane to acacia
تَلقَىmeet ثَناياهُhis front teeth مِنfrom كأسٍa cup بهاin it حَبَبٌbubbles
تَلقَى ثَناياهُ مِن كأسٍ بها حَبَبٌ
دُرّاًpearls بدُرٍّwith pearls ومَرجاناًand coral بمَرجانِwith coral
دُرّاً بدُرٍّ ومَرجاناً بمَرجانِ
His front teeth meet the bubbles of a cup:
Its folds met from a cup wherein is a loved one
Pearls with pearls, and coral with coral.
Pearl to pearl and coral to coral
فيon صَحْنِthe surface خَدَّيهِhis two cheeks قدindeed خَطَّtraced العِذارُcheek-down كماjust as
في صَحْنِ خَدَّيهِ قد خَطَّ العِذارُ كما
قدindeed خَطَّtraced فيon صَحنِthe surface خدِّيmy cheek دمعُtears أجفانيmy eyelids
قد خَطَّ في صَحنِ خدِّي دمعُ أجفاني
Across the surface of his cheeks, the down has traced a line, just as
On its cheek marks, just as
My eyelids' tears have traced a line across the surface of my cheek.
My eyelids tears marked on my cheek
فقالthen he said والتِّيهُwhile pride يَثنيbends مِنsome of معَاطِفِهِhis supple limbs
فقال والتِّيهُ يَثني مِن معَاطِفِهِ
خَطُّthe script ابنِIbn (son of) مُقلةَMuqla لاقَىmet خَطَّthe script رَيْحانِRayhan
خَطُّ ابنِ مُقلةَ لاقَى خَطَّ رَيْحانِ
Then he said, as pride swayed his supple limbs:
It said and the lost one folds his cloak
“Ibn Muqla's script has met Rayhan's script.”
Ibn Muqla’s line met Raihan’s line
أشكوI complain هواهُlove for him فيشكوand he complains منof هوايَmy love لهُfor him
أشكو هواهُ فيشكو من هوايَ لهُ
فكانَso he was يُضحِكُنيmaking me laugh مِنfrom حيثُwhere أبكانيhe made me weep
فكانَ يُضحِكُني مِن حيثُ أبكاني
I complain of loving him; he complains of my love for him;
I complain of his love so he complains of mine to him
So he made me laugh in the very way he had made me weep.
So he made me laugh when he made me cry
كأنَّهُas though he وهْوwhile he is فيin الدَّعوىthe dispute يُعارِضُنيopposes me
كأنَّهُ وهْو في الدَّعوى يُعارِضُني
تَلقَّفَeagerly learned الفِقْهَjurisprudence عنfrom مولايَmy lord شروانِShirwan
تَلقَّفَ الفِقْهَ عن مولايَ شروانِ
It is as though, while opposing me in the dispute,
As if he, while arguing with me
He had eagerly learned jurisprudence from my lord Shirwan.
Took jurisprudence from my master Sharwan
مولَىlord المواليthe lords الذيwhose طابتْwas pure سريرَتُهُhis inner nature
مولَى الموالي الذي طابتْ سريرَتُهُ
وقامَand stood بالحقِّfor the truth فيin سِرٍّprivate وإعلانِand public
وقامَ بالحقِّ في سِرٍّ وإعلانِ
Lord of lords, whose inner nature is pure,
Master of masters, delighted his mattress
And who upheld the truth in private and in public.
And stood by the truth secretly and openly
قدindeed خُطَّwas inscribed فيin قلبهِhis heart المبرورِrighteous منof أدبٍlearning
قد خُطَّ في قلبهِ المبرورِ من أدبٍ
ماwhat خَطَّinscribed فيon اللَّوحِthe tablet عُثمانُUthman بنُibn (son of) عَفَّانِAffan
ما خَطَّ في اللَّوحِ عُثمانُ بنُ عَفَّانِ
In his righteous heart is inscribed the learning
Inscribed in his blessed heart some discipline
That Uthman ibn Affan inscribed upon the tablet.
Unlike what was inscribed by Uthman ibn Affan
فيin صَدرهِhis breast نورُlight علمٍknowledge زانَهُadorned it عَملٌaction
في صَدرهِ نورُ علمٍ زانَهُ عَملٌ
مِثلَlike الثِّمارthe fruits تَبدَّتappeared فوقَabove أغصانِbranches
مِثلَ الثِّمار تَبدَّت فوقَ أغصانِ
In his breast is the light of knowledge, adorned by action,
In his chest is the light of knowledge adorned by deeds
Like fruits appearing above the branches.
Like fruits appeared over branches
قدindeed صاغَهُfashioned him اللهُGod منfrom لُطْفٍgentleness فَلاحَand so he appeared لناto us
قد صاغَهُ اللهُ من لُطْفٍ فَلاحَ لنا
كأنَّهُas though he مَلَكٌan angel فيin جسمِthe body إنسانِa human
كأنَّهُ مَلَكٌ في جسمِ إنسانِ
God fashioned him of gentleness, and he appeared to us
God molded him from gentleness, so he shined upon us
As though he were an angel in a human body.
As if an angel in human body
ضاحيradiant الجبينِthe brow طويلُlong الباعِthe reach مُقتدِرٌpowerful
ضاحي الجبينِ طويلُ الباعِ مُقتدِرٌ
نالَattained الجميلَينِthe two beauties منnamely حُسْنٍbeauty وإحسانِand benevolence
نالَ الجميلَينِ من حُسْنٍ وإحسانِ
Bright of brow, long of reach, and powerful,
Bright foreheaded, long handed, capable
He attained both beauties: beauty and benevolence.
Attained the two beauties, of goodness and benefaction
أخلاقُهُhis character جَنَّةٌa garden طابتْflourished مغَارِسُهاits plantings
أخلاقُهُ جَنَّةٌ طابتْ مغَارِسُها
فيهاin it الفَواكِهُthe fruits منfrom نخلٍdate palms ورُمَّانِand pomegranates
فيها الفَواكِهُ من نخلٍ ورُمَّانِ
His character is a garden whose plantings flourish,
His morals a paradise, good its plantations
In it are fruits from date palms and pomegranates.
Therein fruits of palm and pomegranate
كأنَّهُas though he وَهْوَwhile he is فيin ديوانِthe council chamber مَنصبِهِhis office
كأنَّهُ وَهْوَ في ديوانِ مَنصبِهِ
أبوAbu (father of) حنيفةَHanifa فيin مِحرابِthe prayer niche ديوانِa council hall
أبو حنيفةَ في مِحرابِ ديوانِ
It is as though, in the council chamber of his office,
As if he, while in his office’s diwan
He were Abu Hanifa in a council hall's prayer niche.
Abu Hanifa in prayer’s diwan
يُفتيgives legal opinions فيُقَضىand judgment is passed بفَتواهُaccording to his fatwa علىwith ثِقةٍconfidence
يُفتي فيُقَضى بفَتواهُ على ثِقةٍ
فيin كلِّevery قُطرٍland عليهِover it آلُthe House of عُثمانِUthman
في كلِّ قُطرٍ عليهِ آلُ عُثمانِ
He gives legal opinions, and judgment follows his fatwa with confidence
Giving edicts ruled accordingly confidently
In every land ruled by the House of Uthman.
In every place dominated by Uthman’s family
مَنwho ليfor me بنغْمةِwith the melody داودٍDawud أُشيدُI sing praise بهاwith it
مَن لي بنغْمةِ داودٍ أُشيدُ بها
فيin مَدْحِpraise مَنone who نالَreceived حُكماًjudicial authority مِنfrom سُلَيمانِSulayman
في مَدْحِ مَن نالَ حُكماً مِن سُلَيمانِ
Who will give me Dawud's melody, that I may sing with it
Who can I get David’s rhythm to eulogize
In praise of one who received judicial authority from Sulayman?
The one who gained wisdom from Solomon
جارَيتُI matched أحكامَهُhis rulings فيماin what ادَّعيتُI claimed لهُfor him
جارَيتُ أحكامَهُ فيما ادَّعيتُ لهُ
فلمso did not أُقِمْI establish حُجةًan argument إلاّexcept ببُرهانِwith proof
فلم أُقِمْ حُجةً إلاّ ببُرهانِ
I matched his rulings in the claims I made for him,
I tracked his rulings in what I claimed of him
So I advanced no argument without proof.
I did not establish an argument save with proof
Sol 6.1