بينbetween ضربِstriking الطُلَىthe necks وطعنِand stabbing الصدورِthe chests
بين ضربِ الطُلَى وطعنِ الصدورِ
تَنزِلُdescend المَكرُماتُnoble deeds حولَaround غديرِa pool
تَنزِلُ المَكرُماتُ حولَ غديرِ
Between blows to necks and thrusts at chests,
Between the strikes of swords and stabs of chests
Deeds of honor descend around a pool.
The generous descend around the pond
وعلىand upon صَهْوةِthe back of السوابقِthe swift steeds تُبنىare built
وعلى صَهْوةِ السوابقِ تُبنى
منfrom عَجَاجٍswirling dust للمجدfor glory شُمُّlofty القصورِthe palaces
من عَجَاجٍ للمجد شُمُّ القصورِ
And on the backs of swift steeds are built
And upon the threshold of the foremost
From swirling dust, the lofty palaces of glory.
From the debris of glory the scent of palaces is built
إنَّماonly الفضلُmerit بالكَرامةِthrough nobility والإقand boldness (start)
إنَّما الفضلُ بالكَرامةِ والإق
دامِboldness (completion) والحَزْمand resolve فيin اعتراكِthe clash of الأُمورِaffairs
دامِ والحَزْم في اعتراكِ الأُمورِ
Merit lies only in nobility and boldness,
For merit is through generosity and staying
And resolve amid the clash of affairs.
Steadfast, and wisdom in the turmoil of affairs
مثلماjust as سادَrose to eminence فيamong الوَرَىmankind حَمَدُHamad المحal-Mahmud, the praised (start)
مثلما سادَ في الوَرَى حَمَدُ المح
مودُthe praised (completion) حَمْدَthe praise of المؤَمَّلِthe one hoped for المشكورِthe one thanked
مودُ حَمْدَ المؤَمَّلِ المشكورِ
As Hamad al-Mahmud rose to eminence among mankind,
Just as Hammad prevailed in the lands with praise
Praised as one looked to with hope and thanked.
Like the praise of the hoped for and grateful
طارفٌa new scion عنfrom تليدِinherited stock of جَدٍّa forefather قديمٍancient
طارفٌ عن تليدِ جَدٍّ قديمٍ
وَرِثَinherited المكرُماتِnoble deeds إرثَthe inheritance of الجديرِthe worthy one
وَرِثَ المكرُماتِ إرثَ الجديرِ
A new scion from the old stock of an ancient forefather,
A gentle man from an ancient honored lineage
He inherited noble deeds as a worthy heir.
Inherited the traits of the worthy
لَقَّبوهُthey nicknamed him الصغيرَthe Lesser وهْوَand he is عليٌّAli; exalted
لَقَّبوهُ الصغيرَ وهْوَ عليٌّ
إذsince رأَوهُthey saw him دُونَbelow الإمامthe Imam الكبيرِthe great
إذ رأَوهُ دُونَ الإمام الكبيرِ
They called him 'the Lesser,' though he is Ali, the exalted,
They titled him the Little, and he is Ali
For they saw him below the great Imam.
When they saw him below the elder Imam
فئةٌa clan تَصلُحُare fitting العُلىhigh rank والعطاياand gifts
فئةٌ تَصلُحُ العُلى والعطايا
والسراياand raiding bands لهمfor them ونحرُand the slaughter of الجَزورِthe camel
والسرايا لهم ونحرُ الجَزورِ
A clan for whom high rank and gifts are fitting,
A party who perfects the heights and grants
And raiding bands, and the slaughter of camels.
And the cavalry for them and the slaughter of beasts
لِسَريرِfor the throne of العُلَىeminence رِجالٌmen وإلاand otherwise
لِسَريرِ العُلَى رِجالٌ وإلا
ضاقَgrew cramped بالجالِسِينَwith those seated مَتْنُthe surface of السريرِthe throne
ضاقَ بالجالِسِينَ مَتْنُ السريرِ
The throne of eminence has its men; otherwise,
For the throne of heights are men, else
Its seat would be too narrow for those seated.
The seated would narrow the throne’s breadth
أنتَyou منهمone of them وفَوْقَهمand above them أيُّهاO you الصاthe pure one (start)
أنتَ منهم وفَوْقَهم أيُّها الصا
فيthe pure one (completion) كمالاًin perfection لِصَفْوةِthrough the finest of التكريرِrefining
في كمالاً لِصَفْوةِ التكريرِ
You are one of them, and above them, O pure one
You are among them and above them, O gentle
In perfection through the finest refinement.
One, in the utmost perfection of the elite
حَسَبٌnoble lineage فوقَabove ذلكthat المجدِglory قدindeed زاincreased (start)
حَسَبٌ فوقَ ذلك المجدِ قد زا
دَincreased (completion) كأبياتِlike verses of الشِعرِpoetry بالتشطيرِby adding half-lines
دَ كأبياتِ الشِعرِ بالتشطيرِ
Noble lineage has grown beyond that glory,
It suffices alongside that glory which has in
As poetic verses grow through added half-lines.
creased like the verses of poetry in arrangement
ضاقَfalls short عنكof you الثَّناءُpraise شرحاًin full explanation فماso not تُوyou are described (start)
ضاقَ عنك الثَّناءُ شرحاً فما تُو
صَفُyou are described (completion) إلاexcept بمثلِby something like رمزِthe gesture of المُشيرِthe one pointing
صَفُ إلا بمثلِ رمزِ المُشيرِ
Praise cannot encompass you in detail; you are not
Eulogy falls short describing you, so what can
Described except by something like a pointing gesture.
Be portrayed except by the symbol of the pointer
فوقَabove أهلِthe practitioners of القرِيضِpoetry علماًin knowledge فمنso whoever أرْpleased you (start)
فوقَ أهلِ القرِيضِ علماً فمن أرْ
ضاكَpleased you (completion) منهمamong them فذاكَthen that one فوقَabove جريرِJarir
ضاكَ منهم فذاكَ فوقَ جريرِ
You surpass the poets in knowledge; whoever earns
Above the people of poetry in knowledge, so whoever
Your favor among them stands above Jarir.
Pleases you among them, he is above Jarir
طالماhow often تَنِظِمُyou compose القوافييthe rhymes منof الشِعpoetry (start)
طالما تَنِظِمُ القوافيي من الشِع
رِpoetry (completion) طباقاًin correspondence بمالكَwith your wealth المنثورِscattered
رِ طباقاً بمالكَ المنثورِ
How often you compose the rhymes of
For long my rhymes in poetry form antiphony
Poetry, matching the wealth you scatter.
With the possessor of prose
شاعرٌa poet يَخلُقُcreates المعانيmeanings ويَرضَىand is content
شاعرٌ يَخلُقُ المعاني ويَرضَى
منfrom فصيحeloquent الألفاظِwords بالمشهورِwith the familiar
من فصيح الألفاظِ بالمشهورِ
A poet who creates meanings, and is content
A poet who creates meanings and is pleased
With the familiar among eloquent words.
With the eloquent phrases of the renowned
لاdo not تَلُمْنيblame me إذاif اقتصرتُI am brief فقدfor indeed كلْI tasked (start)
لا تَلُمْني إذا اقتصرتُ فقد كلْ
لَفتُI tasked (completion) نفسيmyself إليكtoward you عزمَthe resolve of الجسورِthe daring one
لَفتُ نفسي إليك عزمَ الجسورِ
Do not blame me if I am brief, for I have
Do not blame me if I was brief, for I have
Demanded of myself, in turning to you, the resolve of the daring.
Exerted myself to you with resolute determination
مَوقِفٌa situation هائلٌdaunting وسيفٌand a sword كليلٌblunt
مَوقِفٌ هائلٌ وسيفٌ كليلٌ
وكِلاand both الجانبينِsides داعيa cause of القُصورِfalling short
وكِلا الجانبينِ داعي القُصورِ
A daunting situation, and a blunted sword—
A momentous standstill and a blazing sword
And both sides give cause for falling short.
And both sides calling for palaces
Sol 6.1