لاnot الدُّرُّthe pearls دُرٌّpearls ولاand not المَرجانُthe coral مرجانُcoral
لا الدُّرُّ دُرٌّ ولا المَرجانُ مرجانُ
إذاwhen نطَقتَyou spoke ولاand not للدُّرِfor the pearls أثمانُprices
إذا نطَقتَ ولا للدُّرِ أثمانُ
Pearls are no pearls, nor is coral coral,
Neither is the pearl truly a pearl, nor coral truly coral,
when you speak; nor do pearls have any value.
When you speak - for then the pearl has no price.
وحيثماand wherever كُنتَyou were بُستانٌa garden تُخالُare imagined بهِin it
وحيثما كُنتَ بُستانٌ تُخالُ بهِ
جَناتُthe gardens عَدْنِEden فماso not لُبنانُLebanon لُبنانُLebanon
جَناتُ عَدْنِ فما لُبنانُ لُبنانُ
And wherever you are is a garden, where one imagines
Wherever you are is a garden, thought to be
the gardens of Eden; Lebanon is not Lebanon.
The gardens of Eden - so Lebanon is not truly Lebanon.
وكلُّand every شهرٍmonth ربيعٌspring منكَfrom you نحسَبهُwe reckon it
وكلُّ شهرٍ ربيعٌ منكَ نحسَبهُ
حتَّىso much so that كأنَّas though جميعall الدهرtime نَيسانُApril
حتَّى كأنَّ جميع الدهر نَيسانُ
And every month, thanks to you, we reckon spring,
And every month we consider to be spring because of you,
so much so that all time seems April.
As if all time were nothing but April.
وأنتand you فيماin what تَرىperceive أفكارُناour thoughts مَلَكٌan angel
وأنت فيما تَرى أفكارُنا مَلَكٌ
يبدوappears وفيماand in what ترَىsee الأبصارُthe eyes إنسانُa human being
يبدو وفيما ترَى الأبصارُ إنسانُ
And in the vision of our thoughts, you are an angel
You are, in all we perceive, an angel
appearing; in the vision of our eyes, a human being.
Who appears - and in all sight, a human being.
ياO أيُّهاyou القمرُthe moon المسعودُfortunate طالِعُهُits ascendant
يا أيُّها القمرُ المسعودُ طالِعُهُ
بدرُthe full moon السَّماءِthe sky متىwhen أشرقتَyou shone كَيْوانُSaturn
بدرُ السَّماءِ متى أشرقتَ كَيْوانُ
O moon whose rising is auspicious,
O blessed full moon rising
the full moon of heaven, when you shine, is Saturn.
Heaven's moon - when you shone, Virgo.
كأنَّماas though السَّعدُgood fortune لمَّاwhen جِئتَyou came زائِرَناas our visitor
كأنَّما السَّعدُ لمَّا جِئتَ زائِرَنا
طِرْسٌa parchment وأنتَand you لذاكَfor that الطِّرْسِthe parchment عُنوانُa title
طِرْسٌ وأنتَ لذاكَ الطِّرْسِ عُنوانُ
As though good fortune, when you came to visit us,
As if good fortune, when you came visiting us,
were a parchment, and you that parchment's title.
Were a cloak, and you the clasp of that cloak.
أتَىcame بكَwith you اللهُGod والأيَّامُand the days مُدنَفَةٌgravely ill
أتَى بكَ اللهُ والأيَّامُ مُدنَفَةٌ
فكنتَso you were أنتَyou لهاfor them رَوْحٌcomfort ورَيحانُand sweet basil
فكنتَ أنتَ لها رَوْحٌ ورَيحانُ
God brought you while the days lay gravely ill,
God brought you when the days were afflicted
so you yourself became their comfort and sweet basil.
And so you were their spirit and delight.
أقبلتَyou arrived فيin مَوكِبٍa procession كانتwere تجولُroaming بهِin it
أقبلتَ في مَوكِبٍ كانت تجولُ بهِ
خيلٌhorses لهاfor them فيin صُدورِthe breasts القومِthe people مَيْدانُan arena
خيلٌ لها في صُدورِ القومِ مَيْدانُ
You arrived in a procession in which there roamed
You came in a procession that roamed about,
horses whose arena lay in the people's breasts.
With horses that galloped in the hearts of the people.
والنَّاسُand the people بينbetween الرَّجاhope والخوفِand fear واقفَةٌstanding
والنَّاسُ بين الرَّجا والخوفِ واقفَةٌ
كَموقِفٍlike a gathering فيهِin it للأعمالِfor deeds ميزانُa balance
كَموقِفٍ فيهِ للأعمالِ ميزانُ
And the people stood between hope and fear,
And the people stood between hope and fear,
as at a gathering with scales for deeds.
As if poised with their deeds in the scales.
قدindeed قُمتَyou stood فيon جَبلٍa mountain منكَfrom you النجاةُdeliverance بهِon it
قد قُمتَ في جَبلٍ منكَ النجاةُ بهِ
كذلكَlike that الفُلْكِthe ark لماwhen فاضَoverflowed طُوْفانُa flood
كذلكَ الفُلْكِ لما فاضَ طُوْفانُ
You have stood on a mountain, where deliverance comes from you,
You rose up on a mountain, salvation through you,
like that ark when the flood surged.
As with the ark when the deluge burst forth.
عليكَover you رايةُa banner إقبالٍprosperity وحَولكَand around you مِنfrom
عليكَ رايةُ إقبالٍ وحَولكَ مِن
ملائِكِthe angels العرْشِthe Throne أنصارٌsupporters وأعوانُand helpers
ملائِكِ العرْشِ أنصارٌ وأعوانُ
Above you is a banner of prosperity, and around you, from
The banner of fortune surrounds you, and around you
the angels of the Throne, are supporters and helpers.
Are the supporters and aides of the Throne's angels.
فيin راحتَيكَyour two palms منfrom اللُّطفِthe kindness البديعِwondrous لناfor us
في راحتَيكَ من اللُّطفِ البديعِ لنا
ماءٌwater ومِنand from بأسِكَyour might المرهوبِdreaded نيرانُfires
ماءٌ ومِن بأسِكَ المرهوبِ نيرانُ
In your two palms, from wondrous kindness, there is for us
In your comforts are waters of wondrous gentleness for us,
water, and from your dreaded might, fires.
And in your terrible power, fires.
لوif لمnot يَقُدْlead لكَto you أعناقَthe necks المَلاthe notables رَهَبٌfear
لو لم يَقُدْ لكَ أعناقَ المَلا رَهَبٌ
لقادَهاwould have led them مِنكَfrom you إجمالٌgracious treatment وإحسانُand kindness
لقادَها مِنكَ إجمالٌ وإحسانُ
Had fear not led the notables' necks to you,
Had reverent fear not led the kings to you,
your gracious treatment and kindness would have led them.
Kindness and grace would have led them.
حَيَّاmay greet الحَياthe rain حَلَبَAleppo الشَّهباءِthe Grey كمhow many نَبَتَتsprouted
حَيَّا الحَيا حَلَبَ الشَّهباءِ كم نَبَتَت
فيin روضِهاher garden الناضرِverdant الأغصانِthe branches أغصانُbranches
في روضِها الناضرِ الأغصانِ أغصانُ
May rain greet Aleppo the Grey! How many have sprouted—
Greetings to the living one who milked the Pleiades - how many branches
branches in her garden of verdant boughs!
Grew in its blossoming meadow, branches upon branches.
هاتيكthat بُستانُa garden أفرادٍpeerless individuals بهِin it شَجَرٌtrees
هاتيك بُستانُ أفرادٍ بهِ شَجَرٌ
منfrom خِصْبهِits fertility كلُّevery عودٍstem منهُof it بُستانُa garden
من خِصْبهِ كلُّ عودٍ منهُ بُستانُ
That is a garden of peerless men, with trees
There are orchards of individuals in it, every tree
whose fertility makes every stem a garden.
Fertile - each of its twigs an orchard in itself.
ياO سيفَsword دولةِstate عُثمانَUthman المنيفِexalted علىabove
يا سيفَ دولةِ عُثمانَ المنيفِ على
مَنthe one who سيفُthe sword دولتهِhis state أنشاهُbrought him forth حَمدانُHamdan
مَن سيفُ دولتهِ أنشاهُ حَمدانُ
O sword of Uthman's state, exalted above
O sword of the mighty Ottoman state, he whose state’s sword
him whose state's sword Hamdan brought forth.
Raised it was Hamdan.
لوif ابتَغَىsought أحمَدُAhmad الكِنديُّal-Kindi مدحَكَpraising you لمnot
لو ابتَغَى أحمَدُ الكِنديُّ مدحَكَ لم
تَقُمstand لهُfor him فيin وفاءِfulfilling الحقِّwhat is due أركانُpillars
تَقُم لهُ في وفاءِ الحقِّ أركانُ
Had Ahmad al-Kindi sought to praise you, no
If Ahmad al-Kindi sought to praise you, materials
pillars would have sustained him in rendering you your due.
To fulfill the truth would not support him.
أقامَraised شأنَكَyour standing بينَamong النَّاسِthe people مرتفعاًhigh
أقامَ شأنَكَ بينَ النَّاسِ مرتفعاً
منHe who كلَّevery يومٍday لهُfor Him فيamong خَلقِهِHis creatures شانُan affair
من كلَّ يومٍ لهُ في خَلقِهِ شانُ
Your standing among the people has been raised high
He who each day in his creation has a distinctive trait
by Him who each day has an affair among His creatures.
Raised your estate high among all people.
إنif كانَwas غيرُكَanother besides you تكفيهِsuffices him لمادحِهِfor his panegyrist
إن كانَ غيرُكَ تكفيهِ لمادحِهِ
قصيدةٌan ode لمnot يكنْbe يكفيكَsuffice you ديوانُa collection of poems
قصيدةٌ لم يكنْ يكفيكَ ديوانُ
If, to praise another, his panegyrist needs only
If any but you can be satisfied by the ode of his praiser
a single ode, an entire collection would not suffice for you.
The Diwan would not have sufficed to praise you.
Sol 6.1