هَلِ الحِذْقُ إلا لعَبْدِ الكَريمِ
حَوى فضلَه حادثاُ عن قديمِ
Does mastery belong to anyone but ʿAbd al-Karīm?
Is wisdom only for the generous servant
He gained his excellence anew from what came before.
Whose excellence encompasses the new and old?
إذا لمعَ البرقُ في كَفِّهِ
أفاضَ على الوجهِ ماءَ النَّعيمِ
When lightning flashes in his palm,
When lightning flashes in his palm
He pours the water of bliss over the face.
He pours the water of bliss on the face.
جَهولُ الحُسامِ ولكنَّه
يَروحُ ويغدو بِكَفَّيْ حَليمِ
His sword is rash, and yet it
Ignorant of swords, yet he
Comes and goes in a gentle man's two hands.
Goes and returns with the hands of the forbearing.
فكم قد أراق به من دم
وكم قد أبان به من كلوم
So how much blood he has shed with it,
So much blood has he spilled with it
And how many wounds he has laid open with it!
And so many wounds has he revealed with it,
كأن قواريره أفرخ
طوال المناقير خضر الجسوم
His bottles are as though they were fledglings,
As if his pots had hatched
Long-beaked and green-bodied.
Green-bodied birds with long beaks.
له راحَةٌ سَيرُها راحةٌ
تَمُرُّ على الوَجْهِ مَرَّ النَّسيمِ
He has a palm whose movement brings comfort,
His travel has an ease, its easiness
Passing over the face like a breeze.
Passing over the face like a gentle breeze.
فلو كانَ من قُبْحِه أربداً
لعادَ من الحُسنِ صافي الأديمِ
Even if it were dusky with ugliness,
If his ugliness were icier
It would emerge beautiful, with a clear complexion.
He would return from beauty pure silk.
نَعِمْنا بخِدمَتِه مُذْ نَشا
فنحنُ به في نَعيمٍ مُقيمِ
We have enjoyed his service since he grew up,
We have enjoyed serving him since we grew up
So through him we dwell in lasting bliss.
So we are with him in lasting bliss.
وكم قد سكَنَّا إلى غيرِه
فكنَّا بهِ في عّذابٍ أليمِ
And how often we have relied on someone else,
And how much we have settled with others
Only to suffer agonizing torment through him.
So we were with them in painful torment.
Sol 6.1