زارَhe visited وَاللَيلُwhile the night مُؤذِنٌheralding بِالبِرازِof single combat
زارَ وَاللَيلُ مُؤذِنٌ بِالبِرازِ
وَهوَwhile he مِنfrom أَعيُنِeyes العِدىthe foes فيin اِحتِرازِcaution
وَهوَ مِن أَعيُنِ العِدى في اِحتِرازِ
He visited as night heralded single combat,
keeping himself guarded from the eyes of foes.
زائِرٌa visitor جاءَcame تَحتَbeneath جِلبابِa cloak لَيلٍnight
زائِرٌ جاءَ تَحتَ جِلبابِ لَيلٍ
شَفَقُglow الصُبحِdawn فَوقَهُabove him كَالطِرازِlike embroidery
شَفَقُ الصُبحِ فَوقَهُ كَالطِرازِ
A visitor who came beneath night's cloak,
dawn's glow above him like embroidery.
زانَhe adorned حُسنَthe beauty of المَقالِspeech بِالفِعلِwith deeds مِنهُfrom him
زانَ حُسنَ المَقالِ بِالفِعلِ مِنهُ
وَوُعودُand promises of الوِصالِunion بِالإِنجازِwith fulfillment
وَوُعودُ الوِصالِ بِالإِنجازِ
He adorned fine speech with deeds of his own,
and promises of union with fulfillment.
زائِدُsurpassing in الحُسنِbeauty سَرَّهُpleased him حُسنُthe goodness of صَبريmy patience
زائِدُ الحُسنِ سَرَّهُ حُسنُ صَبري
فَغَداso he began بِالجَميلِwith kindness عَنهُfor it يُجازيto recompense
فَغَدا بِالجَميلِ عَنهُ يُجازي
Surpassing in beauty, he delighted in my patience,
and began repaying it with kindness.
زَفَّhe ushered in بِكرُthe virgin of المُدامِwine لَيلاًby night فَأَبدَتthen it revealed
زَفَّ بِكرُ المُدامِ لَيلاً فَأَبدَت
جَيشَan army of نورٍlight لِعَسكَرِagainst the host of اللَيلِnight غازِinvading
جَيشَ نورٍ لِعَسكَرِ اللَيلِ غازِ
He ushered in virgin wine by night; it revealed
an army of light invading the host of night.
زَوَّجَhe married الماءَthe water ظالِماًunjustly بِعَجوزٍto an old woman
زَوَّجَ الماءَ ظالِماً بِعَجوزٍ
لَوif أَطاقَتshe had the strength مَشَتshe would walk عَلىon عُكّازِa crutch
لَو أَطاقَت مَشَت عَلى عُكّازِ
Unjustly, he married water to an old woman
who, had she the strength, would walk upon a crutch.
زَخرَفَتshe adorned جَنَّتيmy garden فَبِتُّso I spent the night قَريراًcontent
زَخرَفَت جَنَّتي فَبِتُّ قَريراً
مُنعَماًin comfort يَسمَعُhears الزَمانُTime اِرتِجازيmy reciting rajaz
مُنعَماً يَسمَعُ الزَمانُ اِرتِجازي
She adorned my garden, and I spent the night content,
at ease, while Time listened to my rajaz.
زاهِياًexulting آخِذاًtaking مِنَfrom الدَهرِTime عَهداًa pledge
زاهِياً آخِذاً مِنَ الدَهرِ عَهداً
وَمِنَand from الحادِثاتِmisfortunes خَطَّa writ of جَوازِsafe passage
وَمِنَ الحادِثاتِ خَطَّ جَوازِ
Exulting, taking a pledge from Time,
and a written safe-conduct from misfortunes.
زَعَمَclaimed الناسُthe people أَنَّthat ذَلِكَthat دينيmy creed
زَعَمَ الناسُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ ديني
حينَwhen عاجَلتُI hastened to فُرصَتيmy chance بِاِنتِهازِby seizing
حينَ عاجَلتُ فُرصَتي بِاِنتِهازِ
People claimed that this was my creed
when I hastened to seize my chance.
زَوَّجونيthey married me off فَقُلتُso I said قولواspeak وَعُدّواand count
زَوَّجوني فَقُلتُ قولوا وَعُدّوا
لِأَسُدَّso I may block الطَريقَthe road لِلمُجتازِto the passerby
لِأَسُدَّ الطَريقَ لِلمُجتازِ
They married me off; I said, ‘Speak and count,’
so that I might bar the way to any passerby.
زينَتيmy adornment لِبسُthe clothing of جارِحتيmy limb فيin زَمانٍan age
زينَتي لِبسُ جارِحتي في زَمانٍ
عَجِزَتwere powerless راحَتاهُits two palms عَنto إِعجازِthwart
عَجِزَت راحَتاهُ عَن إِعجازِ
My adornment is the garb upon my limb, in an age
whose two hands are powerless to thwart me.
زَمَنٌan age لَوif رَناit gazed إِلَيناtoward us بِخَطبٍwith calamity
زَمَنٌ لَو رَنا إِلَينا بِخَطبٍ
لَغَزَوناwe would surely attack جَيشَthe army of الخُطوبِcalamities بِغازِwith a warrior
لَغَزَونا جَيشَ الخُطوبِ بِغازِ
An age that, should it look our way with calamity,
we would attack calamity's host with a warrior
زاخِرُoverflowing with الجَودِgenerosity ماnever مَدَّsent forth الجُيوشَthe armies إِلىinto الthe
زاخِرُ الجَودِ ما مَدَّ الجُيوشَ إِلى ال
خَطبِstrife إِلّاexcept that رُدَّتthey were driven back عَلىupon الأَعجازِthe rears
خَطبِ إِلّا رُدَّت عَلى الأَعجازِ
overflowing in bounty—Time never sends armies into
strife without their being driven back upon their heels.
زَينُthe ornament of مَلكٍkingship فاقَhe surpassed المَكارِمَnoble deeds وَاِمتاand excelled (first part)
زَينُ مَلكٍ فاقَ المَكارِمَ وَاِمتا
زَexcelled (continuation) بِالهِباتِthrough gifts أَيَّwhat اِمتِيازِdistinction
زَ بِالهِباتِ أَيَّ اِمتِيازِ
The ornament of kingship, he surpassed noble deeds and stood
apart through gifts—what distinction!
زالَdeparted عَنهُfrom him الرَدىdeath وَأَضحىand became لَهُfor him الدَهTime (first part)
زالَ عَنهُ الرَدى وَأَضحى لَهُ الدَه
رَTime (continuation) جَواداًa steed يَمشيwalking بِلاwithout مِهمازِa spur
رَ جَواداً يَمشي بِلا مِهمازِ
Death departed from him, and Time became his
steed, walking without a spur.
زَهَرٌa bloom فيamid حَوادِثِthe tumults of النَقعِbattle-dust حَتّىuntil
زَهَرٌ في حَوادِثِ النَقعِ حَتّى
يَجعَلُhe makes الخَيلَthe horses كَالنَعامِlike ostriches النَوازيbounding
يَجعَلُ الخَيلَ كَالنَعامِ النَوازي
A bloom amid the tumults of battle-dust, until
he makes the horses like bounding ostriches.
زَخَّhe poured down جوداًbounty فَلاso never يَزالُceases ثَناهُhis praise
زَخَّ جوداً فَلا يَزالُ ثَناهُ
فيin اِزدِيادٍincrease وَمالُهُand his wealth فيin اِعوِزازِscarcity
في اِزدِيادٍ وَمالُهُ في اِعوِزازِ
He rained down bounty; his praise is ever
increasing, while his wealth grows scarce.
زُرهُvisit him وَاِبدَأand begin أَيّامَهُhis days بِالتَهانيwith congratulations
زُرهُ وَاِبدَأ أَيّامَهُ بِالتَهاني
ثُمَّthen بادِرhasten to أَموالَهُhis riches بِالتَعازيwith condolences
ثُمَّ بادِر أَموالَهُ بِالتَعازي
Visit him, and first greet his days with congratulations;
then hasten to offer condolences to his riches.
زَرَعَhe sowed الجودَgenerosity فيin البِلادِthe lands وَساوىand made equal
زَرَعَ الجودَ في البِلادِ وَساوى
فيهِin it بَينَbetween الوِهادِthe lowlands وَالأَقوازِand the sandhills
فيهِ بَينَ الوِهادِ وَالأَقوازِ
He sowed generosity throughout the lands, making equal
in it the lowlands and the sandhills.
زَهَتِgrew radiant الدُنياthe world حينَwhen أَصبَحَhe came to be فيهاin it
زَهَتِ الدُنيا حينَ أَصبَحَ فيها
فَغَدَتso it became وَهيَwhile it لِلسَماءِto heaven تُوازيequal
فَغَدَت وَهيَ لِلسَماءِ تُوازي
The world grew radiant when he came to be within it,
and thus came to rival heaven.
زالَdeparted عَنfrom طُرقِناour roads الرَدىdeath حينَwhen زُرناwe visited
زالَ عَن طُرقِنا الرَدى حينَ زُرنا
هُhim وَكُنّاand we were بِهاon them عَلىin أَوفازِhaste
هُ وَكُنّا بِها عَلى أَوفازِ
Death left our roads when we visited
him, while we had been hastening along them.
زاغَturned aside عَنّاfrom us بِالبيدِin the deserts كُلُّevery رَجيمٍaccursed one
زاغَ عَنّا بِالبيدِ كُلُّ رَجيمٍ
فَغَنيناso we were freed بِهِthrough him عَنِfrom الإِعوازِwant
فَغَنينا بِهِ عَنِ الإِعوازِ
Every accursed one veered from us in the deserts,
and through him we were freed from want.
زادَincreased قَدريmy standing بِذِكرِهِthrough mentioning him إِذwhen رَأىsaw الناthe people (first part)
زادَ قَدري بِذِكرِهِ إِذ رَأى النا
سُpeople (continuation) اِجتِهاديmy striving بِقَدرِهِto match his worth وَاِنتِبازيand my assuming a title
سُ اِجتِهادي بِقَدرِهِ وَاِنتِبازي
My standing rose through mentioning him, when the people saw
my striving to match his worth and the title I assumed.
زاحَمَتنيcrowded upon me حَقائِقُthe truths of المَدحِpraise فيهِof him
زاحَمَتني حَقائِقُ المَدحِ فيهِ
وَهيَwhile they فيin غَيرِهِanyone else شَبيهُakin to المَجازِmetaphor
وَهيَ في غَيرِهِ شَبيهُ المَجازِ
True grounds for praising him crowded upon me,
while in anyone else they would resemble metaphor.
زُرتُهُI visited him مادِحاًpraising فَرَنَّحَهُso it made him sway الجوgenerosity (first part)
زُرتُهُ مادِحاً فَرَنَّحَهُ الجو
دُgenerosity (continuation) بِإِكرامِناby honoring us وَبِالإِعزازِand by exalting
دُ بِإِكرامِنا وَبِالإِعزازِ
I visited him with praise; generosity made him sway
in honoring and exalting us.
زادَكَmay He increase you اللَهُGod ياO أَباAbu (father of) الفَتحِal-Fath (victory) مَجداًin glory
زادَكَ اللَهُ يا أَبا الفَتحِ مَجداً
إِنَّهُindeed He is لِلكِرامِfor the noble نِعمَexcellent is المُجازيthe rewarder
إِنَّهُ لِلكِرامِ نِعمَ المُجازي
May God increase your glory, Abu al-Fath;
He is indeed an excellent rewarder of the noble.
زاهِراتُthe radiant blossoms of المَديحِpraise بِاِسمِكِwith your name تَزهوflourish
زاهِراتُ المَديحِ بِاِسمِكِ تَزهو
لَيسَdoes not يَزهوshine ثَوبٌa robe بِغَيرِwithout طِرازِembroidery
لَيسَ يَزهو ثَوبٌ بِغَيرِ طِرازِ
The radiant blossoms of praise flourish with your name;
no robe shines without embroidery.
زِدتُI have increased فيin حُبِّlove of مَدحِكِpraising you فَاِرتَحso take delight
زِدتُ في حُبِّ مَدحِكِ فَاِرتَح
لِعَبيطِin fresh-flowing المَديحِpraise وَالإِرجازِand rajaz composition
لِعَبيطِ المَديحِ وَالإِرجازِ
I have grown more enamored of praising you; take delight
in fresh-flowing praise and rajaz verse.
Sol 6.1