أيُّwhich المَكَارِمِnoble deeds وَالعُلَىand lofty rank لَمnot أُحرِزِI have attained
أيُّ المَكَارِمِ وَالعُلَى لَم أُحرِزِ
أَمor أَيُّwhich وَعدpledge of فَضِيلَةٍvirtue لَمnot أُنجِزِI have fulfilled
أَم أَيُّ وَعد فَضِيلَةٍ لَم أُنجِزِ
Which noble deeds and heights have I not attained?
What virtues and nobility have I not attained?
Or which pledge of virtue have I not fulfilled?
Or what virtuous promise have I not fulfilled?
وَلِيَand mine are المَفَاخِرُthe glories قَضُّهاall of them بِقَضِيضِهَاwith every last one of them
وَلِيَ المَفَاخِرُ قَضُّها بِقَضِيضِهَا
أُعزَىI am ascribed إِلَيهَاto them أَوor لِمَجدِيto my glory تَعتَزِيthey claim kinship
أُعزَى إِلَيهَا أَو لِمَجدِي تَعتَزِي
All glories are mine, every last one:
Triumphs are mine to command with certainty
I am ascribed to them, or they claim kinship with my glory.
Whether consoled by them or my glory made proud
نَامَslept الأَنَامُhumankind عَنheedless of العَلاءِthe heights وَلَيتَنِيand would that I
نَامَ الأَنَامُ عَن العَلاءِ وَلَيتَنِي
أَحرَزتُI had attained مِنهَاfrom them مِلءthe fullness of رَغبةِthe desire of مُحرِزِan achiever
أَحرَزتُ مِنهَا مِلء رَغبةِ مُحرِزِ
Mankind slept heedless of the heights; would that I
People sleep, heedless of excellence, if only I
had gained from them all an achiever could desire.
Had attained of it a desire's fill
هَلis there? فِيamong البَريَّةِcreation مِنكِرٌa denier لفَضَائِليof my merits
هَل فِي البَريَّةِ مِنكِرٌ لفَضَائِلي
أَوor طَاعِنٌan assailant فِيagainst مَجدِيَmy glory المُتَعزِّزِmighty
أَو طَاعِنٌ فِي مَجدِيَ المُتَعزِّزِ
Is there among creation anyone who denies my merits,
Is there in the wilderness one who denies my merits
or assails my mighty glory?
Or criticizes my entrenched glorious fame?
أعشَيتُI dazzled سَبَّاقَthe foremost racer of البَيَانِeloquence وَرُبَّمَاand often
أعشَيتُ سَبَّاقَ البَيَانِ وَرُبَّمَا
أعطَيتُI gave رَاحَتَهُhis palm عِنَانَthe reins of مُبَرِّزِa champion steed
أعطَيتُ رَاحَتَهُ عِنَانَ مُبَرِّزِ
I dazzled eloquence's foremost racer, and often
I have surpassed the eloquent in eloquence and sometimes
placed in his palm the reins of a champion steed.
Given respite to the excellent to shine bright
يَمضِيit speeds on فَيُعشِيand so blinds لِلبُرَاقِfor al-Buraq غُبَارهُits dust
يَمضِي فَيُعشِي لِلبُرَاقِ غُبَارهُ
وَعجَاجُهand its dust clouds وَلَعَلّهُand perhaps it لَمhas not يحفزِbeen spurred
وَعجَاجُه وَلَعَلّهُ لَم يحفزِ
It speeds on, blinding al-Buraq with its dust
He goes forth and spends the night outstripping the lightning
and its swirling haze, though the racer may not even have been spurred.
His neighing and perhaps he was not spurred
قُدتُI led القَوَافِيَthe rhymes شُرَّداًunruly أَوor ذُلَّلاtamed
قُدتُ القَوَافِيَ شُرَّداً أَو ذُلَّلا
تَنحَطُّthey bow لِيto me وَلِمَنand for whoever عَدَانِيَis other than me تَنتَزِيthey rear
تَنحَطُّ لِي وَلِمَن عَدَانِيَ تَنتَزِي
I led the rhymes, whether unruly or tamed:
I have led rhymes in disorder or humbled
they bow to me, but rear against anyone else.
They cringe to me and to those hostile, haughty
فأنَاfor I إِذَاwhen أَطنَبتُI speak at length أَبرَعُthe most skillful مُطنِبٍan expansive speaker
فأنَا إِذَا أَطنَبتُ أَبرَعُ مُطنِبٍ
وَإِذَاand when أَنَاI أَوجَزتُI speak concisely أَبلَغُthe most eloquent مُوجِزِa concise speaker
وَإِذَا أَنَا أَوجَزتُ أَبلَغُ مُوجِزِ
For when I speak at length, I am the most skillful of expansive speakers,
So I, when prolix, am more prolific than the prolix
and when I am concise, the most eloquent of concise speakers.
And I, when concise, am more effective than the concise
وَيَهُبُّand blows فِكرِيmy thought لِلوَلِيِّfor the friend بِسَجسَجٍwith a gentle breeze
وَيَهُبُّ فِكرِي لِلوَلِيِّ بِسَجسَجٍ
وَيَهُبُّand blows فِكرِيmy thought لِلعَدُوِّfor the enemy بِهَزهَزِwith a shaking gale
وَيَهُبُّ فِكرِي لِلعَدُوِّ بِهَزهَزِ
And my thought blows for a friend as a gentle breeze,
My mind inspires for the patron with inducement
and my thought blows for an enemy as a shaking gale.
And for the foe my mind stonewalls and rebuffs
وَلَرُبَّمَاand indeed often فُقتُI surpassed الوَرَىhumankind بِمُفقّرِيwith my prose passages
وَلَرُبَّمَا فُقتُ الوَرَى بِمُفقّرِي
وَلَرُبَّمَاand indeed often جُزتُI passed beyond المَدَىthe limit بِمُرَجّزِيwith my rajaz verse
وَلَرُبَّمَا جُزتُ المَدَى بِمُرَجّزِي
And often I surpassed mankind with my prose passages,
Sometimes I impoverish the land with my gifts as alms
and often I passed the furthest limit with my rajaz verse.
And sometimes I reward the extended arms with bracelets
وَشَدَختُand I smashed فِيinto وَجهِthe face of الزَّمَانِTime عَجَائِبِيmy marvels
وَشَدَختُ فِي وَجهِ الزَّمَانِ عَجَائِبِي
وَسَحَبتُand I trailed ذَيلَthe hem of السَّبقِpreeminence غَيرَnot مُمَيَّزِrecognized
وَسَحَبتُ ذَيلَ السَّبقِ غَيرَ مُمَيَّزِ
And I smashed my marvels into the face of Time,
I flaunt my wonders in the face of time
and trailed the hem of preeminence, yet went unrecognized.
And drag the train of precedence unparalleled
يَاO مَنyou who يُلاحِظنيwatch me بِطَرفٍwith an eye مُنكَرٍdisapproving
يَا مَن يُلاحِظني بِطَرفٍ مُنكَرٍ
أَيَكُونُcould ... be? نُورُthe light of الصُّبحِdawn غَيرَnot مُعَجَّزِdeemed powerless
أَيَكُونُ نُورُ الصُّبحِ غَيرَ مُعَجَّزِ
O you who watch me with a disapproving eye,
O you who watch me with a disapproving glance
can dawn's light escape being deemed feeble?
Can the light of dawn be considered unmiraculous?
يَاO حَسرَتِيmy regret لِقَصِيدَةٍfor an ode أَرسَلتُهَاI sent it
يَا حَسرَتِي لِقَصِيدَةٍ أَرسَلتُهَا
نَحوَtoward الحَكِيمِal-Hakim (the sage) بِكُلِّwith every سِحرٍenchantment مُعجِزِinimitable
نَحوَ الحَكِيمِ بِكُلِّ سِحرٍ مُعجِزِ
Alas for the ode I sent
Oh my sorrow for a poem I sent
to al-Hakim, bearing every inimitable enchantment.
To the sage with every magical miracle
أَرسَلتُهَاI sent it مُستَهزِئاًmocking مِنbecause of سُخفِهhis foolishness
أَرسَلتُهَا مُستَهزِئاً مِن سُخفِه
أَبغِيI seek لَدَيهِfrom him وَعدَa promise of غَيرِnot المُنجِزِone who keeps promises
أَبغِي لَدَيهِ وَعدَ غَيرِ المُنجِزِ
I sent it in mockery of his foolishness,
I sent it scorning his foolishness
seeking from him a promise he would never keep.
Seeking from him a promise unlike unfulfilled
أَبغِيI seek مُرَاجَعَةًa reply وَأَعلَمُand I know أَنَّهَاthat it
أَبغِي مُرَاجَعَةً وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّهَا
لَهوamusement المقيمِthe one who stays وَضحكَةُand a laugh المُستَوفِزِthe one poised to leave
لَهو المقيمِ وَضحكَةُ المُستَوفِزِ
I sought a reply, knowing it would be
I seek an apology and I know it is
amusement for one who stays, and a laugh for one poised to leave.
The entertainment of the resident and laughter of the provocateur
فَبَدَاthen appeared عَلَيهِupon him بِهَاthrough it فَخَارُthe pride of تَعَزُّزself-exaltation
فَبَدَا عَلَيهِ بِهَا فَخَارُ تَعَزُّز
هَيهَاتَfar beyond reach! مِنfrom وَغدٍa base fellow فَخَارُthe pride of تَعَزُّزِself-exaltation
هَيهَاتَ مِن وَغدٍ فَخَارُ تَعَزُّزِ
Then it brought out in him a proud claim to dignity;
Then over him appeared the pride of arrogance
far from a base fellow is pride in dignity!
Alas a morrow the pride of arrogance
يَاO لائِماًone who blames يَحيَىYahya عَلَىfor تَقصِيرِهِhis shortcomings
يَا لائِماً يَحيَى عَلَى تَقصِيرِهِ
هَلcan? تَكتَفِيbe content شَاةٌa sheep بِلَيثٍwith a lion مُجهِزِdealing the deathblow
هَل تَكتَفِي شَاةٌ بِلَيثٍ مُجهِزِ
O you who blame Yahya for his shortcomings,
O blamer, does the lamb suffice against the deadly lion?
can a sheep be content with a lion that strikes to kill?
Have you become content, Yahya, with your shortfall?
وَلَقَدand indeed غَدَوتُI became مِنَwith البَيَانِeloquence مُخوَّلاًendowed
وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ مِنَ البَيَانِ مُخوَّلاً
فِيin حَيثُthe place where أضحَىhe became مِنهُof it أَعوَزَthe most destitute مُعوزِa destitute one
فِي حَيثُ أضحَى مِنهُ أَعوَزَ مُعوزِ
And indeed, I became endowed with eloquence,
So I have become endowed with eloquence where
where he became the most destitute of those lacking it.
He has become in it the feeblest weakling
إِيهٍgo on! أَباAbu (vocative) بَكرBakr نِدَاءَa summons of تَعَرُّضchallenge
إِيهٍ أَبا بَكر نِدَاءَ تَعَرُّض
جَمِّعgather! مَحاشَكَyour allies يَاO مُجَعجِعُblusterer وَابرُزِand come forth!
جَمِّع مَحاشَكَ يَا مُجَعجِعُ وَابرُزِ
Go on, Abu Bakr—a challenging summons!
Eh Abu Bakr a provocative call
Gather your allies, you blusterer, and come forth!
Ready your weapons, quibbler, and come forth
فَإِذَاthen when رَأَيتَyou see قُصُورَthe falling short of بَاعِكِyour reach فِيin العُلَىthe heights
فَإِذَا رَأَيتَ قُصُورَ بَاعِكِ فِي العُلَى
ألقyield! القِيَادَthe reins لألمَعِيّto a brilliant wit هِبرِزِconsummate
ألق القِيَادَ لألمَعِيّ هِبرِزِ
Then, when you see your reach fall short of the heights,
And if you see the inadequacy of your seller in the heights
yield the reins to a brilliant, consummate master.
Toss the reins to the brilliant, fiery one
وَاعلَمand know! بِأَنَّthat الشِّعرِpoetry لَيسَis not حِياكَةًweaving
وَاعلَم بِأَنَّ الشِّعرِ لَيسَ حِياكَةً
وَاللَّهذَمَand the sharp spear اللَّمَّاعَgleaming لَيسَis not بِمَركَزِa fixed point
وَاللَّهذَمَ اللَّمَّاعَ لَيسَ بِمَركَزِ
And know that poetry is not weaving,
And know that poetry is not about empty words
and the gleaming spear is not a fixed point.
And the bragging prater is not composed
يَاO هَلwould? يُسَاوِيequate عَاقِلٌa rational person غَسقَthe darkness of الدُّجَىnight
يَا هَل يُسَاوِي عَاقِلٌ غَسقَ الدُّجَى
وَعُبَابَهُand its surge الطَّامِيoverflowing بِنُقطَةِwith a point مَركَزِof a center
وَعُبَابَهُ الطَّامِي بِنُقطَةِ مَركَزِ
O, would any sensible man equate night's deep darkness
O is the pitch black darkness of night
and its overflowing surge with a central point?
And its obscuring gloom equal to a pinpoint?
Sol 6.1