بِفطنتكfor your acumen الأَمثالproverbs فيin مَصرEgypt تُضرَبُare coined
بِفطنتك الأَمثال في مَصر تُضرَبُ
وَرَأيكand your judgment أَرقىloftier فيin الأُمورaffairs وَأَصوَبُand sounder
وَرَأيك أَرقى في الأُمور وَأَصوَبُ
Your acumen is proverbial in Egypt,
With your wisdom proverbs in Egypt are coined
And your judgment in affairs is loftier and sounder.
And your opinion in matters is most refined
وَأَنتَand you رِياضٌRiyad واحدunrivaled العَصرthe age فيin الذَكاintelligence
وَأَنتَ رِياضٌ واحد العَصر في الذَكا
وَنجمُكand your star فيin أُفقthe horizon الفَراسةdiscernment كَوكَبa luminary
وَنجمُك في أُفق الفَراسة كَوكَب
And you, Riyad, are unrivaled in your age for intelligence,
You are unmatched in intellect in this age
And your star is a luminary on the horizon of discernment.
And your star in the horizon of insight does shine
وَعَنكand from you عَليّAli قَدindeed رَوىhe narrated وَهُوَand he is صادقtruthful
وَعَنك عَليّ قَد رَوى وَهُوَ صادق
حَديثاًan account بِهِby it شَمسthe sun المَعارفknowledge تُحجَبis veiled
حَديثاً بِهِ شَمس المَعارف تُحجَب
And Ali has narrated from you—and he is truthful—
About you Ali has related with truth
an account by which the sun of knowledge is veiled;
A narration that hides the sun of knowledge with gloom
حَديثاًan account رَواهُhe narrated it اللَيثal-Layth عَنكَfrom you كَماjust as جَرىit happened
حَديثاً رَواهُ اللَيث عَنكَ كَما جَرى
وَوافقهand agreed with him الراويthe narrator وَذَلِكَand that أَعجَبmore astonishing
وَوافقه الراوي وَذَلِكَ أَعجَب
an account al-Layth narrated from you just as it happened,
A narration that the lion related from you as told
and the narrator agreed with him—which is more astonishing still.
And the narrator agreed, which was strange and assumed
وَماand not كانَwas ظَنيmy expectation فيof مَعاليكYour Excellency أَنَّنيthat I
وَما كانَ ظَني في مَعاليك أَنَّني
أُقاسI am compared بِمَنwith one who فيin جَهلِهِhis ignorance يَتَقَلَّبwallows
أُقاس بِمَن في جَهلِهِ يَتَقَلَّب
And I never thought, Your Excellency, that I
It was not my thought about your nobleness that I
would be compared with one who wallows in his ignorance.
Could be compared to one lost in ignorance and folly
وَياand oh لَيتَهُif only it were جَهلignorance بَسيطsimple بِهِin it نَشاhe grew up
وَيا لَيتَهُ جَهل بَسيط بِهِ نَشا
وَلَكنهُand yet it is جَهلٌignorance جَسيمٌgrave مركَّبcompound
وَلَكنهُ جَهلٌ جَسيمٌ مركَّب
And if only it were simple ignorance in which he grew up;
Oh if only it was simple ignorance he possessed
But it is grave, compound ignorance.
But alas it’s grave ignorance and complexity
فَماso what ليwith me وَقَدand indeed جرَّبتنيyou have tested me غَيرmore than مَرةonce
فَما لي وَقَد جرَّبتني غَير مَرة
أَرىI see مِنكَfrom you ماthat which يَقضيdecrees بِخفضيfor my abasement وَيوجبand requires
أَرى مِنكَ ما يَقضي بِخفضي وَيوجب
Why, then—though you have tested me more than once—
Why is it when you’ve tested me more than once
do I see from you what decrees and demands my abasement?
I see from you what decrees my demotion is done
أَمنis it for أَجلthe sake of بَعضsome الناسpeople عاقبتنيyou punished me بِماwith what
أَمن أَجل بَعض الناس عاقبتني بِما
إِليّto me شَرابthe draught المَوتdeath عَنهُrather than it مُحبَّبdesirable
إِليّ شَراب المَوت عَنهُ مُحبَّب
Was it for the sake of certain people that you punished me with something
Is it because of some people you have punished me with
to which I would prefer the draught of death?
A draught of death from you to me is appealing
أحاشيكI exempt you مِنfrom جورٍinjustice وَعدلُكand your justice شاملٌall-embracing
أحاشيك مِن جورٍ وَعدلُك شاملٌ
وَأَنتَand you عَنfrom الإضرارcausing harm بِالخَلقto people تَرغَبturn away
وَأَنتَ عَن الإضرار بِالخَلق تَرغَب
I hold you above injustice, and your justice is all-embracing;
Your justice is perfect and harming no soul
And you are averse to harming people.
And from hurting people you always abstain
Sol 6.1