ياO جلالَglory العَصرِof the age عِلماَin knowledge
يا جلالَ العَصرِ عِلماَ
وَجمالَand beauty العصرof the age حِلماin forbearance
وَجمالَ العصر حِلما
O glory of the age in learning,
O majesty of the age in knowledge,
and beauty of the age in forbearance!
And beauty of the age in wisdom,
ياO أبَاAbu بكرٍBakr وَمَنand who مِثlike (first part)
يا أبَا بكرٍ وَمَن مِث
لُcompletion of 'like' أبيAbu بَكرٍBakr مُسَمَّىnamed
لُ أبي بَكرٍ مُسَمَّى
O Abu Bakr—and who is like
O Abu Bakr, and who is named
Abu Bakr among all who bear a name?
Like Abu Bakr,
إنif يَفُقhe surpasses غيرَهsomeone other than him نَثراًin prose
إن يَفُق غيرَه نَثراً
مثلُlike ماthe way فاقَهhe surpassed him نَظماin verse
مثلُ ما فاقَه نَظما
If he surpasses another in prose,
If another surpasses him in prose,
just as he surpassed him in verse,
He surpasses the like of what surpassed him in verse,
فلقدthen indeed فاقَهhe surpassed him عِلماًin knowledge
فلقد فاقَه عِلماً
ولقدand indeed فاقَهُhe surpassed him فَهمَاin understanding
ولقد فاقَهُ فَهمَا
he has indeed surpassed him in knowledge,
For he surpassed him in knowledge,
and indeed surpassed him in understanding.
And he surpassed him in understanding,
سيديmy lord يشكوcomplains إليكُمto you
سيدي يشكو إليكُم
منكمُof you خِدنٌa close friend مُعَمَّىkept anonymous
منكمُ خِدنٌ مُعَمَّى
My lord, to you complains
My master complains to you
of you a friend whose name is veiled.
Of one of you who is purblind,
قدindeed لَقاكُمhe met you ولِقاكُمand meeting you
قد لَقاكُم ولِقاكُم
بمُناهُas his wish يَتَسَمَّىis called
بمُناهُ يَتَسَمَّى
He has met you, and meeting you
Who met you and met
bears the name of his heart's desire.
You with his best behavior,
ثمَّthen مُذsince فارَقتُموهُyou parted from him
ثمَّ مُذ فارَقتُموهُ
لمnot يَذُقhe tasted للنَّومِof sleep طَعماa taste
لم يَذُق للنَّومِ طَعما
Then, ever since you parted from him,
Then since he left you
he has not tasted sleep.
He hasn't tasted the flavor of sleep,
ومُناهand his wish لَثمُkissing أكواcups (first part)
ومُناه لَثمُ أكوا
سٍcompletion of 'cups' مِنَfrom آدابكَyour literary learning لَثماwith kisses
سٍ مِنَ آدابكَ لَثما
And his wish is to press his lips to cups
And he licks the wounds
of your learning, kissing them,
Of sorrow from your manners,
تَتَعاطانيoffering me منَfrom انواkinds (first part)
تَتَعاطاني منَ انوا
عِهاcompletion of 'their kinds' ماwhat يُرشَفُis sipped ظَلمَاcool saliva
عِها ما يُرشَفُ ظَلمَا
which offer me, from their varieties,
You both handle me as if I
what is sipped as cool saliva.
Was spreading darkness,
علَّperhaps أنthat تُجنوهُyou let him reap ماwhat لمnot
علَّ أن تُجنوهُ ما لم
يَكُhe was قدalready يُدرِكُhe perceived شَمَّاby scent
يَكُ قد يُدرِكُ شَمَّا
Perhaps you will let him reap what
Unless you think that he
he has not yet so much as smelled.
Won't attain high rank,
لاnot سوىother than ذلكَthat يَرجوhe hopes for
لا سوى ذلكَ يَرجو
لاnot أرىI see فيin ذَاكَthat وَصماa blemish
لا أرى في ذَاكَ وَصما
He hopes for nothing but that;
He hopes for nothing else
I see no disgrace in that.
I don't see any blemish in that,
فَغَداso he set about يُتحِمُunclear; likely 'he braves' الأخperils (first part)
فَغَدا يُتحِمُ الأخ
طارَcompletion of 'perils' إحجاماًholding back وقُدماand advancing
طارَ إحجاماً وقُدما
So he set about [braving] perils,
So he started bearing the pain
now holding back, now advancing.
Of denial and advancing,
ليسhe is not بِالشَّاعرِa poet يَستَنhe seeks bounty (first part)
ليس بِالشَّاعرِ يَستَن
ديcompletion of 'seeks bounty' أكُفَّpalms الناسِof people لُؤماout of baseness
دي أكُفَّ الناسِ لُؤما
He is not a poet who begs
He's no poet to be
basely from people's palms.
Rebuffed by the vilest people,
فإذاso when ماever (emphatic) مَنَحوهُthey gave him
فإذا ما مَنَحوهُ
فهزُunclear; likely 'then they are' السادةُthe lords قِدماof old
فهزُ السادةُ قِدما
For whenever they give him,
So if they favor him,
then [they are] the lords of old;
The gentlemen tap their feet,
وإذاand when هُمthey حَرَموهُthey denied him
وإذا هُم حَرَموهُ
ملأَhe filled الآفاقَthe horizons شَتماwith abuse
ملأَ الآفاقَ شَتما
and when they deny him,
And if they deprive him,
he fills the horizons with abuse.
He fills the horizons with insults,
ليسhe is not مِنof ذاthis الصنفِkind بلrather يَدthey call (first part)
ليس مِن ذا الصنفِ بل يَد
عونَهcompletion of 'they call him' الشَّهمَthe gallant الأشَمَّاthe proud (high-nosed)
عونَه الشَّهمَ الأشَمَّا
He is not of this kind; rather they call
He's not of that kind, but the bold
him the gallant, the proudly high-nosed.
And resolute urge him on,
حلَّhe arrived فيat بابكمُyour gate واسand his name (first part)
حلَّ في بابكمُ واس
مَهُcompletion of 'his name' للبَوَّابِto the doorkeeper سَمَّىhe stated
مَهُ للبَوَّابِ سَمَّى
He came to your gate, and his name
He knocked on your door, and gave
he gave to the doorkeeper.
His name to the doorman,
قدindeed أعارَhe lent السَّمعَhearing منيfrom me
قد أعارَ السَّمعَ مني
بعدafter لِينِgentleness القولِof speech صَرماa cutting rebuff
بعد لِينِ القولِ صَرما
He lent my ears,
He turned a deaf ear,
after gentle speech, a cutting rebuff.
After the gentleness of my words,
فتَوَلَّىso he turned away أخرَسmute النُّطspeech (first part)
فتَوَلَّى أخرَس النُّط
قِcompletion of 'speech' أصَمَّdeaf السَّمعِin hearing أعمىblind
قِ أصَمَّ السَّمعِ أعمى
So he turned away, mute of speech,
So the most silent of creatures turned away,
deaf of hearing, blind,
The deafiest to hearing, blindest to sight,
وفضاءُand the expanse الأرضِof the earth فيin عيeye (first part)
وفضاءُ الأرضِ في عي
نِهcompletion of 'his eye' كالدِّرهَمِlike a dirham غَمَّاfrom grief
نِه كالدِّرهَمِ غَمَّا
and the earth's expanse, in his
And the expanse of the earth in his eyes
eye, was like a dirham in his grief,
Was like a dirham gone blind,
آسفاًsorrowful مماat what لَقاهُhe encountered it
آسفاً مما لَقاهُ
عاضِضاًbiting كَفَّهُhis palm نَدماin regret
عاضِضاً كَفَّهُ نَدما
sorrowing at what he had encountered,
Grieving at what he faced,
biting his palm in regret.
Biting his hand in regret,
Sol 6.1