ياO عمِّmy uncle لاnot زلتَyou cease فيin النعماءblessings محبوراًgladdened
يا عمِّ لا زلتَ في النعماء محبوراً
ساميlofty المحلّstation قريرَserene العينthe eye مسروراjoyful
سامي المحلّ قريرَ العين مسرورا
O my uncle, may you never cease to be gladdened amid blessings,
Oh uncle, you are still blessed with prosperity,
lofty in station, serene of eye and joyful.
Exalted in status, cheerful and content.
أبلغْtell فديتُكmay I be your ransom مولاناour lord وسيِّدَناand our master
أبلغْ فديتُك مولانا وسيِّدَنا
ومنand him who غداhas become آمراone who commands والدهرُand Time مأموراcommanded
ومن غدا آمرا والدهرُ مأمورا
Tell—may I be your ransom—our lord and master,
Convey my greetings to our lord and master,
and him who has come to command, while Time is commanded,
And to one who tomorrow will command, with fate at his order.
وقلand say لهto him ظَفِرَتْmay triumph كفّاكyour two hands واعترضَتْand may appear
وقل له ظَفِرَتْ كفّاك واعترضَتْ
لكfor you السعودُgood fortunes ولاand not لاقيتَyou meet تكديراvexation
لك السعودُ ولا لاقيتَ تكديرا
and say to him: May your two hands triumph, and may there appear
Tell him your hands have grasped success,
good fortunes for you; may you meet no vexation.
Good fortune is yours, you have not met frustration.
ياO خيرَbest مستخلَفappointed successor ماnot زالhas ceased منذsince بداhe appeared
يا خيرَ مستخلَف ما زال منذ بدا
منby البريَّةhumankind ممدوحاًpraised ومشكوراand thanked
من البريَّة ممدوحاً ومشكورا
O finest appointed successor, who, since he appeared, has ever been
O best successor, since you began,
praised and thanked by humankind.
You've been praised in wilderness, and thanked.
إنindeed الخلافَةthe caliphate مذsince أُلبِسْتyou were clothed حُلَّتهاits robe
إن الخلافَة مذ أُلبِسْت حُلَّتها
عَزَّتgained glory ولمand did not تَلْقَfind منin مَسْعاكyour striving تقصيراshortcoming
عَزَّت ولم تَلْقَ من مَسْعاك تقصيرا
Indeed, the caliphate, since you were clothed in its robe,
Since the caliphate's robe was bestowed upon you,
has gained glory and found no shortcoming in your striving.
You've been honored, and from your hearing, no deficiency comes.
تأويلُthe meaning ماwhat أناI مُهديهoffering it ومُرْسلُهand sending it
تأويلُ ما أنا مُهديه ومُرْسلُه
ودّيmy affection وشكريّand my gratitude منظوماًin verse ومنثوراand in prose
ودّي وشكريّ منظوماً ومنثورا
The meaning of what I offer and send
The meaning of what I send and convey,
is my affection and gratitude, in verse and prose.
Is my love and thanks, in verse and prose.
إذfor كلّall ماthat which رحتُI set about مهْديهoffering it فمنكso from you بداit originated
إذ كلّ ما رحتُ مهْديه فمنك بدا
وإنand even if أَعَدْناهwe return it ترديداreiteration وتكريراand repetition
وإن أَعَدْناه ترديدا وتكريرا
For everything I set about offering originated with you,
For all I convey began with you,
even if we return it, again and again.
Even if we repeat and reiterate it.
بعثتُI sent شِبْهَthe likeness of النهودthe breasts البارزاتprominent وماand what
بعثتُ شِبْهَ النهود البارزات وما
تحكيmirrors خدودَcheeks الدمىfigurines حسناًin beauty وتحميراand redness
تحكي خدودَ الدمى حسناً وتحميرا
I sent what resembles prominent breasts, and what
I sent gifts of prominent apples, which
mirrors the cheeks of figurines in beauty and redness:
Speak of the cheeks of dolls, beautifully rouged.
منof كلّeach تفّاحةapple زهراءَradiant مُذْهَبةgilded
من كلّ تفّاحة زهراءَ مُذْهَبة
كأنهاas though it حشيتwas filled مسكاًwith musk وكافوراand camphor
كأنها حشيت مسكاً وكافورا
apples, each radiant and gilded,
Each golden apple, perfumed with musk and camphor,
as though filled with musk and camphor.
As if cheeks they'd kissed, leaving traces and effects.
كأنهنّas though they خدودcheeks قَدْalready لُثمنhad been kissed فقدfor indeed
كأنهنّ خدود قَدْ لُثمن فقد
أَبْقَىleft اللثامthe kissing بهاon them نقشاًa pattern وتأثيراand an imprint
أَبْقَى اللثام بها نقشاً وتأثيرا
As though they were cheeks that had been kissed, for
Each lemon's exterior mimics,
the kissing has left on them a pattern and an imprint.
The lover's complexion, when abandoned, distraught.
وكلّand every ليمونةlemon تحكيmirrors بظاهرهاin its outward appearance
وكلّ ليمونة تحكي بظاهرها
لونَthe color of المحبِّthe lover إذاwhen ماemphatic particle باتhe spends the night مهجوراًforsaken
لونَ المحبِّ إذا ما بات مهجوراً
And every lemon, in its outward appearance, mirrors
So greet the days, elevated in rank,
the color of a lover when he spends the night forsaken.
Adorned by victory, triumphant over foes.
فاسْلَمْso be safe سَلِمتْmay you be safe علىthroughout الأيامthe days مرتفعاًexalted
فاسْلَمْ سَلِمتْ على الأيام مرتفعاً
تَزِينُهاyou adorn them وعلىand over الأعداءthe enemies منصوراvictorious
تَزِينُها وعلى الأعداء منصورا
So live safe—may you be safe—exalted throughout the days,
adorning them, and victorious over your enemies.
Partial English translation: 22 of 24 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1