إنif كنتَyou are تبغيseek المدحَpraise غيرَnot مفنَّدِrefuted
إن كنتَ تبغي المدحَ غيرَ مفنَّدِ
فالهَجthen dwell بأوصافِon the qualities الأميرِthe prince محمَّدِMuhammad
فالهَج بأوصافِ الأميرِ محمَّدِ
If you seek praise that cannot be refuted,
If you seek praise that is unrefuted
then dwell on the qualities of Prince Muhammad.
Then praise the attributes of Prince Muhammad
ذاكَthat one الكريمُthe generous man ابنُson الكرامِthe generous ومَنand he who علاascended
ذاكَ الكريمُ ابنُ الكرامِ ومَن علا
أوجَthe summit العلآءِglory يلوحُshines مثلَlike الفرقدِthe Farqad star
أوجَ العلآءِ يلوحُ مثلَ الفرقدِ
That generous man, son of the generous, has ascended
That generous one, son of the generous whose glory
the summit of glory, shining like the Farqad star.
Has reached the heights, shining like a gem
غَضُّfresh الصباyouth أعطيwas granted نباهةَdiscernment أَشيَبٍa gray-haired man
غَضُّ الصبا أعطي نباهةَ أَشيَبٍ
منfrom ربِّهِhis Lord عجباًhow wondrous! لاnot شيبَgray hair امردِa beardless youth
من ربِّهِ عجباً لا شيبَ امردِ
In the bloom of youth, he was granted a graybeard’s discernment
Whose youth is mature, given wisdom of elders
from his Lord—a marvel!—not a beardless youth’s gray hair.
Strangely by his Lord - no agedness in one immortal
يُنشِيcomposes القصائدَthe poems كالنجومِlike the stars مُضِيئةًluminous
يُنشِي القصائدَ كالنجومِ مُضِيئةً
تبدوappear لناto us منfrom فكرهِhis mind المُتَوَقّدِblazing
تبدو لنا من فكرهِ المُتَوَقّدِ
He composes poems, luminous as stars,
He inspires poems like stars shining bright
which appear to us from his blazing mind.
We see from his fiery mind, ever lit
عَلَمٌa luminary لقدindeed جمعَgathered الفضائلَthe virtues شخصُهُhis person
عَلَمٌ لقد جمعَ الفضائلَ شخصُهُ
فاعجَبso marvel لجمعٍat a multitude حاصلِcontained فيin مُفرَدِone individual
فاعجَب لجمعٍ حاصلِ في مُفرَدِ
A luminary: his person has indeed gathered the virtues;
A symbol - he gathered all virtues in his being
so marvel at a multitude contained in a single man.
So wonder at this assemblage in one singular
أَخَذَreceived الكرامةَhonor عنfrom أبيهِhis father وجَدِّهِand his grandfather
أَخَذَ الكرامةَ عن أبيهِ وجَدِّهِ
إِرثاas an inheritance قَديماًancient ليسَis not بالمتجدِّدِnewly acquired
إِرثا قَديماً ليسَ بالمتجدِّدِ
He received honor from his father and his grandfather,
He took generosity from his father and grandfather
an ancient inheritance, not something newly acquired.
An ancient inheritance, not just made
وحوىand possessed منamong الأوصافِthe qualities كلَّevery سجيَّةٍinnate trait
وحوى من الأوصافِ كلَّ سجيَّةٍ
وُجِدَتwas found لهُin him ولغيرهِand in others besides him لمnot توجدِwas found
وُجِدَت لهُ ولغيرهِ لم توجدِ
And among his qualities he possessed every trait
And contained every noble trait
found in him, but found in no one else.
Found in him and none other, unmatched
سلمتwere free شمائلهُhis character traits منfrom العللِthe flaws التيwhich
سلمت شمائلهُ من العللِ التي
منهاfrom them حماهُprotected him اللهُGod منذُsince المولدِbirth
منها حماهُ اللهُ منذُ المولدِ
His character was free of the flaws
His features safe from flaws that
from which God shielded him since birth.
God protected him from since birth
بدرٌa full moon يفيضُpours forth النورlight منهُfrom him إذاwhen بداappears
بدرٌ يفيضُ النور منهُ إذا بدا
وتفيضُand pour forth منfrom كفيهِhis two palms سُحبُclouds العسجدِgold
وتفيضُ من كفيهِ سُحبُ العسجدِ
A full moon: light pours from him whenever he appears,
A full moon shedding light when appearing
and clouds of gold pour from his two palms.
And from his palms pour heavy rains
وإذاand when تكلَّمَhe speaks لاحتِgleamed الغُرَرُbrilliant sayings التيwhich
وإذا تكلَّمَ لاحتِ الغُرَرُ التي
تبدوappear كدرِّlike pearls فيin العقودِthe necklaces منضَّدِarrayed
تبدو كدرِّ في العقودِ منضَّدِ
And when he speaks, brilliant sayings gleam,
When he speaks, gleams shine
appearing like pearls arrayed in necklaces.
Like pearls in necklaces, threaded
إنif تتركِabandon الشعرآءُthe poets مدحَpraise صفاتهِhis qualities
إن تتركِ الشعرآءُ مدحَ صفاتهِ
نطقَspoke الجمادُinanimate matter وهامَand fell in love قلبُthe heart الجلمدِsolid rock
نطقَ الجمادُ وهامَ قلبُ الجلمدِ
If the poets cease to praise his qualities,
If poets cease praising his attributes
lifeless things will speak, and the heart of solid rock will fall in love.
The silent will speak and hearts of stone will sigh
ياO أَيُّهاyou المولىthe lord الذيwho أمسىhas become علىupon
يا أَيُّها المولى الذي أمسى على
تختٍa throne منof الشرفِhonor الرفيعlofty مُؤَيَّدِupheld
تختٍ من الشرفِ الرفيع مُؤَيَّدِ
O lord, who now sits upon
O Master who rose to the glorious throne
a firmly upheld throne of lofty honor,
Of high honor, divinely supported
لاnot يكتفيis satisfied بمديحِwith praising فضلكَyour excellence شاعرٌa poet
لا يكتفي بمديحِ فضلكَ شاعرٌ
لوeven if خطَّwrote احرفهُits letters بألفِin a thousand مجلَّدِvolumes
لو خطَّ احرفهُ بألفِ مجلَّدِ
no poet finds his praise of your excellence sufficient,
No poet can praise your virtue enough
even if he writes its letters in a thousand volumes.
If he etched his words in a thousand volumes
لكنbut يقولُhe says مقدّماًoffering لكَto you عذرَهُhis excuse
لكن يقولُ مقدّماً لكَ عذرَهُ
لمnot يخلقِcreate الرحمنُthe Most Merciful مثلِthe like of محمَّدِMuhammad
لم يخلقِ الرحمنُ مثلِ محمَّدِ
But he says, offering you his excuse:
But first he apologizes, not made
The Most Merciful has created no one like Muhammad.
Like you - the Most Compassionate made no equal to Muhammad
Sol 6.1