سهلُthe plain الأباطحِthe valley beds منthrough عُلاكَyour loftiness يَفَاعُhigh ground
سهلُ الأباطحِ من عُلاكَ يَفَاعُ
والنَّجمُand the star أنتَyou وكفَّكَand your palm المِرباعُthe chief's quarter of the spoils
والنَّجمُ أنتَ وكفَّكَ المِرباعُ
By your loftiness, even the valley floors are high ground.
Through your loftiness, the valley plains are high ground.
The highlands are easy to ascend compared to your loftiness
The valley plains, through your highness, rise like peaks,
You are the star, and your hand the chieftain’s prize.
You are the star, and your palm the chief's quarter-share.
And you are the star while your palm is the square
You are the Star, and your hand is the abundant spring.
بلrather أنتَyou شَمسٌa sun لاnot تزالُcease ولمand has not يَزَلْceased
بل أنتَ شَمسٌ لا تزالُ ولم يَزَلْ
فيthroughout سائرِall الآفاقthe horizons منكَfrom you شُعاعُa ray
في سائرِ الآفاق منكَ شُعاعُ
No—you are a sun that has never ceased, nor ever will,
Rather, you are an enduring sun, and there has always been
Rather, you are a sun that remains without end
Nay, you are a Sun that remains, never ceasing,
to cast its rays from you throughout every horizon.
a ray from you across all horizons.
With splendor spanning all horizons because of you
Sending forth a ray into every horizon.
مَنwhoever يختلفdisagrees كلّall الورىhumankind فيabout حُبِّهِloving him
مَن يختلف كلّ الورى في حُبِّهِ
فَأبوbut Abu المطرّفal-Mutarrif حبُّهlove for him إِجماعُunanimity
فَأبو المطرّف حبُّه إِجماعُ
Whoever it may be whose love all mankind disputes,
Whoever else all mankind may differ over loving,
Whoever's love differs across all people
While all mankind may differ in whom they love,
the love of Abu al-Mutarrif is unanimous.
yet love for Abu al-Mutarrif is unanimous.
Abu Al-Mutarrif's love for you is consensus
For Abu al-Mutarrif, affection is a consensus.
شَهِدَتْhave attested عُقولُthe minds العالَمينَof all humankind بفضْلِهِto his excellence
شَهِدَتْ عُقولُ العالَمينَ بفضْلِهِ
فسواءٌso alike الأعداءُthe enemies والأشياعُand the followers
فسواءٌ الأعداءُ والأشياعُ
The minds of all the world bear witness to his excellence;
The minds of all mankind have attested to his excellence;
The intellects of both worlds have witnessed your superiority
The minds of all worlds bear witness to his virtue,
enemies and followers are alike in this.
so enemies and followers are alike.
Enemies and followers are equal
Alike in this are his enemies and his partisans.
مِصبَاحُthe lamp مَالقَةٍof Málaga أرادَsought خُمودَهits extinguishing
مِصبَاحُ مَالقَةٍ أرادَ خُمودَه
قَومٌsome people ليرتَفِعواso they might rise وهمthough they are أَوْضاعُlowly
قَومٌ ليرتَفِعوا وهم أَوْضاعُ
The lamp of Málaga—a people sought to extinguish it
Málaga's lamp—its quenching was sought
The lamp of Malaga they wished to extinguish
The Lamp of Málaga—a people sought to dim his light,
so that they might rise, though they themselves were lowly.
by men seeking to rise, though they were base.
A people wishing to rise though they are lowly
Plotting to rise, though they are base and low.
فالعامُso the year لمnot يَكملwas complete لعزلَتِهِsince his dismissal بهاin it
فالعامُ لم يَكمل لعزلَتِهِ بها
حتَّىuntil علَتْrose high يَدهُhis hand وطالَand grew long الباعُthe arm-span
حتَّى علَتْ يَدهُ وطالَ الباعُ
Yet a year had not passed after his removal there
So a year had not elapsed since his dismissal there
So the year did not complete with his isolation there
Yet the year of his exile there had not completed,
before his hand prevailed and his reach grew long.
before his hand rose high and his reach grew long.
Until his hand was high and his sale was long
Before his hand rose high and his power reached far.
اِنْظُرlook إليهِat him اليَّومَtoday كيفَhow أصابَهُstruck him
اِنْظُر إليهِ اليَّومَ كيفَ أصابَهُ
صرفُthe vicissitudes الزَّمانِof time وليسَand there is no عَنهfor him دِفاعُdefense
صرفُ الزَّمانِ وليسَ عَنه دِفاعُ
Look at him today—how the vicissitudes of time have struck him,
Look at him today: how he has been struck
Look at him today, how the turning of time has struck him
Look at his rival today, how he has been struck by
with no defense against them.
by time's vicissitudes, with no defense for him.
With no defense against it
The shifting turns of Time, from which there is no defense.
لولاwere it not for إِساءَتُهُhis wrongdoing إليكَtoward you وظلمُهand his injustice
لولا إِساءَتُهُ إليكَ وظلمُه
لغَداhe would have gone forth وأنتَwhile you were لهfor him يَدٌa hand وذِرَاعُand an arm
لغَدا وأنتَ له يَدٌ وذِرَاعُ
Had it not been for his offense against you and his injustice,
Were it not for his wrongdoing toward you and his injustice,
Were it not for his wronging you and injustice
Had it not been for his ill-conduct and wrong toward you,
he would have had you as a hand and arm of support.
he would have gone forth with you as his hand and arm.
He would be tomorrow your hand and forearm
He would have remained with you as his helping hand and arm.
بينَbetween اِبنIbn (son of) حسُّونٍHassun وشَعبِيِّand Sha'bi الهُدىguidance
بينَ اِبن حسُّونٍ وشَعبِيِّ الهُدى
مِنfrom ثدْيِthe breast خالِصَةِpure essence الإِخَاءِof brotherhood رَضاعُsuckling
مِن ثدْيِ خالِصَةِ الإِخَاءِ رَضاعُ
Between Ibn Hassun and Sha‘bi al-Huda there is
Between Ibn Hassun and Sha'bi of guidance
Between Ibn Hassoun and Shuaibi of guidance
Between Ibn Hassun and the Sha'bi of Guidance,
a shared suckling at the breast of pure brotherhood.
is shared suckling at the breast of pure brotherhood.
From the teat of pure brotherhood they suckled
Is a bond suckled from the breast of pure brotherhood.
ياoh مَاhow أَجَلَّهُمَاaugust they both are وأَشْبَهَand how similar ذاthis one بِذاto that one
يا مَا أَجَلَّهُمَا وأَشْبَهَ ذا بِذا
حسُنَتْare beautiful وجُوهٌfaces منهماof them both وطِباعُand natures
حسُنَتْ وجُوهٌ منهما وطِباعُ
Oh, how noble they both are, and how like each is to the other!
Oh, how august they both are, and how this one resembles that!
Oh how majestic they both are and how alike one to the other
How majestic are they both, and how like one another!
How fair in both are countenance and character!
Beautiful are their faces and their natures.
Beautiful faces and natures from them both
Beautiful are their countenances and their characters.
ماhow أَحْسَنَbeautiful الدُّنياthe world بحُسنِهماthrough the beauty of them both الّذيwhich
ما أَحْسَنَ الدُّنيا بحُسنِهما الّذي
تلتذُّهdelight in it الأبصارُeyes والأَسماعُand ears
تلتذُّه الأبصارُ والأَسماعُ
How beautiful the world is through that beauty of theirs
How beautiful the world is through their beauty, which
How good is the world with their beauty which
How lovely is the world through their excellence,
in which eyes and ears alike delight!
eyes and ears delight in!
Eyes and ears enjoy and are delighted by
Which delights the vision and the hearing.
خُلِقَاthey were both created لنَصْرِto champion الدِّينthe faith والكَرَمand generosity الّذيwhich
خُلِقَا لنَصْرِ الدِّين والكَرَم الّذي
تَخْضَرُّgrows green منهfrom it بَسِيطةٌa plain وتِلاعُand hillsides
تَخْضَرُّ منه بَسِيطةٌ وتِلاعُ
They were created to champion the faith and that generosity
They were both created to champion the faith and generosity, which
Created to champion the faith and generosity that
Created to succor the Faith, and for a generosity
by which plains and hillsides turn green.
makes plains and hillsides grow green.
Makes plains blossom and hills green
From which the plains and hills turn lush and green.
كمهَنَّديْنِlike two Indian swords مُجَرَّدْينِunsheathed بريَّةٍin Rayya
كمهَنَّديْنِ مُجَرَّدْينِ بريَّةٍ
تَنْبُوrecoil الظُّبَىsword edges وكِلاهماyet both of them قَطَّاعُkeen cutters
تَنْبُو الظُّبَى وكِلاهما قَطَّاعُ
Like two drawn Indian swords in the wilderness—
Like two unsheathed Indian swords in Rayya,
Like two well-groomed warriors in the wilderness
Like two Indian swords, unsheathed before the world;
other blades recoil, while both of them cut keenly.
where blades recoil, yet both cut keenly.
Where gazelles spring up and both are cutters
Where other blades recoil, these two sever deep.