ياO مَنyou who عَلاrose شَرَفاًin honor عَلىabove كيوانِSaturn
يا مَن عَلا شَرَفاً عَلى كيوانِ
وَرَقىand ascended مَحَلّاًto a station دونَهُbeneath it القَمَرانِthe sun and moon
وَرَقى مَحَلّاً دونَهُ القَمَرانِ
O you who rose in honor above Saturn,
O you who attained nobility above all creatures
And ascended to a station beneath which lie the sun and moon,
And ascended to a station beyond the two luminaries
وَقَضىand judged بِحَقٍّwith justice فيamong الرَعيّةِthe subjects سالِكاًleading
وَقَضى بِحَقٍّ في الرَعيّةِ سالِكاً
بِهِمُwith them طَريقاًa path سَنّهاlaid it down العُمرانِthe two ʿUmars
بِهِمُ طَريقاً سَنّها العُمرانِ
And judged justly among the people, leading
And judged the people with truth as your guide
Them along a path laid down by the two ʿUmars.
Along a path you laid out for civilization
شِيَمُthe ways الكِرامof the noble كماas عَلِمتُI have learned إِذاwhen جَنىcommitted an offense
شِيَمُ الكِرام كما عَلِمتُ إِذا جَنى
عَبدٌa servant لَهُمof theirs الأَخذُthe choice بِالغُفرانِof forgiveness
عَبدٌ لَهُم الأَخذُ بِالغُفرانِ
The custom of the noble, as I have learned, when wrong is done
The trait of nobility, as I knew, is when
By a servant of theirs, is to choose forgiveness.
A servant shows them forgiveness in taking from them
كُلٌّeverything يَهونis bearable سِوىexcept شَماتَةِthe gloating حُسَّديof my enviers
كُلٌّ يَهون سِوى شَماتَةِ حُسَّدي
لَمّاwhen فُلانٌso-and-so يَلتَقيmeets بِفُلانِwith so-and-so
لَمّا فُلانٌ يَلتَقي بِفُلانِ
All is bearable except my enviers' gloating
All is trivial except the gloating of my envious enemies
When so-and-so meets so-and-so.
When so-and-so encounters so-and-so
هُمthey سَوَّدُواthey blackened حَسَداًout of envy بَياضَthe whiteness صَحيفَتيof my page
هُم سَوَّدُوا حَسَداً بَياضَ صَحيفَتي
بِزَخارِفِwith embellishments الأَقوالِof speech وَالبُهتانِand slander
بِزَخارِفِ الأَقوالِ وَالبُهتانِ
They blackened, out of envy, the whiteness of my page
They blackened out of envy the whiteness of my page
With embellished words and slander.
With the decorations of words and false accusations
هَلّاwould you not كَفَيتَنِيَyou shielded me العِداthe foes مُتَذَكِّراًrecalling
هَلّا كَفَيتَنِيَ العِدا مُتَذَكِّراً
قَولَthe words الأَديبof the man of letters عَصابةʿIṣāba الجَرجانيal-Jurjānī
قَولَ الأَديب عَصابة الجَرجاني
Will you not shield me from my foes, recalling
Why did the enemies not suffice reminding me
The words of the man of letters ʿIṣāba al-Jurjānī:
Of the words of the eloquent, assembly of al-Jurjani
وَنقَضتand you dismantled مِنّيfrom me بِنيَتيmy structure وَبنَيتَنِيand you rebuilt me
وَنقَضت مِنّي بِنيَتي وَبنَيتَنِي
بِيَدَيكَwith your two hands أَحسنthe finest بنيَةform البُنيانِof construction
بِيَدَيكَ أَحسن بنيَة البُنيانِ
And you dismantled my structure and rebuilt me,
You demolished my structure and rebuilt me
With your two hands, in the finest form of construction.
With your hands into the best built structure
فَعَلَيكَso it is your duty تَقويميto straighten me إِذاif ماever مالَbent بيme
فَعَلَيكَ تَقويمي إِذا ما مالَ بي
أَوَدٌcrookedness لِأَنَّكَbecause you أَنتَyou yourself كُنتَyou were البانيthe builder
أَوَدٌ لِأَنَّكَ أَنتَ كُنتَ الباني
So it falls to you to set me straight, if ever I am bent
So upon you is to straighten me if I lean
By crookedness, for you yourself were the builder.
For you were the one who built me in the first place