تمَّis complete لِسانُtongue العَرَبthe Arabs
تمَّ لِسانُ العَرَب
فَجاءَand it came قَصدَthe aim of الأَرَبِdesire
فَجاءَ قَصدَ الأَرَبِ
The Tongue of the Arabs was completed,
Lisān al-ʿArab is complete,
and it came as desire’s very aim.
and has reached the desired goal.
عِشرونَtwenty سِفراًvolumes بَعدَهاafter them
عِشرونَ سِفراً بَعدَها
سَبعseven ذواتcontaining نخَبِchoice selections
سَبع ذوات نخَبِ
Twenty volumes, followed by
Twenty volumes, followed by
seven containing choice selections.
seven containing choice selections.
جاءَcame جَمالُJamāl (beauty) الدينِal-Dīn (the faith) فيin
جاءَ جَمالُ الدينِ في
تَصنيفِهِhis compilation بِالعَجَبِwith a marvel
تَصنيفِهِ بِالعَجَبِ
Jamal al-Din brought, in
Jamāl al-Dīn has brought forth, in
his compilation, a marvel.
his compilation, a marvel.
أَبقاهُhe left it ذُخراًa treasure للوَرىfor humankind
أَبقاهُ ذُخراً للوَرى
يَبقَىit endures بَقاءَthe endurance of الحِقَبِthe ages
يَبقَى بَقاءَ الحِقَبِ
He left it a treasure for humankind,
He left it as a treasure for humankind,
to endure as the ages endure.
to endure as long as the ages.
طَوّقَhe encircled جيدَthe neck of عَصرِهِhis age
طَوّقَ جيدَ عَصرِهِ
طَوقاًa necklace بِهِwith it مِنof ذَهَبِgold
طَوقاً بِهِ مِن ذَهَبِ
He wreathed the neck of his age
He encircled the neck of his age
with it—a collar of gold.
with it—a necklace of gold.
رَصَّعَهُhe studded it بِجَوهَرٍwith jewels
رَصَّعَهُ بِجَوهَرٍ
فَصارَso it became زَينَthe adornment of الكُتُبِbooks
فَصارَ زَينَ الكُتُبِ
He studded it with gems,
He studded it with jewels,
and it became the ornament of books.
so it became the adornment of books.
كِتابُهُhis book شَمسُthe sun of الضُحىmidmorning
كِتابُهُ شَمسُ الضُحى
وَكُتبُهُمand their books كَالشُهُبِlike the shooting stars
وَكُتبُهُم كَالشُهُبِ
His book is the sun of bright forenoon,
His book is the sun of midmorning,
and their books are like shooting stars.
and their books are like shooting stars.
مِنfrom أُسرَةٍa family بَذّواthey surpassed الوَرىhumankind
مِن أُسرَةٍ بَذّوا الوَرى
بِسُمرِهِمwith their brown spears وَالقضبِand the keen swords
بِسُمرِهِم وَالقضبِ
From a family that surpassed mankind
From a family that surpassed humankind
with their brown-shafted spears and swords:
with their brown spears and keen swords.
أَبناءُsons of قَحطانَQaḥṭān الأُلىwho
أَبناءُ قَحطانَ الأُلى
سُمُّواwere called بِأَنصارِas the Helpers of النَّبِيthe Prophet
سُمُّوا بِأَنصارِ النَّبِي
the sons of Qahtan, those who
Sons of Qaḥṭān, who
were called the Helpers of the Prophet.
were called the Prophet's Anṣār (Helpers).
فَياand oh! لَهاfor it مِنof أُسرَةٍa family
فَيا لَها مِن أُسرَةٍ
شَريفَةٍnoble فيin النَّسَبِlineage
شَريفَةٍ في النَّسَبِ
Oh, what a family—
And oh, what a family,
noble in lineage!
noble in lineage!
جَمَّلَهمadorned them جمالهُمtheir Jamāl (their beauty)
جَمَّلَهم جمالهُم
إِنسانُpupil (of the eye) عَينِthe eye of الأَدَبِliterature
إِنسانُ عَينِ الأَدَبِ
Their Jamal made them beautiful,
Their Jamāl adorned them,
the pupil of literature’s eye.
the pupil of literature's eye.
سَقَىmay water الإِلهُGod قَبرَهُhis grave
سَقَى الإِلهُ قَبرَهُ
مِنfrom مُثجِماتِpouring abundant rain السُحُبِthe clouds
مِن مُثجِماتِ السُحُبِ
May God water his grave
May God water his grave
with rain from the teeming clouds;
from clouds pouring abundant rain;
وَلاand not تَزالُceases روحُهُhis soul
وَلا تَزالُ روحُهُ
مَعwith الحِسانِthe beautiful women العُرَّبِdevoted to their husbands
مَع الحِسانِ العُرَّبِ
and may his spirit remain forever
and may his soul forever remain
with the loving beauties,
with the fair women, devoted to their husbands,
فيin جَنَّةٍa garden يُسقىhe is given to drink بِهاin it
في جَنَّةٍ يُسقى بِها
مِنof لَبَنٍmilk وَضَرَبِand white honey
مِن لَبَنٍ وَضَرَبِ
in a garden where he is given to drink
in a garden where he is given to drink
of milk and honey.
milk and white honey.
