ياO ناصرchampion of الآدابletters عدْreturn
يا ناصر الآداب عدْ
عودreturn of الربيعspring إلىto حماكyour domain
عود الربيع إلى حماك
O champion of letters, return
as spring returns to your domain.
وارحمand have mercy on قلوبhearts of المخلصيthe devoted (fragment)
وارحم قلوب المخلصي
نending of 'the devoted' المغرمينthose enamored بملتقاكof meeting you
ن المغرمين بملتقاك
And have mercy on the hearts of the devoted,
who are enamored of meeting you.
واحللand settle محلكyour place فيهمُamong them
واحلل محلك فيهمُ
فلقدfor indeed أضرcaused harm بهمto them نواكyour absence
فلقد أضر بهم نواك
And take your place among them;
for your absence has harmed them.
وأقمand hold لأهلfor the people of الفضلmerit موfestival (fragment)
وأقم لأهل الفضل مو
سمهمtheir festival (completion) كماas اعتادتhas been accustomed علاكyour eminence
سمهم كما اعتادت علاك
And hold for the people of merit
their festival, as your eminence is accustomed to do.
وتلقَّand receive غاليةperfume المداthe praises (fragment)
وتلقَّ غالية المدا
ئحending of 'the praises' معلناًdeclaring لهمto them رضاكyour approval
ئح معلناً لهم رضاك
And receive the perfume of praises,
declaring to them your approval.
لولاwere it not for قواعدrules لاnot تريyou wish (fragment)
لولا قواعد لا تري
دending of 'you wish' لهاfor them انحلالاًdissolution وانتهاكand violation
د لها انحلالاً وانتهاك
Were it not for rules you do not wish
to see dissolved or violated,
وحكومةand a government شكرتgave thanks لكto you الthe (definite article)
وحكومة شكرت لك ال
نعمfavors التيthat صنعتwrought يداكyour two hands
نعم التي صنعت يداك
and a government that thanked you for
the favors your two hands bestowed,
وديونand debts أقوامpeople عليupon (fragment)
وديون أقوام علي
هاit (completion) لاnot ترىyou see منهاfrom them انفكاكrelease
ها لا ترى منها انفكاك
and debts to others weighing upon
it, from which you see no escape,
لَجعلتَyou would have granted للشعراءto the poets فيin
لَجعلتَ للشعراء في
ماليةfinances of القطرthe country اشتراكa share
مالية القطر اشتراك
you would have granted the poets
a share in the country's finances;
وتقاسمواand they would have shared out منهاfrom it نصيshare (fragment)
وتقاسموا منها نصي
بَهُمُtheir share (completion) كماas اقتسمواthey shared out نداكyour bounty
بَهُمُ كما اقتسموا نداك
and they would have divided their portion of it,
as they divided your bounty.
أنتyou الأميرthe prince لمنto whomever تلبyou answer (fragment)
أنت الأمير لمن تلب
بيهhim (completes 'you answer him') وتنجدand you aid إذwhen دعاكhe called upon you
بيه وتنجد إذ دعاك
You are the prince to whomever you answer
and aid when he calls upon you.
تُعطيyou give فتمتلكand thus you possess النفوthe souls (fragment)
تُعطي فتمتلك النفو
سending of 'the souls' بأسرهاin their entirety أيwhat a امتلاكpossession
س بأسرها أي امتلاك
You give, and thus possess souls
entirely—what utter possession!
وخلاand is absent نظيركyour equal فيin البلاthe land (fragment)
وخلا نظيرك في البلا
دending of 'the land' فلاso not أرىI see سمحاًa generous person سواكexcept you
د فلا أرى سمحاً سواك
And you have no equal in the land;
I see no generous person but you.
ولقدand indeed طلعتyou dawned علىupon فؤاheart (fragment)
ولقد طلعت على فؤا
ديmy heart (completion) قبلماbefore عينيmy eye تراكsees you
دي قبلما عيني تراك
And you dawned upon my heart
before my eye beheld you.
ووجدتand I found حلَّتَكyour robe المهاdignity (fragment)
ووجدت حلَّتَك المها
بةending of 'dignity' والمروءةand chivalry منamong حلاكyour adornments
بة والمروءة من حلاك
And I found your robe to be
dignity, and chivalry among your adornments.
يهتزquivers للمدحat praise اهتزاquivering (fragment)
يهتز للمدح اهتزا
زending of 'quivering' المشرفيةMashrafi swords معطفاكyour two flanks
ز المشرفية معطفاك
At praise, your flanks quiver
like Mashrafi swords.
وتفيضand you overflow للراجيfor the one hoping for الندىbounty
وتفيض للراجي الندى
بشراًwith gladness فتشرقso shine وجنتاكyour two cheeks
بشراً فتشرق وجنتاك
And you overflow for one who hopes for bounty
with gladness, so your cheeks shine.
ويشفand reveal عماabout what فيin فؤاheart (fragment)
ويشف عما في فؤا
دكyour heart (completion) منof حنانtenderness ناظراكyour two eyes
دك من حنان ناظراك
And the tenderness in your heart
shines through your eyes.
ضمنsecured المنىwishes لكfor you والرضىand contentment
ضمن المنى لك والرضى
ومظاهرand splendors of الدنياthe world هداكyour guidance
ومظاهر الدنيا هداك
Your guidance secured you wishes and contentment,
and the splendors of the world.
وأنالكand granted you المجدglory الكبيgreat (fragment)
وأنالك المجد الكبي
رending of 'great' علىabove رفاقكyour peers أصغراكyour two smallest organs: heart and tongue
ر على رفاقك أصغراك
And great glory was won for you
above your peers by your two smallest organs—heart and tongue.
وكفاكand it suffices you أنthat تدعىyou be called نصيchampion (fragment)
وكفاك أن تدعى نصي
رending of 'champion' العلمlearning مكرمةan honor كفاكit suffices you
ر العلم مكرمة كفاك
And it is enough for you to be called
champion of learning—an honor enough for you.
شرفan honor تباهىtook pride المخلصوthe devoted (fragment)
شرف تباهى المخلصو
نending of 'the devoted' بهin it كماas اعترفتacknowledged عداكyour enemies
ن به كما اعترفت عداك
An honor in which the devoted took pride,
as your foes have acknowledged.
لمdid not أنسI forget قولكyour words ليto me وقاwhile the cruel (fragment)
لم أنس قولك لي وقا
سيending of 'cruel' الداءillness ينذرthreatens بالهلاكwith death
سي الداء ينذر بالهلاك
I have not forgotten your words to me, while
cruel illness threatened death:
ساءgrieved الفضائلthe virtues ماwhat دهاكbefell you
ساء الفضائل ما دهاك
فمتىso when أرىshall I see الآسيthe healer شفاكhas cured you
فمتى أرى الآسي شفاك
"What has befallen you has grieved the virtues;
so when shall I see that the healer has cured you?"
أنهضتنيyou raised me up كالليثlike a lion بعafter (fragment)
أنهضتني كالليث بع
دَending of 'after' العجزinability عنto بعضa little الحراكmovement
دَ العجز عن بعض الحراك
You raised me up like a lion,
after I had been unable to stir even a little.
ومددتand you extended ليto me سبباًa cord جعلmade (fragment)
ومددت لي سبباً جعل
تI (completes 'I made') بهwith it محلَّتِيَmy dwelling السماكal-Simak, a star
ت به محلَّتِيَ السماك
And you stretched out to me a cord,
by which I made al-Simak my dwelling.
فكأننيso it is as though I فيthrough عزمكyour resolve الthe (definite article)
فكأنني في عزمك ال
ماضيunwavering سموتI rose وفيand through قواكyour strength
ماضي سموت وفي قواك
So it is as though, through your resolve,
unwavering, and through your strength, I rose.
ليI have منfrom كلامكyour words جوهرٌa jewel
لي من كلامك جوهرٌ
غالٍprecious كماjust as ليI have منfrom غناكyour wealth
غالٍ كما لي من غناك
From your words I have a jewel,
precious, just as from your wealth I have
بُدَرٌpurses of money وددتI wished لهنfor them لوthat (wish marker)
بُدَرٌ وددت لهن لو
قبلتI kissed كفكyour palm ثمthen فاكyour mouth
قبلت كفك ثم فاك
purses of money, for which I wished
that I might kiss your palm, and then your mouth.
إنindeed انتفاعيmy benefit منfrom ثراwealth (fragment)
إن انتفاعي من ثرا
ئكyour wealth (completion) مثلlike نفعيmy benefit منfrom حجاكyour wisdom
ئك مثل نفعي من حجاك
Indeed, my benefit from your wealth
is like my benefit from your wisdom.