علاكyour eminence منfrom النوائبcalamities فيin أمانsafety
علاك من النوائب في أمان
وجاركand your neighbor والكواكبand the stars فيin مكانone place
وجارك والكواكب في مكان
Your eminence is safe from calamities,
You are protected from misfortunes,
And your neighbor dwells in the same place as the stars.
With your neighbor and the stars in place.
وأنتand you أحنthe kindest منof those whom مدتwas stretched إليهtoward him
وأنت أحن من مدت إليه
يسارthe left hand السؤلof entreaty أوor يمنىthe right hand الأمانيof hopes
يسار السؤل أو يمنى الأماني
And you are the kindest to whom is stretched
You are kinder than one who extends
The left hand of entreaty or the right hand of hopes.
The left of request or the right of wishes.
يعودكvisits you عادreturned عودthe bough الجودof generosity غضاfresh and tender
يعودك عاد عود الجود غضا
وأصعبتand became intractable المنىhopes بعدafter الحرانِbalking
وأصعبت المنى بعد الحرانِ
One visits you, and generosity's bough grows fresh again,
May your generosity return as it began,
And hopes grew unruly after their balking.
And may wishes come easy after hardship.
وأضحىand became الشعرpoetry غاليexpensive السعرin price جداvery
وأضحى الشعر غالي السعر جدا
وكانand it used to be يباعsold فيin سوىother than الهوانhumiliation
وكان يباع في سوى الهوان
And poetry became very high-priced,
Poetry has become very expensive,
Though it used to be sold for something other than humiliation.
It was once sold for mere pittance.
سمعناwe heard بالندىof generosity خيراًgood things فلماthen, when
سمعنا بالندى خيراً فلما
سمحتyou gave freely بداappeared لناto us نظرthe sight العيانof firsthand observation
سمحت بدا لنا نظر العيان
We heard good things of generosity; then, when
We heard good tidings ofdew, but when
You gave freely, we saw it with our own eyes.
You allowed, the sight was revealed to us.
إذاwhen ادخرhoarded الهجينthe baseborn لهاهhis bounty لؤماout of meanness
إذا ادخر الهجين لهاه لؤما
بذلتyou gave freely سجيهdisposition (apparently سجية) الحرقburning (unclear here) الهجانpure and noble
بذلت سجيه الحرق الهجان
When the baseborn hoards his bounty out of meanness,
When the unlucky hoard their misfortune,
You give freely, with a pure, noble disposition [one word unclear].
You spend your bounty dispelling distress.
عليماknowing أنthat كنزthe treasure الحمدof praise باقendures
عليما أن كنز الحمد باق
عليكto your credit وأنand that ماwhat تحويهyou possess it فانِis perishable
عليك وأن ما تحويه فانِ
Knowing that the treasure of praise endures
Knowing that the treasure of praise is eternal
To your credit, while what you possess must perish.
Upon you, and what you contain perishes.
أنأfirst fragment of 'fingers' ملsecond fragment of 'fingers' أيدياhands خلقتwere created جعاداtight-fisted
أنأ مل أيديا خلقت جعادا
وفيناand among us راحتكyour palm السبطتانthe two open ones
وفينا راحتك السبطتان
The fingers of hands were created tight-fisted [text fragmented],
My hands did not create pleading,
While your two open palms are among us.
In you rests our comfort, O two rivers!
حلفتI swore بأنthat نونNūn الدينal-Dīn (of the faith) معنىintent
حلفت بأن نون الدين معنى
بأسرon capturing محامدpraises وفكاكand freeing عانيa captive
بأسر محامد وفكاك عاني
I swore that Nūn al-Dīn is intent
I swear the noon of religion means
On capturing praise and freeing a captive.
Freeing fettered praises and relieving agonies.
فزاريّFazārī المناسبin lineage حاتميḤātim-like السthe… (word fragment)
فزاريّ المناسب حاتمي الس
سماحgenerosity العدّinexhaustible قسيّQuss-like البيانin eloquence
سماح العدّ قسيّ البيان
Fazārī in lineage, Ḥātim-like in
Visiting when appropriate, decisive when
Inexhaustible generosity, Quss-like in eloquence.
Generous, eloquent in speech.
يرجىhe inspires hope حينwhen تسألهyou ask him ويخشىand he is feared
يرجى حين تسأله ويخشى
ويصرفand averts بأسهhis might صرفthe turns الرمانof pomegranates (unclear here)
ويصرف بأسه صرف الرمان
He inspires hope when you ask him, and fear,
Hopeful when asked, and fearful,
And his might averts the turns of 'pomegranates' [wording unclear].
Deflecting harm as arrows deflected.
كريمnoble الخيمin character محمودpraised السجاياfor natural qualities
كريم الخيم محمود السجايا
شجاعbrave القلبin heart واليدand hand واللسانِand tongue
شجاع القلب واليد واللسانِ
Noble in character, praised for his natural qualities,
Noble, praiseworthy, courageous of heart,
Brave in heart and hand and tongue.
Hand, and tongue. Dignified, though spirits raged,
وقورdignified الجأmind (uncertain reading) عنaway from أنthat طاشتbecame flighty حلومjudgments
وقور الجأ عن أن طاشت حلوم
أبانhe revealed منthrough الرزانةsteadiness عنabout إبانِAbān (uncertain name)
أبان من الرزانة عن إبانِ
Dignified in [mind?], far from letting judgment run wild,
Signaling composure at all times.
His steadiness reveals an Abān [name uncertain].
When the horizon darkens, a glowing
إذاwhen اسودَّdarkened الفضاthe expanse أبصرتyou saw منهin him
إذا اسودَّ الفضا أبصرت منه
مضىءradiant العزمin resolve مضَّاءdecisive الجانِthe jinn (unclear here)
مضىء العزم مضَّاء الجانِ
When the expanse darkens, you see in him
Resolve and bright essence is seen in him.
A radiant resolve and a resolute [heart?].
Firm and sound of judgment, he is aided
شديدstrong البأسin battle ذاpossessing رأيjudgment سديدsound
شديد البأس ذا رأي سديد
يعانone is aided بهthrough him علىagainst الحربwar العوانِrenewed
يعان به على الحرب العوانِ
Mighty in battle, possessed of sound judgment,
Against wars by the helper.
Through whom one gains help in renewed war.
He protects and swords drip blood,
يحاميhe defends والأسنةwhile the spearheads دامياتare bloodied
يحامي والأسنة داميات
ويحميand he protects العرضhonor بالعرضwith worldly possessions المهانِheld cheap
ويحمي العرض بالعرض المهانِ
He defends while the spearheads drip with blood,
Shielding honor with dishonored blood.
And protects honor with wealth he holds cheap.
One day his generosity and war intertwined,
فيوماthus, on the two days جودهof his generosity والحربand war يلفىhe is found
فيوما جوده والحرب يلفى
سنيّillustrious الوفدin delegation مخضوبbloodstained السنانِin spearhead
سنيّ الوفد مخضوب السنانِ
Thus, on his days of giving and war, he is found
Gray delegations came bloodstained.
With an illustrious delegation and a bloodstained spearhead.
He prepared for every serpent a thorn
أعدhe prepared لكلfor every داهيةcalamity نادgrievous (apparently نآد)
أعد لكل داهية ناد
ويومand a day ذيbeset with خطوبأرونانِtroubles—dreadful (fused words)
ويوم ذي خطوبأرونانِ
He has readied, for every grievous calamity
And a day of great tribulations.
And a dreadful day beset with troubles,
Dark, he raged against the masters of barren sands
أسودlions وغىof battle علىupon سيدانwolves قفرof the wasteland
أسود وغى على سيدان قفر
لهاfor them غابa thicket منof السمرtawny spears اللّدانِsupple
لها غاب من السمر اللّدانِ
Lions of battle upon wolves of the wasteland,
Until the red hillocks hid.
Whose thicket is made of supple, tawny spears.
He made them pale with piercing white blades
فأشقرهso his chestnut one منfrom الهبواتdustclouds جونis black
فأشقره من الهبوات جون
وأبيضهand his white one منfrom الخهجاتlifeblood (uncertain reading) قانِis crimson
وأبيضه من الخهجات قانِ
His chestnut one is blackened by dustclouds,
And strikes of straight sword.
And his white one is crimson with [lifeblood?].
He severed the rope of love for one who severs his
أغرradiant ممرtightly twisted حبلthe cord الودّof friendship حلوsweet
أغر ممر حبل الودّ حلو
لخاطبto the seeker رفدهof his bounty مرbitter الطّعانِin spear-combat
لخاطب رفده مر الطّعانِ
Radiant, firm in friendship's cord, sweet
Sweetly addressing his foeman’s blade.
To the seeker of his bounty, bitter in spear-combat.
He forgave by his nobility the offender, and picked
عفاhe pardoned كرماout of nobility عنfor الجانيthe offender وأدنىand brought close
عفا كرما عن الجاني وأدنى
قطوفfruit clusters نunintelligible fragment نداهof his bounty منclose to يدthe hand كلof every جانِgatherer
قطوف ن نداه من يد كل جانِ
He pardoned the offender out of nobility, and drew
Ripe fruits with the palms of every rebel.
The fruits of his bounty close to every gatherer's hand.
No torrents deterred him, no plains or passes,
فماso no سيلtorrent نسخَّطهwe anger it (text uncertain) المواميthe barren wastes
فما سيل نسخَّطه الموامي
وتحمدهand praise it النقائعthe pools والمجانيand gardens
وتحمده النقائع والمجاني
So no torrent—angered by the barren wastes [verb uncertain]
He rose high, and I saw a wave
And praised by pools and gardens—
More radiant and faced than old tatters,
تسنمrose high فارعاtowering فرأيتthen you saw موجاwaves
تسنم فارعا فرأيت موجا
كأسنمةlike the humps المخرَّمةِof nose-pierced camels الهجانِpurebred
كأسنمة المخرَّمةِ الهجانِ
That rose towering, so you saw its waves
My ecstasy and retainers are two rivers!
Like the humps of purebred camels with pierced noses,
By the weight of them my feast gained credence,
بأندىmore generous منthan أخلاقاin character ووجهاand countenance
بأندى من أخلاقا ووجها
لمستجدto a petitioner وحاشيتيand the two sides بنانof fingertips
لمستجد وحاشيتي بنان
Is more generous than [you] in character and countenance
And I surrendered, worthy of gifts and congratulations.
To a petitioner, or in either side of the fingertips.
فعنso, from (unclear here) وزنهنtheir weight (unclear here) عشرten العيدof the feast وأسلمand remain safe
فعن وزنهن عشر العيد وأسلم
جديراworthy بالمدائعof praises (apparently المدائح) والتهانيand congratulations
جديرا بالمدائع والتهاني
So [opening words unclear]—the feast's ten [days]—and remain safe,
Worthy of praises and congratulations.
Partial English translation: 49 of 52 Arabic lines translated.