ماwhat ليis wrong with me لاnot يَرحَمُنيhe has mercy on me مَنthe one who أَرحَمُهI have mercy on him
ما لي لا يَرحَمُني مَن أَرحَمُه
يَظلُمُhe wrongs بِالهِجرانِthrough abandonment مَنthe one whom لاnot يَظلِمُهhe wrongs him
يَظلُمُ بِالهِجرانِ مَن لا يَظلِمُه
Why does the one I show mercy to show me none?
He wrongs through abandonment one who does not wrong him.
يُخطِئُmisses سَهميmy arrow وَتُصيبُand strike أَسهُمُهhis arrows
يُخطِئُ سَهمي وَتُصيبُ أَسهُمُه
وَإِنَّماand only أَسقَمَhas sickened قَلبيmy heart مُسقِمُهthe one who sickens it
وَإِنَّما أَسقَمَ قَلبي مُسقِمُه
My arrow misses, while his arrows strike.
Only the one who sickens it has made my heart ill.
أَسلَمَهُhe surrendered it لِلزَعفَرانِto saffron مِسلِمُهthe one who surrendered it
أَسلَمَهُ لِلزَعفَرانِ مِسلِمُه
أَحسَنُthe fairest مَنof those whose تَحمِلُcarries نَعلاًa sandal قَدَمُهhis foot
أَحسَنُ مَن تَحمِلُ نَعلاً قَدَمُه
The one who surrendered it handed it over to saffron.
He is the fairest of all whose foot bears a sandal.
لَكِنَّهُbut he يَصرِمُcuts off مَنthe one whom لاnot يَصرِمُهcuts him off
لَكِنَّهُ يَصرِمُ مَن لا يَصرِمُه
يُهينُهُhe humiliates him طَوراًat one time وَطَوراًand at another time يُكرِمُهhe honors him
يُهينُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً يُكرِمُه
Yet he cuts off one who does not cut him off.
At times he humiliates him, and at times he honors him.
وَتارَةًand sometimes يَرزُقُهُhe provides for him وَيَحرِمُهand he deprives him
وَتارَةً يَرزُقُهُ وَيَحرِمُه
بَدرٌa full moon بَداappeared فَانجابَand then cleared away عَنهُfrom around him ظُلَمُهhis darkness
بَدرٌ بَدا فَانجابَ عَنهُ ظُلَمُه
Sometimes he provides for him, and sometimes deprives him.
A full moon appeared, and the darkness around it rolled away.
وَإِنَّماand only لُؤلُؤَةٌa pearl تَبَسُّمُهhis smile
وَإِنَّما لُؤلُؤَةٌ تَبَسُّمُه
ماnot غَرَّdeceived دَهراًtime رابَنيmade me wary تَغَشُّمُهits violent assault
ما غَرَّ دَهراً رابَني تَغَشُّمُه
His smile is nothing but a pearl.
Time’s guile never fooled me; its violent assault made me wary.
وَكانَand it was لاnot يَهدِمُنيbreaking me down وَأَهدِمُهand I broke it down
وَكانَ لا يَهدِمُني وَأَهدِمُه
أَيّامَin the days when ليmine were مُبشَرُهُits outer skin وَمُؤدَمُهand its inner skin
أَيّامَ لي مُبشَرُهُ وَمُؤدَمُه
It did not break me down; I broke it down—
in the days when its outer and inner skins were mine,
أَيّامَin the days when رَأسيmy head كَالغُرابِlike the raven أَسحَمُهits blackest part
أَيّامَ رَأسي كَالغُرابِ أَسحَمُه
يُتَيّمُit makes lovesick الريمَthe white gazelle وَلاand not يُتَيّمُهit makes him lovesick
يُتَيّمُ الريمَ وَلا يُتَيّمُه
in the days when my head was raven-black.
It enthralled the white gazelle, but the gazelle did not enthrall it.
وَرُبَّماand sometimes زَلَّتslipped بِحُرٍّfor a noble man قَدَمُهhis foot
وَرُبَّما زَلَّت بِحُرٍّ قَدَمُه
وَالحُرُّand the noble man لاnot يَأخُذُis diminished مِنهُfrom him عَدَمُهhis poverty
وَالحُرُّ لا يَأخُذُ مِنهُ عَدَمُه
Yet a noble man’s foot may sometimes slip.
Poverty does not diminish the noble man,
وَلاand not يَزيدُadds فيto اللَئيمِthe base man دِرهَمُهhis dirham
وَلا يَزيدُ في اللَئيمِ دِرهَمُه
وَمَهمَهٍand a trackless desert مِثلَlike الفَنيقِthe stallion camel عَلَمُهits landmark
وَمَهمَهٍ مِثلَ الفَنيقِ عَلَمُه
nor does his dirham add worth to the base man.
And a trackless waste, its landmark like a stallion camel,
يَصدَحُcries aloud فيهِin it هامُهُits death-birds وَبُوَمُهand its owls
يَصدَحُ فيهِ هامُهُ وَبُوَمُه
وَقَدand already تَرَدّىwas cloaked بِالسَرابِin mirage أَكَمُهits hillocks
وَقَد تَرَدّى بِالسَرابِ أَكَمُه
where its death-birds and owls cry aloud,
its hillocks already cloaked in mirage;
يَلطِمُناbuffets us عِفريتُهُits demon وَنَلطِمُهand we buffet it
يَلطِمُنا عِفريتُهُ وَنَلطِمُه
وَاللَيلُand the night غِربيبُraven-black القَميصِof shirt أَدهَمُهits darkest part
وَاللَيلُ غِربيبُ القَميصِ أَدهَمُه
its demon buffets us, and we buffet it,
while night wears a raven-black shirt, at its darkest—
إِلىtoward الإِمامِthe Imam لاnot تَجُفُّrun dry قُذُمُهhis bounties
إِلى الإِمامِ لا تَجُفُّ قُذُمُه
مِنof عاجِلٍimmediate أَوor آجِلٍdeferred يُقَدِّمُهhe bestows it
مِن عاجِلٍ أَو آجِلٍ يُقَدِّمُه
toward the Imam, whose bounties never run dry,
whether immediate or deferred, which he bestows.
إِنَّindeed أَباAbu إِسحاقَIshaq عَمَّتhave spread everywhere نِعَمُهhis blessings
إِنَّ أَبا إِسحاقَ عَمَّت نِعَمُه
وَجَعجَعَتand brought low بِالناكِثينَthe oath-breakers نِقَمُهhis punishments
وَجَعجَعَت بِالناكِثينَ نِقَمُه
Indeed, Abu Ishaq’s blessings have spread everywhere,
and his punishments have brought the oath-breakers low.
خَليفَةٌa caliph يَعلَمُknows ماwhat لاnot نَعلَمُهwe know it
خَليفَةٌ يَعلَمُ ما لا نَعلَمُه
نيطَتwere fastened بِأَعلىto the highest النَجمِstar قِدَماًfrom of old هِمَمُهhis aspirations
نيطَت بِأَعلى النَجمِ قِدَماً هِمَمُه
A caliph who knows what we do not know;
his aspirations were fastened of old to the highest star.
وَطابَand became excellent مِنهُin him خيمُهُhis nature وَشيمُهand his traits
وَطابَ مِنهُ خيمُهُ وَشيمُه
لَوif كَلَّمَaddressed اللَهُGod إِماماًan imam كَلِمُهHis words
لَو كَلَّمَ اللَهُ إِماماً كَلِمُه
His nature and his traits are both excellent.
If God were to address an imam, His words would address him.
إِمامُan imam عَدلٍof justice كُلُّevery فَضلٍvirtue تَوأَمُهhis twin
إِمامُ عَدلٍ كُلُّ فَضلٍ تَوأَمُه
ثُمَّthen حَكيمٌa sage أَدَّبَتناhave schooled us حِكَمُهhis maxims
ثُمَّ حَكيمٌ أَدَّبَتنا حِكَمُه
An imam of justice, with every virtue as his twin;
then a sage whose maxims have schooled us.
يُلهَمُhe is inspired ماwith what كانَwas الرَشيدُal-Rashid يُلهَمُهhe was inspired with it
يُلهَمُ ما كانَ الرَشيدُ يُلهَمُه
قامَstood firm بِهِthrough him الدينthe Faith وَقامَتand stood firm دُعُمُهits pillars
قامَ بِهِ الدين وَقامَت دُعُمُه
He is inspired with what al-Rashid used to be inspired with.
Through him the Faith stands, and its pillars stand firm.
وَصالَحَand made peace with السَمعَthe wolf-hyena hybrid الأَزَلَّthe lean-haunched غَنَمُهhis flock
وَصالَحَ السَمعَ الأَزَلَّ غَنَمُه
ياO ناصِرَchampion of الإِسلامِIslam أَنتَyou are سَلَمُهits peace
يا ناصِرَ الإِسلامِ أَنتَ سَلَمُه
His flock has made peace with the lean-haunched wolf-hyena.
O champion of Islam, you are its peace.
يُثنيpraises عَلَيكَupon you حِلُّهُits profane realm وَحَرَمُهand its sacred realm
يُثني عَلَيكَ حِلُّهُ وَحَرَمُه
وَمِثلَهُand like it حَطيمُهُits Hatim وَزَمزَمُهand its Zamzam
وَمِثلَهُ حَطيمُهُ وَزَمزَمُه
Its profane and sacred realms praise you,
and, like them, its Hatim and its Zamzam praise you.
كَمhow many مِنof عَدُوٍّan enemy لَكَof yours مَألولٍimperiled دَمُهhis blood
كَم مِن عَدُوٍّ لَكَ مَألولٍ دَمُه
يَرعىwatches النُجومَthe stars وَالنُجومُand the stars تَرجُمُهstone him
يَرعى النُجومَ وَالنُجومُ تَرجُمُه
How many an enemy of yours has blood marked forfeit:
he watches the stars, and the stars stone him.
أَنتَyou are أَمينُthe trustee of اللَهِGod لاnot تُجَمجِمُهyou conceal it
أَنتَ أَمينُ اللَهِ لا تُجَمجِمُه
وَفيand in الحَديثِthe recent وَالقَديمِand the ancient كَرَمُهhis generosity
وَفي الحَديثِ وَالقَديمِ كَرَمُه
You are God’s trustee; you do not conceal His charge.
His generosity is found in both recent and ancient times.
وَخَيرُand the best بُنيانِedifice المُلوكِof kings أَقدَمُهits oldest
وَخَيرُ بُنيانِ المُلوكِ أَقدَمُه
وَالشامِخُand the lofty الباذِخُthe towering مِنهُof it قَشعَمُهits aged eagle
وَالشامِخُ الباذِخُ مِنهُ قَشعَمُه
The best royal edifice is the oldest of them,
and its lofty, towering summit is its aged eagle.
Translation model: Sol 5.6