موسَّعُlavish in المعروفِkindness رحْبُspacious in المنزلِthe dwelling
موسَّعُ المعروفِ رحْبُ المنزلِ
جمُّabundant in الرَّمادِashes فيin الجديبthe barren land المُمْحِلِdrought-stricken
جمُّ الرَّمادِ في الجديب المُمْحِلِ
Lavish in kindness, spacious in his dwelling,
The generous host has a spacious abode,
His ashes abound in the barren, drought-stricken land.
Filled with ashes in the empty valley.
كأنهُas though he were عندwhen التِفافِthe crowding of العُيَّلِthe needy
كأنهُ عند التِفافِ العُيَّلِ
والقومُand the people بينbetween خائِفٍa fearful person ومُرْمِلِand a destitute person
والقومُ بين خائِفٍ ومُرْمِلِ
When the needy crowd around him, he seems to be—
As if it were a twisting serpent
While the people are either fearful or destitute—
With people between fearful and hopeful.
سَلْسالُsweet-flowing water وِرْدٍa watering-place للظِّماءfor the thirsty مُثْعِلٍthronged
سَلْسالُ وِرْدٍ للظِّماء مُثْعِلٍ
أوor أيْهَمُinaccessible الصَّهوةthe summit ضخمmassive الكلْكلthe breast
أو أيْهَمُ الصَّهوة ضخم الكلْكل
A sweet-flowing watering-place, thronged by the thirsty,
A necklace of pearls for the thirsty,
Or a mountain with an inaccessible crest and a massive breast,
Or the illusion of a loud bell.
لاnot يُرتقىcan be climbed بحِيَلِby stratagems of التَّوَقُّلِclambering upward
لا يُرتقى بحِيَلِ التَّوَقُّلِ
مُحلِّقٌtowering يُرْخيmakes droop جناحthe wing of الأجْدَلِthe falcon
مُحلِّقٌ يُرْخي جناح الأجْدَلِ
Unscalable by the stratagems of climbing,
It cannot be reached by cunning tricks,
Towering so high it makes the falcon's wing droop.
A soaring eagle spreading its wings.
فجارهُso his neighbor وضَيْفُهُand his guest فيin مَعْقِلِa stronghold
فجارهُ وضَيْفُهُ في مَعْقِلِ
محمَّدُMuhammad الخيرِof goodness مُشارpointed to الأنْمُلِthe fingertips
محمَّدُ الخيرِ مُشار الأنْمُلِ
Thus his neighbor and his guest are in a stronghold.
Its neighbor and guest are in a fortress,
Muhammad the good, to whom fingers point,
Muhammad the virtuous pointed with fingers.
خيرُthe finest وزيرٍvizier حلَّoccupied صدرthe head of المحْفِلthe assembly
خيرُ وزيرٍ حلَّ صدر المحْفِل
وزانَand adorned جمعَيْboth gatherings محْفِلٍan assembly وجحفلand an army
وزانَ جمعَيْ محْفِلٍ وجحفل
The finest vizier, who sat at the head of the assembly,
The best of ministers who cheered the assembly,
And graced both gatherings, council and army.
And weighed the importance of gatherings.
حَوىattained العُلىhigh glory بمزْبَرٍwith a pen ومُنْصُلِand a sword
حَوى العُلى بمزْبَرٍ ومُنْصُلِ
وفاقَand surpassed أشْرافthe nobles of الطِّرازِthe rank الأولthe foremost
وفاقَ أشْراف الطِّرازِ الأول
He attained the heights with pen and sword,
It contained the heights with pulpits and platforms,
And surpassed the nobles of the foremost rank,
And surpassed the finest of lineages.
بسَعْيهِthrough his striving والنَّسَبِand the lineage المُصَلْصَلunblemished
بسَعْيهِ والنَّسَبِ المُصَلْصَل
فجاءَso he came كالمِرْحلlike a swift riding camel عندbeside الهوْجَلِthe lumbering camel
فجاءَ كالمِرْحل عند الهوْجَلِ
Through his striving and his unblemished lineage.
By his efforts and noble ancestry,
So he came like a swift riding camel beside a lumbering one,
He came like a caravan at nightfall.
يذْروscattering علىover الهُجنthe thoroughbred camels غبارthe dust of القسْطلa dust-cloud
يذْرو على الهُجن غبار القسْطل
إذاwhen تلَتْthey followed أعْقابَهُhis heels فيon المِرْسَلthe racecourse
إذا تلَتْ أعْقابَهُ في المِرْسَل
Scattering a cloud of dust over the thoroughbred camels.
Sprinkling dust on the settled abodes,
When they follow his heels along the racecourse,
When its followers marched on campaigns.
غادرهاhe left them تَرْسُفdragging their feet مثلlike الأقْزَلِthe lame one
غادرها تَرْسُف مثل الأقْزَلِ
ونِعْمand excellent is مأوىa refuge for الطَّارقِthe night visitor المُخَيِّلِhopeful
ونِعْم مأوى الطَّارقِ المُخَيِّلِ
He leaves them dragging their feet like a lame beast.
Leaving them to wander like blind camels,
And what a fine refuge he is for the hopeful night visitor,
A fine refuge for the deluding night-raider.
أسْلمهُsurrendered him الليلthe night وعصْفُand the blast of الشَّمْألthe north wind
أسْلمهُ الليل وعصْفُ الشَّمْأل
كرْهاًagainst his will إلىto هوْلthe horror of العذابِthe torment المُنْزَلِsent down
كرْهاً إلى هوْل العذابِ المُنْزَلِ
Whom night and the north wind's blast surrendered,
The night surrendered him, and the gusts of evil,
Against his will, to the horror of torment sent down:
Reluctantly to the horror of torment.
مِنfrom سَغَبٍhunger وفَرَقٍand fear وأفْكَلِand shivering
مِن سَغَبٍ وفَرَقٍ وأفْكَلِ
إِبَّانَduring the season of قُرٍّbitter cold كالطَّريرِlike a keen blade المِقْصَلthat severs
إِبَّانَ قُرٍّ كالطَّريرِ المِقْصَل
Hunger, fear, and shivering,
Of harshness, isolation, and ravaging,
In a season of cold like a keen, severing blade,
At the time of bleakness like clipped wings.
يرْشُقُshooting at كلَّevery وجْنةٍcheek بمِعْبَلِwith a broad-headed arrow
يرْشُقُ كلَّ وجْنةٍ بمِعْبَلِ
صُرادُهits piercing cold يفْلُقsplits صُلْبsolid الجنْدَلrock
صُرادُه يفْلُق صُلْب الجنْدَل
Shooting at every cheek with a broad-headed arrow.
His firmness splits the ribs of coats of mail,
Its piercing chill splits solid rock.
And the gleam of swords deludes.
وعَزَّand grew scarce لَمْعُthe flash of الخُلَّبِrainless lightning المُخَيِّلِpromising rain
وعَزَّ لَمْعُ الخُلَّبِ المُخَيِّلِ
ومانَand proved false صَوبُthe rainfall of الرَّاعِدthe thundering cloud المجلْجلloudly pealing
ومانَ صَوبُ الرَّاعِد المجلْجل
And scarce was the flash of rain-promising, rainless lightning,
And the thrust of lightning held back,
And the rain of the loud-pealing thundercloud proved false.
Al-Wali, the pillar of faith, is seen there.
يُرىis seen هناكthere عُضَدAdud (support) الدينal-Din (the faith) الوليthe patron
يُرى هناك عُضَد الدين الولي
أنفَعmore helpful منthan وسْميِّthe first autumn غيْثٍrain ووَليand following rain
أنفَع من وسْميِّ غيْثٍ ووَلي
There Adud al-Din, the patron, is seen to be
More beneficial than a rainy cloud's downpour,
More helpful than the first autumn rain and the rain that follows.
So he lodged the guest in the best dwelling,
فأنْزلَso he lodged الضَّيْفthe guest بخيرِin the best مَنْزِلdwelling
فأنْزلَ الضَّيْف بخيرِ مَنْزِل
وبَدَّلand replaced الجدْبdrought بخصبٍwith abundance مُخضِلlush and moist
وبَدَّل الجدْب بخصبٍ مُخضِل
So he lodged the guest in the best dwelling,
And replaced the barren valley with fertile green,
And replaced drought with lush abundance.
Thus he lived for kindness and nobility.
فعاشَso may he live للإِحْسانِfor benevolence والتَّفَضُّلِand generous giving
فعاشَ للإِحْسانِ والتَّفَضُّلِ
ماas long as طُرِدَis driven away الليلُthe night بصبحٍby a dawn مُقْبِلapproaching
ما طُرِدَ الليلُ بصبحٍ مُقْبِل
So may he live for benevolence and bounty,
As long as the night is not dispelled by the arriving dawn.
As long as night is driven away by approaching dawn.
Partial English translation: 33 of 34 Arabic lines translated.